Is the Vivitar 19-35mm Series 1 or the new Tokina 19-35mm a better lens?

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I just wanted to know which lens gives better picture quality (ie-contrast, sharpness and resolution, etc) photos...the new Vivitar Series 1 19-35mm or the new Tokina 19-35mm lens. They are both about the same price, but I want to purchase the better lens. Let me know if you have any comparitive info. Thanks!

-- James R. Norman (kaseone770@yahoo.com), November 29, 2001

Answers

Vivitar don't make their own lenses, they simply re-badge lenses from other manufacturers.
Many of Vivitar's previous offerings have come from Sigma and Tokina, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were one and the same lens.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), November 30, 2001.

Thanks.

-- James R. Norman (kaseone770@yahoo.com), November 30, 2001.

These are different lenses. The earlier Tokina looked like it was the same as the Vivitar/Phoenix/Cosina lens, but this one is supposed to come from a different source and feel like it's built a bit better. I have only used the Vivitar. It feels real cheap, image quality is so-so. Good for the price, but not as good as most of the better lenses. The problem is, all the better lenses are more than twice as much money. These are both good deals, but I think I'd get the Tokina based on the few comparisons I've read.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), December 01, 2001.

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