Data sheet: Vivitar 35 mm f/2.8 (Nikon F)

Pekka Buttler, 01/2025

Specifications

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on pictured sample of the lens):

Brand:	Vivitar	Lens name	35MM 1:2.8 auto wide-angle
Focal length(s)1	35 mm	Angle-of-view2	64 °
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	In Production	unclear3
Lens mount (this lens)	Nikon F (pre-Ai)	Other lens mounts	multiple4
Length5	52,7 mm	Diameter6	60,9 mm
Filter ring diameter	52 mm	Weight	253 grams
Lens element count	7 (see notes)	Lens group count	7 (see notes)
Aperture blades (S/R/C)7	8 S	Focus throw	345 °
Minimum focusing distance	40 cm (indicated) 41,5 cm (measured)	Maximum magnification	1:9,1 (measured)
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Auto	Aperture click stops8	2.8•4•5.6•8•11•16

Further notes:

• This is one of many Vivitar 35 mm f/2.8 lenses offered during the 60s and 70s.
• This lens was originally manufactured by Tokina. Tokina were during this time offering lenses both in fixed mount and T-4 interchangeable mount versions. Moreover, Tokina was constantly tinkering with its designs and many designs were never featured in any brochures. Hence, it is night impossible to say anything certain about either the production-era or the optical design, but the 7 elements in 7 groups is a classic Tokina 35 mm f/2.8 design and the reflections indicate 7 groups.
• There are two very similar (barrel form, focus ring pattern) Tokina&Vivitar 35/2.8 lenses, which however differ in terms of their filter thread with some lenses having a 49 mm filter thread and others having a 52 mm filter thread.
• This lens offers an exceptionally long focus throw, but does not focus closer than ≈ 40 cm.
• The filter threads do not rotate while focusing.

Adapting

n.B! When adapting legacy Nikon F mount lenses, it might be of relevance whether the lens is pre-Ai or later If you’re unsure of what that means, please read the JAPB article on the Nikon F mount.

As this is a pre-Ai Nikon F lens, it can be used natively on all Nikon F-mount film cameras produced before 1977 as well as a number of later SLRs and dSLRs, such as the Nikon FE, FM and F4 and the Nikon Df. In the case of all cameras that does not have a feeler for the rabbit ears (everything after 1977), you will be limited to stop-down metering.

Thanks to being a fully manual lens (manual aperture, manual focus), the lens can be adapted to all mirrorless cameras using a suitable dumb adapter (and such adapters are easy to find). Moreover, a large range of special adapters (helicoid adapters, tilt/shift adapters, speed boosters) for using Nikon F lenses on most mirrorless systems are available.

Using Nikon F lenses on non-Nikon SLRs and dSLRs is likewise a distinct possibility. Thanks to the relatively generous flange focal distance of the Nikon F mount (46,5 mm), adapter rings for all dSLR mounts are available as well as for a goodly portion of film-era SLR mounts. Such rings will not allow for auto aperture, but even then the lenses can be used in stop-down metering mode.

Footnotes

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1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees (based on manufacturers’ specs) and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Existing information is conflicting, likely introduced 1970s. ↩︎
4. Including: Canon FD, Contax/Yashica, Konica AR, M42, Minolta SR, Nikon F, Olympus OM and Pentax K ↩︎
5. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
6. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
7. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
8. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎