Vivitar 17-28mm 4-4.5 or Vivitar 19-35mm 3.5-4.5 What is the difference? Is 17-28 a oldest lens. I have few reference and comments about this lens. Camerea review rate a 4 more or less.

-- Eduardo Garcia (egarcia@vestrust.com.ve), October 11, 2001

Answers

I don't know much about the 17-28, but I do know that it is an older design and that it only fits manual focus cameras. The 19-35 is newer and comes in either manual focus or autofocus camera mounts. They are both inexpensive. The 19-35 is optically quite decent considering the low price. There are a lot of lenses in this zoom range that are better quality but they all cost more.

The 19-35 Vivitar is the same lens as the Phoenix and Cosina and the former Tokina. The new 19-35 Tokina is a different design & is reported to be a bit better and costs a bit more.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), October 11, 2001.

The Tokina 19-35 may cost a little more, but the quality differential is much greater than the price gap. Go for the Tokina instead of the Vivitar's.

-- Simon B. Garcia (oldsbg@mindspring.com), October 16, 2001.