Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
p.1 #1Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
Any experience with this golden oldie? It's the last lens on my list of film-era zooms to check out on my FS mono camera, and I found what looks to be a gently used copy in F-mount on the bay (nothing local, unfortunately). My expectations are not high. For the 400mm the lens covers, I paid less than $.15 per mm. What drives me to it is that I can't find info about how it does with film or a FF digital. Most of the reviews/discussions I've found are limited to use on smaller-framed cameras. Also, it's under a kg, which makes it unique for super-zooms of its age (the Minolta 100-500/8, for example, is over 2kg). And it's from Cosina, who made a few nice surprises in the manual 35mm days. It seems worth a look, at least.
If you have any experience to share, please let me know.
Thanks.
Brad
If you have any experience to share, please let me know.
Thanks.
Brad
Nov 01, 2026 at 01:32 PM
p.1 #2Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
I have the Minolta 100-500. Got for maybe $20 on craigslist. It is full of haze so can only be used, er, artfully.. it is a monster.
Yeah, it’s not the same as yours apart from the focal length, But the use case scenarios for me for these focal lengths are surprisingly limited. I guess I just like to be closer, much closer! to my subject matter.
Yeah, it’s not the same as yours apart from the focal length, But the use case scenarios for me for these focal lengths are surprisingly limited. I guess I just like to be closer, much closer! to my subject matter.
Nov 04, 2026 at 12:18 AM
p.1 #3Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
Desmolicious wrote:
I have the Minolta 100-500. Got for maybe $20 on craigslist. It is full of haze so can only be used, er, artfully.. it is a monster.
Yeah, it’s not the same as yours apart from the focal length, But the use case scenarios for me for these focal lengths are surprisingly limited. I guess I just like to be closer, much closer! to my subject matter.
I'm hopeful that this will be a great backyard/dog walk tele. Squirrels, rabbits, and foxes (the things I see daily) will only let me get so close.
I have the Minolta 100-500. Got for maybe $20 on craigslist. It is full of haze so can only be used, er, artfully.. it is a monster.
Yeah, it’s not the same as yours apart from the focal length, But the use case scenarios for me for these focal lengths are surprisingly limited. I guess I just like to be closer, much closer! to my subject matter.
I'm hopeful that this will be a great backyard/dog walk tele. Squirrels, rabbits, and foxes (the things I see daily) will only let me get so close.
Nov 04, 2026 at 06:44 PM
p.1 #4Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
I'd expect high CA due to non-apochromatic performance at such focal lengths. I'd be surprised if that lens was designed with high performance glass.
Let us know how it goes as I'd guess we're all in the dark about this one.
Let us know how it goes as I'd guess we're all in the dark about this one.
Nov 04, 2026 at 07:34 PM
p.1 #5Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
I had the Viv Ser 1 from the era 120-600. Not the same lens, but the CA was a bit rough at times. The micro-contrast wasn't in the same league as today's glass. With those points understood, it could "get you close" and be "not bad", but certainly not "Big White" territory for IQ.
But, hey for the price of admission ... it would get you close. First time I saw a black bear through it from about 75 yards ... yikes, those claws.
But, hey for the price of admission ... it would get you close. First time I saw a black bear through it from about 75 yards ... yikes, those claws.
Nov 04, 2026 at 07:55 PM
p.1 #6Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
rscheffler wrote:
I'd expect high CA due to non-apochromatic performance at such focal lengths. I'd be surprised if that lens was designed with high performance glass.
Let us know how it goes as I'd guess we're all in the dark about this one.
I'm sure you're right, but that won't matter much on the mono. I will test it on the color rII as well, though, and post some photos and impressions here.
I'd expect high CA due to non-apochromatic performance at such focal lengths. I'd be surprised if that lens was designed with high performance glass.
Let us know how it goes as I'd guess we're all in the dark about this one.
I'm sure you're right, but that won't matter much on the mono. I will test it on the color rII as well, though, and post some photos and impressions here.
Nov 04, 2026 at 10:42 PM
p.1 #7Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
RustyBug wrote:
I had the Viv Ser 1 from the era 120-600. Not the same lens, but the CA was a bit rough at times. The micro-contrast wasn't in the same league as today's glass. With those points understood, it could "get you close" and be "not bad", but certainly not "Big White" territory for IQ.
But, hey for the price of admission ... it would get you close. First time I saw a black bear through it from about 75 yards ... yikes, those claws.
I read about that one. I didn't realize it was a Kobori lens. They had a long manufacturing history with both Vivitar and Minolta. Because of the weight, though, it didn't make the list.
I'm not looking for anything close to big white. I've got a set of decent Sony whites when the ultimate IQ matters to me. This is meant to satisfy my curiosity plus it has the potential to be fun with the little animals hanging about the neighborhood.
I had the Viv Ser 1 from the era 120-600. Not the same lens, but the CA was a bit rough at times. The micro-contrast wasn't in the same league as today's glass. With those points understood, it could "get you close" and be "not bad", but certainly not "Big White" territory for IQ.
But, hey for the price of admission ... it would get you close. First time I saw a black bear through it from about 75 yards ... yikes, those claws.
I read about that one. I didn't realize it was a Kobori lens. They had a long manufacturing history with both Vivitar and Minolta. Because of the weight, though, it didn't make the list.
I'm not looking for anything close to big white. I've got a set of decent Sony whites when the ultimate IQ matters to me. This is meant to satisfy my curiosity plus it has the potential to be fun with the little animals hanging about the neighborhood.
Nov 04, 2026 at 11:05 PM
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p.1 #8Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
It arrived and it's in excellent condition. It does creep a little out to 160 if I carry it facing down, but it doesn't creep the other way if pointed up and I'm not seeing any creep in (limited) shooting. The zoom and focus action are both a little tight for fast action response, but the focus throw is long enough to more easily achieve focus than the shorter throw of my Canon 100-300/5.6L, for example. And they label the lens macro when the constant 2.5m MFD is very restrictive throughout most of the range. On the plus side, it's got 100, 120, 135, 160, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500 on the focal length scale. The Canon only has 100, 135, 200, and 300. There's also a reproduction ratio scale the shows you can go from 1:19 at the wide end to 1:4 at the long, so it's a nice engraved and painted reminder of just how restrictive 2.5m is at the wide end.
Two things: One, it's apparently only the Vivitar 1 model that weighs under a kg assuming the Pentax forum is right about it (they also say it has a built-in hood). My Cosina weighs out at 1222g with caps and B+W 486 filter. So, not as light as I was hoping but still not bad for what it is. Two, the tri mount is very small in area and not tall, so I recommend a smaller plate if you need a dovetail (my Kirk PZ-130 works out nicely).
All I had time to do today was shoot the fence to make sure it wasn't a complete dud, but the resolution at 30ft is promising. I'm also not seeing a gross amount of distortion at any focal length, so that's always a relief. I'll try to get out tomorrow and give it a workout. I'll post some samples when I have something worth sharing.
Two things: One, it's apparently only the Vivitar 1 model that weighs under a kg assuming the Pentax forum is right about it (they also say it has a built-in hood). My Cosina weighs out at 1222g with caps and B+W 486 filter. So, not as light as I was hoping but still not bad for what it is. Two, the tri mount is very small in area and not tall, so I recommend a smaller plate if you need a dovetail (my Kirk PZ-130 works out nicely).
All I had time to do today was shoot the fence to make sure it wasn't a complete dud, but the resolution at 30ft is promising. I'm also not seeing a gross amount of distortion at any focal length, so that's always a relief. I'll try to get out tomorrow and give it a workout. I'll post some samples when I have something worth sharing.
Nov 06, 2026 at 05:36 PM
p.1 #9Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
IR testing this afternoon. It did fine up to 750nm, but then it developed a hot spot at 850nm. It's consistent and doesn't seem to get much brighter as you stop down.
Or I edited the photos on two different screens and didn't notice the tiny smudge that made photos look like they all have hot spots. It's good down to f/11 with 850nm.
Here it is at 500mm f/8...
SC100500_HOTSPOT by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
Now what's really weird. I put the Kenko Teleplus 300 1.4x on it and I can no longer see the hotspot...
Because I edited this with the laptop plugged into a display.
SC100500_1.4x by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
I'm not sure where the vignetting came from. It must be some combination of the stepup ring (72 to 77mm) and the direction of light. And, while the hotspot seems to go, so does a good portion of the resolution. So I won't depend on it for this purpose.
As predicted, though, it's actually kind of sweet if you keep it within fifty feet or so. It's still not sharper than my original Sony 100-400GM + 1.4x, but it's fun, if manual focusing with small animals is your idea of fun.
SC100500_Illshowmyselfout by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
I've yet to put it on the color rII. I'm working from home some this week, so I should get the chance.
Or I edited the photos on two different screens and didn't notice the tiny smudge that made photos look like they all have hot spots. It's good down to f/11 with 850nm.
Here it is at 500mm f/8...
SC100500_HOTSPOT by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrNow what's really weird. I put the Kenko Teleplus 300 1.4x on it and I can no longer see the hotspot...
Because I edited this with the laptop plugged into a display.
SC100500_1.4x by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrI'm not sure where the vignetting came from. It must be some combination of the stepup ring (72 to 77mm) and the direction of light. And, while the hotspot seems to go, so does a good portion of the resolution. So I won't depend on it for this purpose.
As predicted, though, it's actually kind of sweet if you keep it within fifty feet or so. It's still not sharper than my original Sony 100-400GM + 1.4x, but it's fun, if manual focusing with small animals is your idea of fun.
SC100500_Illshowmyselfout by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrI've yet to put it on the color rII. I'm working from home some this week, so I should get the chance.
Nov 09, 2026 at 10:39 PM
p.1 #10Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
Color. Not great, but, under the right circumstances, it's not difficult to massage pleasing color out of it to my eye.
Adobe standard otherwise as shot...
CS100500_ColorAS-2 by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
Mild sharpening, curve adjustment, noise reduction, and color contrast filter...
CS100500_Coloredit-2 by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
Spherochromatism is a problem, and not a subtle one.
Adobe standard otherwise as shot...
CS100500_ColorAS-1-2 by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
It's not something LR's tool can fix, or even come close. Also, it didn't stop this squirrel from moving on me right when I tripped the shutter. Had she stayed still, she would've been as sharp as her feet.
CS100500_Colorcrop-1-2-2 by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr
That's at about 7m. My feeling is it'll be a fun lens to play around with in mono, can be useful for IR if I need it, will be a nice challenge as a backyard tele, and should prove worth $59.
Adobe standard otherwise as shot...
CS100500_ColorAS-2 by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrMild sharpening, curve adjustment, noise reduction, and color contrast filter...
CS100500_Coloredit-2 by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrSpherochromatism is a problem, and not a subtle one.
Adobe standard otherwise as shot...
CS100500_ColorAS-1-2 by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrIt's not something LR's tool can fix, or even come close. Also, it didn't stop this squirrel from moving on me right when I tripped the shutter. Had she stayed still, she would've been as sharp as her feet.
CS100500_Colorcrop-1-2-2 by Bradley Clemens, on FlickrThat's at about 7m. My feeling is it'll be a fun lens to play around with in mono, can be useful for IR if I need it, will be a nice challenge as a backyard tele, and should prove worth $59.
Nov 10, 2026 at 09:51 PM
p.1 #11Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
Good Morning,
After reading this thread and knowing how some of these oldies from the 80's might surprise me, I picked one up for $45.00 including shipping. Mine came as a Vivitar, seems to have a more modern finish (grip, tripod collar), and the mount is for a Pentax K; adapter also on the way. If it is okay, I get to play with it for a bit before I gift it to my grandson (all of ten years old but he loves film cameras and trains...go figure...)
Regards,
Edd
After reading this thread and knowing how some of these oldies from the 80's might surprise me, I picked one up for $45.00 including shipping. Mine came as a Vivitar, seems to have a more modern finish (grip, tripod collar), and the mount is for a Pentax K; adapter also on the way. If it is okay, I get to play with it for a bit before I gift it to my grandson (all of ten years old but he loves film cameras and trains...go figure...
)Regards,
Edd
Nov 11, 2026 at 10:10 AM
p.1 #12Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
roboticspro wrote:
Good Morning,
After reading this thread and knowing how some of these oldies from the 80's might surprise me, I picked one up for $45.00 including shipping. Mine came as a Vivitar, seems to have a more modern finish (grip, tripod collar), and the mount is for a Pentax K; adapter also on the way. If it is okay, I get to play with it for a bit before I gift it to my grandson (all of ten years old but he loves film cameras and trains...go figure...)
Regards,
Edd
That's cool, Edd. I hope you and your grandson enjoy it.
Good Morning,
After reading this thread and knowing how some of these oldies from the 80's might surprise me, I picked one up for $45.00 including shipping. Mine came as a Vivitar, seems to have a more modern finish (grip, tripod collar), and the mount is for a Pentax K; adapter also on the way. If it is okay, I get to play with it for a bit before I gift it to my grandson (all of ten years old but he loves film cameras and trains...go figure...
)Regards,
Edd
That's cool, Edd. I hope you and your grandson enjoy it.
Nov 11, 2026 at 12:12 PM
p.1 #13Super Cosina 100-500/5.6-8 (also rebranded by Vivitar and others)
A couple of random notes...
While it's listed as f/5.6-8, the difference between leaving it wide open and moving the aperture to f/8 is about a third of a stop on the matrix meter at 500.
The Super Cosina version has a 72mm filter where the Vivitar (as pictured by Edd above) has a 67mm filter.
Full stops only on the aperture ring, and there doesn't appear to be a setting to allow for camera control on a smart adapter, so I think that's the best you can expect.
While it's listed as f/5.6-8, the difference between leaving it wide open and moving the aperture to f/8 is about a third of a stop on the matrix meter at 500.
The Super Cosina version has a 72mm filter where the Vivitar (as pictured by Edd above) has a 67mm filter.
Full stops only on the aperture ring, and there doesn't appear to be a setting to allow for camera control on a smart adapter, so I think that's the best you can expect.
Nov 12, 2026 at 01:29 AM