Comparing the LAMY vista, safari, and AL-star Fountain Pens

It's a common question. What's the difference between the LAMY vista, LAMY safari, and LAMY AL-star? I remember asking the same thing in my early fountain pen days, because I would read about these popular pens all the time. These are all staple pens in the fountain pen community with a loyal following. This video is intended to clarify exactly what each pen offers and what sets them apart from each other.

Here are the main differences:

The safari and vista are the exact same pen, except the vista is clear (vista means "view")
The safari and AL-star are (essentially) the same dimensions, the AL-star is a hair bigger in diameter but not noticeably
The AL-star is made of aluminum and the safari is made of plastic, the aluminum tends to dent and scratch a little easier than the plastic
The grips on the safari and vista match the rest of the pen, the AL-stars all have smoky translucent grips regardless of color
The AL-star is slightly heavier (22g) than the safari and vista (17g)
All LAMY pens (except the LAMY 2000) have interchangeable LAMY nibs in EF, F, M, B (both steel and black) and 1.1mm, 1.5mm, 1.9mm italics (steel only)
Both the safari and AL-star come in a wide range of colors, and LAMY releases limited edition colors for both on a regular basis. The vista is only available in clear.
All three pens accept both the Z28 LAMY converters, as well as proprietary LAMY ink cartridges, the vista also accepts the Z27 converter