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Olympus PEN E-PM2, Vivitar MC 28mm f/2.8

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Olympus PEN E-PM2, Vivitar MC 28mm f/2.8

Digital Moments: First impression images with the Vivitar MC 28mm f/2.8, a legacy wide-angle lens known for its excellence and many variants.

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What seems to be the main points of discussion around the legacy Vivitar MC 28mm f/2.8, a classic manual focus wide-angle prime lens acknowledged as an excellent example of a third-party lens manufactured in the 1980s, are not about the quality of their images, but rather the origins of its manufacturer.

The lens, known to have several variants, is primarily manufactured by Komine, is identified by the serial number 28xxxxxxxx. And is available in multiple mounts, including Canon FD, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus OM, Pentax K, and others.

The unit I have, however, has the serial number etched on the lower part of the lens barrel itself (rather than on the lens trim plate), and has the serial number starting with 98xxxxxxxx, which, as pointed out on PentaxForums, is manufactured by Cosina.

Nominally, as described for the Komine version, the lens is a 7-element in 7 groups design with multicoated elements, has 6 iris blades, a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters, takes 49mm filters, weighs around 206 grams, and comes with a non-rotating front element.

The Cosina version of the lens enjoys a rating of Sharpness at 7.7, Aberrations at 7.7, Bokeh at 7.4, Handling at 8.0, and Value at 9.1 on the forum.

Aside from the starting serial numbers already noted, there is also a version identified as Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 Close Focus Wide Angle, which differs from the 28mm f/2.0 version by having a slower aperture and an aperture click between f/11 and f/16, and a Kiron version of the lens with serial numbers starting with 22xxxxxxxx.

On the mirrorless Olympus PEN E-PM2, the lens is equivalent to a 56mm lens on a 35mm full-frame camera, with a versatile mid-telephoto perspective that is an excellent choice for portraits (headshots to half-body), with potentially excellent subject isolation and creamy bokeh.

The focal length is also excellent for detail shots in travel, and isolating subjects in street photography with compression that adds a pleasing, three-dimensional look.

On APS-C DSLRS with 1.5x crop sensors, the Vivitar MC 28mm f/2.8 will be equivalent to a 42mm prime, just a titch wider than the 40mm, which is considered the 'sweet spot' lens for photography for its natural perspective that mimics what the eye sees, ideal for everyday shooting, street, and travel, for its ability to balance wide scenes with subject isolation.

Olympus PEN E-PM2, Vivitar MC 28mm f/2.8

The Olympus PEN E-PM2, one of the smallest and lightest footprints among interchangeable lens cameras, is an entry-level MFT (Micro Four Thirds) system camera introduced in 2012. The camera features a 16.1MP CMOS sensor, the same as found on the OM-D E-M5, acknowledged for its excellent image quality and color reproduction, a 3-inch touch LCD screen, Full HD 1080p video recording with full-time autofocus.

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Photo of the Day

Pentax Optio WG-II

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Photo of the Day

Pentax Optio WG-II

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

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and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Pentax Optio WG-II

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Pentax Optio WG-II

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

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Pentax Optio WG-II, A Morning Edit

Compact Comeback: The adage that says 'all images can always do with a bit of editing' is the common perspective for preparing digital photos for public consumption.

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Making a photo look its best, even the slightest adjustment, like cropping an image for better composition or using color correction to balance the lighting, can help transform good photos into great ones, making them more appealing for social media interaction, advertising, or professional credibility.

Fundamental basic edits include adjustments for brightness, contrast, exposure, saturation, and white balance, while cropping and straightening are essential for improving composition and ensuring the subject is the main focus.

Color correction and grading involve more advanced techniques of manipulating the color palette for a specific mood or style.

Retouching removes blemishes, wrinkles, or unwanted objects for a cleaner look.

Applying artistic filters and effects, like applying pre-set filters or editing for complex effects like double exposures or background removal, helps to add a creative flair.

At the opposite end, the SOOC (Straight-Out-of-Camera) ideals, a collection of thoughts that adheres to the concept of the absence of post-processing with images. The ideal will not remove items, tweak exposures or contrast, or use filters or plug-ins, or use image editing functions at all.

For SOOC images, some will even draw the line even with cropping (or trimming the edges), and tilt alignment to get the photo perfectly framed! Images are left untouched, seen as what the photographer saw and recorded.

Images here were shot on the Pentax Optio WG-II, a highly rugged, waterproof, shockproof, and freeze-proof compact camera known for its extreme durability, unique LED macro lights, and good image quality for its class.

Pentax Optio WG-II

The camera is fitted with a 16MP BCI CMOS sensor, and is capable of Full HD (1080p) video, macro shots, HDR, time-lapse, bracketing, and comes with an assignable green button. Image edits were done on the desktop image editor.

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