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Flav
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Registered: Apr 30, 2008
Location: Romania
Posts: 305
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Review Date: Jul 31, 2014
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Good sharpness, amazing when stopped down, Infinity stop (this is rare for AF lenses, and it's very precise on this lens), solid build, very little distortion for the zoom range and the price.
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Cons:
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BAD Quality control. Electric band (connecting mount to lens electronics) gets damaged from zooming - it's crazy that they launched it to market like this. I bought the lens with the damaged electric band (aperture was stuck half-closed) and focus is really slow because of this defect. Now the lens works fine, except slow AF, and f/5.6 gets Err99, only f/5.6 does that - weird. This might not happen to your lens, but since there are quite a few out there that have this, I'd say be weary, check the screws if it's been open (that might indicate it did have the fault and it might happen again, soon).
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 Jul 31, 2014
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gabrielgartner
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Registered: May 5, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 72
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Review Date: May 25, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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build, price
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Cons:
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color rendering
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This is an outstanding lens for a budget conscience photographer. Built like a tank but not so large that it's cumbersome in the field. Accepts standard width filters (though i was told there would be vignetting without a slim polarizer, this does not seem to be the case).
My copy seems to give a slightly warm color cast to most of my photos (on a d300s) which is noticeable enough in many photos to mark my overall rating down to an average grade of 7. However, this color cast can be removed fairly easily in post--but it's still one more thing added to my workflow.
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May 25, 2012
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Betacamman
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Jun 12, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 1187
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Review Date: May 24, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $300.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Build quality, sharpness
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Cons:
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Maybe a bit large and heavy, but not unmanagable
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Only reason I sold it is because I moved to APS-H from APS-C. Quality was great, especially for the price.
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May 24, 2012
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hokiejimbo
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Aug 24, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 10
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Review Date: May 22, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $450.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great IQ, Great Colors, Contrast.
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Cons:
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AF is a tad slow... luckily at 12-24mm you don't spend much time focusing... and focus is still precise.
Not for full frame! I want something this well built with this price on my 5DMKII.
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This was my favorite lens for my 7D. I let a friend borrow it on a trip to Bolivia, and they were in a car accident. The vehicle flipped several times, and only 2 lenses survived - this was one of them, and the 70-200/4ISL was the other. This thing is rugged, and has been on my camera for many of my best photos. I'd recommend this over any of the other wide-angles I've tested.
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May 22, 2012
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seagrove01
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Registered: Dec 16, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 119
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Review Date: Aug 16, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Absolutely outstanding lens in my judgment! I have owned this lens since it first hit the streets and have used it for everything from newspaper work to weddings to personal. It is a solid performer in DX clothing. Absolutely stunning images out of my "vintage" D2H bodies. Brand new it costs half of what the [then] new Nikkor 12-24 f4 was costing.
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Cons:
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Aug 16, 2011
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r.reule
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Registered: Oct 23, 2010
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 23, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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the range 12-24 is perfect on a cropped camera. Colours and Sharpness are nice, including a hood
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Cons:
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It looks an feels like a tank, but i had an apparture problem after the garanty period what takes me a month for repair. Sometimes it isn,t fast enough. Doesnt fit to a FF body.
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I had e problem with the apparture after two years, it was no garanty anymore, Tokina Netherlands fixed it for me (about € 130,=) It is a well known problem with al lot of copies they told me...
Before and after that problem it is my favorite lens. I used it all the time on a canon 20D. For indoor events, sometimes i wish I had a faster 2.8 lens,most of the time I prefere al tripod with f11.
I would like to change to FF in futere, in didnt change till now because of this lens doesn't fit to Full Frame.
Il like to use this lens an I like the results i made with it,
Herewith some samples:
www.flickr.com/photos/robertreule/sets/72157625087985991/
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Oct 23, 2010
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Offline
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Review Date: Oct 1, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $420.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharpness, build quality, great range
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Cons:
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CA (and lots of 'em), 24mm/f4 setting not very sharp
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This (and its 11-16 sister) is the best current choice for an APS-C ultrawide, at least in the Canon scope. It's sharp, it's decently fast (f/4 vs. f/4-5.6 or even f/4.5-5.6 as the Sigmas) and it's built well. Typically Tokina.
Another typical Tokina feature, though much less desirable, is the amount of chromatic aberrations. Also the lens is getting noticeably less sharp towards 24mm wide open, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. Stopped down to about f/6.3 it was fully sharp again. The 12mm/f4 combination was excellent.
Eventually I sold it as I didn't want an ultrawide at the time and envisioned switching to 1D in the future. Now I wish it had been compatible so that I would have kept it.
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Oct 1, 2010
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Patricio Murphy
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Registered: Mar 16, 2009
Location: Argentina
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Sep 24, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent build.
Sharp, outstanding image quality, specially if you consider the price tag.
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Cons:
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Will vignette with standard polarizers.
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Might sound too enthusiastic, but I give this lens an absolute 10.
Does this mean it's perfect? No, not at all, but it's better than you'd expect for the money. A lot better. It's built like a much more expensive lens, gives oustanding image quality.
Can't ask more. Absolutely happy with it.
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Sep 24, 2010
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fstopped
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Registered: Nov 18, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Mar 25, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Simple, solid, sharp -- can't imagine any better!
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Cons:
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i've only had this lens a week -- no negatives so far
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Mar 25, 2010
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halaros
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Registered: Sep 21, 2009
Location: Greece
Posts: 38
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Review Date: Jan 29, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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build quality, good price/value, wharm colours,
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Cons:
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sharpness
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A very honest choise at this focal range. It 's not an L lens but it doesn't have L price as well. I suggest it this lens
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Jan 29, 2010
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bobcita68
Offline
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Registered: Nov 3, 2009
Location: Italy
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 4, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent build quality, very good image quality, price
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Cons:
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12mm not as large as 10mm, but one can live with it
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I bought this lens in Nikon mount, used in perfectly new conditions, while I was looking for a UWA lens that goes down to 10mm. Since I didn't want to pay the cost of the new Nikkor 10-24, I was considering the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 and Tamron 10-24, but eventually went for the better image quality and remarkable build quality of the Tokina.
I use this lens mostly to "play" with the perspective, and for this purpose the longer minimum focal length is not really that big of a limitation (you just try to get closer to your subject).
Build quality is top-notch, on-par with professional Nikkors. In fact, this is the heaviest UWA for DX, and it feels. Barrel is made mostly of metal and both zoom and focus rings are smooth and nice to use.
Image quality is very good already wide open. I read it suffers of CA, but in my experience it is not so bad to make you turn away from it at all.
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Nov 4, 2009
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baraynavab
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Registered: Mar 21, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 5
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Nov 1, 2009
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erick_C
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Registered: Sep 10, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 100
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Review Date: Oct 14, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $350.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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sharp, (almost) bomb-proof construction, controlled barrel distortion (at the widest angle), intuitive MF/AF switch
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Cons:
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hood
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I owned this lens very briefly, I ended up selling it to help fund another lens purchase and I MISS IT. It was one of the best UWA lenses I've used having never used the Nikon variant and will definitely buy it again.
The lens is sharp. At 12mm, you will see some very visible barrel distortion but it's so predictable that it can easily be fixed through software. At first, I was skeptical of the MF/AF clutch but after using it, it's a smart and intuitive implementation.
The construction, as many others have pointed out, is phenomenal. In my opinion, it's built to last you a very very long time. Kudos to Tokina.
As for my one caveat, the hood leaves much to be desired. When reveresed, it tends to pop off once in a while. Not too often, but once in a while that it becomes annoying.
Also, on a side note: IMHO, Tokina has one of the best designed rear caps. Better than the Nikon one. Positive engagement, good coverate (to help protect more of your lens' mount), and, unlike the other third party brands, you don't have to line it up with a dot.
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Oct 14, 2009
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JRomie
Offline
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Registered: Apr 12, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 108
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Review Date: Jul 31, 2009
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $469.00
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Beautifully built, constant wide open aperture, sharp when focused manually.
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Cons:
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Autofocus WAY soft on my copy
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My overall 6 rating is acknowledgement that my lens probably was not a representative copy; however, with this thought aside, I'd probably give it a four or 5, as it really didn't meet my expectations.
With all I've heard about this lens, I believe I got a bad copy and my mistake was not fully testing it before the 15-day return period (lesson learned!). I could take very sharp photos with it, but the AF was way soft -- out of focus alltogether. I sent it in for recalibration under the warranty period and was told it met factory specifications. I can't agree. See my post in the Canon forum on 3/19/09 (http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/752268/0?keyword=Tokina#6856670). I was very unimpressed with my copy, and with Tokina's service as well.
I've owned Tokina before and I think they're good lenses, but this one was not for me. I recently picked up a Canon EF-S 10-22 and am VERY pleased with it in every respect (though you can't beat Tokina's build). Very happy with the Canon.
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Jul 31, 2009
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maddog76
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Registered: Oct 11, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 23, 2009
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Built like a tank. Excellent all round performance. IQ. Price
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Cons:
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None
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Have been using this lens, for almost a year now, and it still never fails to impress me.
The build qualitity is great, good robust feel, well finished, silent and smooth operation. Better build IMHO than any other wide angle lens out there.
I have used this lens in all weather and light conditions, no problem with hunting or CA. The IQ has been consistantly good.
If you are thinking of getting a wide angle, please do not dismiss this lens. Yes some have a wider field of view, but generally the 2mm is not missed. I have not had any situation where it has not been wide enough for my uses.
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Jul 23, 2009
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dhphoto
Offline
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Registered: Feb 15, 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 13811
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Review Date: May 12, 2009
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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Build quality, clutch for manual focusing, price
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Cons:
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Average image quality, hideous chromatic abberations at 12mm (even at f8-f9), innacurate focusing
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Not nearly as good as I was expecting. Indeed I even sent it back for calibration and testing as I didn't think it could be supposed to be this average. The lab said it was 'within tolerances'. Not impressed.
Nicely built and relatively cheap and the push-pull manual focusing works well, but not properly sharp at any focal length and with simply awful chromatic abberations at 12mm, even at the best apertures.
A big disappointment.
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May 12, 2009
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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73
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176460
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Jul 31, 2014
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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90% of reviewers
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$458.27
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.62
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9.34
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9.0
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