How to get a vivitar lens to work with my nikon d5000?

I recently bought a vivitar lens from an estate sale for $25, but it does not automatically lock in with my nikon. I have been looking at teleconverters, but I'm not sure if that is exactly what I need to make the lens compatible because they are almost $100. Any suggestions?

Lenses must have the correct MOUNT for your camera brand - in this case for Nikon. It the lens was made for another brand, it won't work.
Teleconverters are something totally different.

If it doesn't fit, don't force it - you'll either get it stuck or break something.

Next time, don't buy the cheapest you can find… Buy value for money and buy the CORRECT THING.

Research and learning are the key elements to success here.

Your choices are:

1) Trash the lens

2) Buy an adapter. You will have to find out what kind of mount the lens has and buy a converter to Nikon mount. They run between about $20 to $70. This will make the price of your lens about $75. Vivitar is not known for quality. I suggest using option 3.

3) Sell the lens.

You wouldn't think it now, but Vivitar's lenses and flashguns were once highly-regarded.

The others are right, though, only a lens in Nikon mount will fit your camera, and you could damage it by trying to force a lens made for another camera onto it (Vivitar made lenses for just about everyone, so it may not even be in Nikon mount).

To adapt it, you'll have to find out the mount first, then buy an adapter, but that's probably more hassle than the lens is worth. An MF Nikon-mount lens won't meter on your camera anyway, and you can forget autofocus.

Next time, make sure the lens will fit before you buy.

If your old Vivitar lens is T-mount, all you have to do is replace it with a Nikon T-mount. Check the mount of the lens. If there are three small screws on the side, that's a T-mount. You just unscrew it and replace with the correct mount. A warning though. You will lose all automatic functions with it and you may not even have a lightmeter.

If the lens is not T-mount and the mount is fixed, there's no way to make it fit directly. You will need an adapter. IF the lens is Pentax screw you get an M42 to Nikon adapter.

Teleconverters go to the front of the lens to make it better for making distant objects seem near. This is not what you need and if you get curious about them, don't. They have very poor optical quality.

You must familiarize yourself to the Nikon mount so you would recognize it at once. Study your Nikon lens. Only lenses with that mount will fit your camera. Aside from Nikon and Vivitar, lenses from Tokina, Sigma and Tamron will fit it. Just make sure the mount is Nikon. If you want to preserve autofocus, make sure you get a lens with its own autofocus motor.

If the Vivitar lens isn't a Nikon mount then sell it. Using an adapter even IF you can figure out what lens mount the Vivitar was originally for is frustrating and will prove to be a further waste of money.

A teleconverter will not help. They, too, are made in brand-specific mounts so a teleconverter made to mount to your D5000 body will have a Nikon mount on its front to accept a Nikon mount lens.

You most likely did not buy a F-Mount Vivitar.

These lenses are pretty much low grade to begin with, and even if you can find an adapter, you will make something already bad into something awful.

Lenses are actually more important than the camera, and if you use junk stuff, you will not be happy with the result. You would be better off saving the $100 for the adapter for a good lens.

Sell it for $25. Vivitar isn't known for quality.