 |
|
|
VinnyP
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Oct 8, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Oct 8, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $300.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Great image quality
fast
well built
|
|
Cons:
|
Narrow zoom range
no AFs/HSM
|
|
|
I was able to get a friend to pick one of these up for me in Japan and I am glad he did. I have the Sigma 10-20 and it's a great lens but sometimes for interiors I'd like a faster lens. I had the nikon 12-24 in the past and got rid of it because I felt and indeed still do feel the Sigma is a better bet.
This lens is plenty sharp enough at 2.8 across the field of view and just gets sharper as you stop down until you hit diffraction.
The zoom ring is well weighted and the manual focus ring has enough travel. I like the push pull to swap from manual to AF but would prefer the full time override given by an AFS or HSM lens.
For the D3 I have the 14-24 and it's everything that it is cracked up to be, but for a DX camera this is the best out there at the moment and the 2.8 is icing on the cake.
|
|
 Oct 8, 2008
|
|
Fulcrum
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: May 23, 2008
Location: Finland
Posts: 3
|
|
Review Date: Sep 25, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Excellent sharpness beyond f/4, gets wonderful images.
|
|
Cons:
|
Shortish zoom range.
|
|
|
What a piece of glass this is! Simply amazing and fun. Excellent sharpness and colour reproduction, almost no distortion.
This is probably the best UWA for crop sensor cameras on the market. I prefer this lens over the Canon 10-22mm, which feels like a plastic toy compared to this. Not to mention the image quality.
This is a keeper for me at least. My best lens so far.
The zoom range is a bit short. 11-24mm would be really handy. Then again, that would probably put a few hundred euros more on the price tag.
I got mine dirt cheap from HK new.
|
|
|
Sep 25, 2008
|
|
mach250
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Mar 22, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 1257
|
|
Review Date: Sep 10, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $560.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Fast/Quiet AF, low distortion at 11mm on APS-C sensor, f/2.8
|
|
Cons:
|
limited zoom range but thats to be expected for its purpose.
|
|
|
I'm fairly new to DSLR's and lenses in general but this lens offers a very wide range with f/2.8 through and through unlike the 12-24 f/4 that tokina offers. VERY useful for nighttime landscapes or even during a sunset.
|
|
|
Sep 10, 2008
|
|
Bahram Monshat
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jun 18, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Sep 8, 2008
|
Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
|
|
Pros:
|
Sharp ansd solid.
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
|
I reported on June 19, 2008 about sharpness, and maybe decentering problem, wiht my first copy.
I am glad to report that the second copy is just working perfectly. I would rate the product 10/10 this time.
|
|
|
Sep 8, 2008
|
|
Jonathan Wong
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Apr 21, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 448
|
|
Review Date: Sep 7, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $638.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Sharp as prime. Affordable. Fast.
|
|
Cons:
|
Minimum focus distance could be closer. Short zoom range.
|
|
|
Sharpest fastest UWA for the APS-C of them all. What more do I need to say?
|
|
|
Sep 7, 2008
|
|
Ho1972
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Dec 1, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1979
|
|
Review Date: Aug 14, 2008
|
Recommend? no |
Price paid: $570.00
| Rating: 3
|
|
Pros:
|
Solid (but incompetent) build, compact, 2.8 maximum aperture
|
|
Cons:
|
Apparently wide sample variation renders some copies unsuable, limited zoom range
|
|
The Ratings I gave are admittedly based on a flawed sample, but I can only judge what I have in front of me. The low Build Quality score is my indictment of a manufacturing process that could produce such an utterly useless lens.
The following review was originally posted in the Nikonians forum. I am reposting it here since I see no need to rewrite it. You may wish to view the original to see the image example.
http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=157&topic_id=26410&mesg_id=26410&page=
-----------------------------------
I received my Tokina 11-16 (SN 8208793) on Friday of last week (Aug 8, 2008). I immediately went shooting and was initially pleased with the results, but most of those shots were taken in bright sun with apertures above 5.6. The following day I did some testing and my enthusiasm began to wane.
Using nothing more than the standard brick wall and my own "monument" test (white engraved text on a big slab of flat, black granite), I determined that the 11-16 had extreme corner softness and even center frame softness when shot wide open.
I continued on from the testing site to shoot some frames at a local winery. While there, I was forced by circumstance to use the 11-16 for some grounds shots. I took the opportunity to shoot a few frames for "real world" testing purposes. The Tokina fared no better here. This is the center frame of one of those shots (ISO 100; 11mm @ 2.8; tripod, timer release, 1/1600sec). Focus was taken on the Wine Shop sign:
**image here**
Further testing the following day produced similarly appalling results. There is no redemption for this lens.
The Tokina 11-16 (this copy, anyway) is unusable for its intended purpose and I am returning it. I will not audition another because of the lack of local availability—and because of the lack of availability in general. The process of ordering this lens online and then testing, rejecting, returning the lens and waiting for more to become available so the process can begin anew, is just too tedious and time consuming. I've decided to buy the 12-24 Nikkor and be done with it.
To Tokinia, I say: A zoom lens this limited in range should be nearly flawless, and manufacturing processes should not permit a sample like the one I tested to ever fall into a customer's hands.
|
|
|
Aug 14, 2008
|
|
DavidWEGS
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: Apr 15, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Aug 12, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $650.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Light, fast and SHARP
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
|
perfect on the D300 for wide, wide and more wide.
|
|
|
Aug 12, 2008
|
|
Artur100
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Aug 4, 2008
Location: Poland
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Aug 4, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Sharpness, apperture 2.8, lack of shadowing and vignetting, small distortion
|
|
Cons:
|
Worse sharpness at 2.8 outside centre especially to be seen at 11mm, CA (but easily corrected)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 4, 2008
|
|
livcheng
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jul 9, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Jul 23, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $570.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Build quality is great, good value for f/2.8 lens, tack sharp, includes hood
|
|
Cons:
|
Short zoom
|
|
|
This is my first ultra-wide lens and really enjoying it. I tried taking some shots indoors under poor lighting with okay results, but in good lighting, the lens is tack sharp. I haven't tried any of the competition, so I can't say how it compares to them. The build quality is superb, just like my friend's tokina 12-24.
Hopefully I'll get some great shots of Beijing and the Olympics in a few weeks.
|
|
|
Jul 23, 2008
|
|
tfoltz
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Jul 7, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 20451
|
|
Review Date: Jul 17, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $559.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Tack Sharp, Build Quality, f2.8, Price
|
|
Cons:
|
NONE
|
|
|
I read the reviews on this earlier in the year, I couldn't wait to get it even tried to get it early from Japan. My birthday rolled around in May received it as a present from my girlfriend, was not expecting it in the stores until June. Needless to say very happy with the lens. Unless you have a full sensor why pay more for less.
|
|
|
Jul 17, 2008
|
|
noenoe_pro
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Oct 18, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 48
|
|
Review Date: Jul 15, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $570.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Sharp, Fast, low distortion
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
|
I actually amazed to the quality of this lens. I compared with 10-22 and 10-20 and it amazingly sharper!
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2008
|
|
Chester Le
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Mar 26, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 18
|
|
Review Date: Jul 8, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $569.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
very sharp and smooth focus ring
|
|
Cons:
|
short zoom range; DX only so can't use on D700
|
|
|
I LOVE this lens! It's sharper at 16 f2.8 on this lens than my Tamron 17-50 at 17 f4. The best thing about this is the focus is dead on every time. This lens would make me hesitate to upgrade to a FX body since I would have to find a replacement wide angle. Really, it's that good! I also wished they could have extend the long end out to 24mm and still keep the sharpness. I hear you can still use this lens at 16mm on a FX body. That would still be wider than 11mm on a DX.
|
|
|
Jul 8, 2008
|
|
toguko
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: May 24, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
|
|
|
Jul 5, 2008
|
|
omarlyn
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Feb 19, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4153
|
|
Review Date: Jun 24, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
SHARP WIDE OPEN (even on the edges), Relatively little distortion, CA easily corrected. SUPERIOR build quality.
|
|
Cons:
|
NONE
|
|
|
I had skipped over all the ultra-wide predecessors because either they weren't fast enough and/or sharp enough (based on fullsized posted images & reviews). The Tokina achieves BOTH these requirements by far! Sharpness is seen right from f2.8 and is carried into the edges and corners with excellent results! The trade-off is the smallest zoom range of all the ultra-wides but I always intended to treat this lens as a prime, so the short zoom is not an issue and a no-brainer trade-off to gain higher IQ. Some have stated CA as a problem in this lens but I have yet to notice it at 'normal' viewing distances in 11x14 images. Never-the-less, CA is easily corrected in PP. Distortion is relatively small and better than most at this range. Flare would be the only concern based on sample images but I have yet to see a 'flare issue' on my images. Build quality is typical Tokina 'tank' style...very robust feeling with smoth zoom & MF rings. Over-all, if you don't mind the short zoom range, this is the best ultra-wide available for 1.6 cropped cameras. Competively priced with the Sigma's, Tamron, & even the other Tokina....and considerably less than the Canon. It would be interesting to see if the edge sharpness that the lens achieves would carry-over on a FF sensor at the 16mm setting....however, that would be the subject for another review.
|
|
|
Jun 24, 2008
|
|
Bahram Monshat
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jun 18, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Jun 19, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 5
|
|
Pros:
|
Excellent Build Quality
|
|
Cons:
|
My copy: AF was not accurate. Pictures did not seem sharp even in MF mode, even in the Viewfinder!
|
|
|
Returned the lens after less than two weeks. Currently awaiting a replacement to arrive.
|
|
|
Jun 19, 2008
|
|
jirok12944
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Nov 22, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
|
|
Review Date: Jun 7, 2008
|
Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
sharp, contrast, build, price, f/2.8
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
|
absolutely happy with the lens. sharp and contrast wide open. focus quick and accurate. robust build.
* noticeable border distortion at 11mm
* CA wide open (easy fixable)
|
|
|
Jun 7, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reviews
|
Views
|
Date of last review
|
|
67
|
168292
|
Jul 10, 2022
|
|
|
Recommended By
|
Average Price
|
|
90% of reviewers
|
$591.30
|
|
|
Build Quality Rating
|
Price Rating
|
Overall Rating
|
|
9.40
|
9.16
|
9.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Finally he was very happy to take it back (he didn't have the replacement) because the lens is very popular.