Yes, optically. Modern zooms use lighter, better materials, are cheaper in real terms, for what you get, but optical physics hasn't changed. No autofocus in those days, of course.
You need to be careful with the Vivitars. They made some great lenses 20-30 years ago and some mediocre ones since then. The 70-210mm was the star, and a bestseller in its day, but there was a couple of good mid-range zooms as well. Harder to find those nowadays.
Even just considering the 70-210, there's been quite a few versions over the years. The first four are generally considered the ones to get. Among those, 2 and 3 are the best, although people will always argue, of course.
Vivitar was never a manufacturer. They were originally a bunch of engineers that defected from... Nikon, was it ?... back in the 70s. Did their own design, then contracted out the manufacture to other companies... Cosina, Komina, Kiron, Tokina... Did some pretty nifty work in the early days, then the marketers got a hold of them and it all went to crud.
Yeah, they can be had cheap now, if you're careful to know what you're looking at. Some of the old one-touch zooms have chronic creep now, of course. And be prepared for a workout with the weight of them, but well worth finding, all the same - bit of a well-known-secret, these days.
Wait a minute...timeout here. Are you saying that this lens that
she said she picked up for ( was it $35? ) is actually a classic
lens that can compete with any of the modern day zooms of today?
I see Vivitar Series Ones advertised on Ebay, brand new,
everyday...cheap. These lenses are the same quality as the one she
shot those images with?
Where does it mention the ISO settings of those shots?
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