New Lens Arrive!

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New Lens Arrive!

Tokina AT-X PRO 16-28mm F2.8

(Administrator) 2010-08-08, 15:19 #1

Member since May 2011 · 2173 posts · Location: Brisbane
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Subject: New Lens Arrive!

I received my newest lens today. Its full name is AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 PRO FX. It's a large, fast wide-angle rectilinear (non-fisheye) from Tokina, a company apparently comprised of ex-Nikon lensmakers, and the same company from whom I bought my 10-17mm fisheye.

Here's the first three shots I took with it:

[Image: http://nfgworld.com/grafx/photos/Japan2010/LivingRoom.jpg]

[Image: http://nfgworld.com/grafx/photos/Japan2010/Laptop.jpg]

[Image: http://nfgworld.com/grafx/photos/Japan2010/Cat.jpg]

Click for 100% crop

BLEARGH

(Administrator) 2010-08-08, 17:00 #2

Member since May 2011 · 2173 posts · Location: Brisbane
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Subject: Tokina 16-28mm F2.8 Review

After spending a bit of time with this lens, here are my first impressions:

First, it seems a lot smaller than the gigantic Nikon equivalent. Despite this, it's still the largest lens I own by a fairly wide margin. It's also heavy, but I suppose that's expected from a fast wide zoom, right?

I find it intensely strange that it has a M/A clutch instead of an instant-override MF ring like most internal-motor lenses I've used. I haven't yet gotten used to it on the other lens I have using a similar mechanism (Tamron 90mm) but the sheer joy of shooting this wide means I will probably will soon enough. I hope.

The zoom ring is really stiff, but smooth. It's moving a lot of stuff internally I suppose.

I'm on vacation at the moment and don't really have anything awesome to shoot that'll show it off, but in my limited tests (cats and walls) it is exceptional. The only CA comes from daylight streaming through windows, the only only blur from things that are closer or farther than the focus distance. So far it seems perfect.

When focusing, you can hear the whisp of moving parts, but there's no motor sound as such. Closest focus is ~30cm, which puts the minimum lens-front-to-subject distance at about 10cm or so.

The lovely bulbous front element is protected by a fairly massive lens cap, but this cap has length-wise internal posts that contact the lens hood (unlike my Tokina 10-17 fisheye, which has a sort of felt ring inside the cap) and these leave marks on the hood. I think it's strange that they'd do that, but I guess when there are scuffs on the lens when it's new in the box, you're more likely to just use it and not worry about protecting it, right? Like the first scratch on your car, so you can finally relax and just drive... Still, weird.

Build quality is basically perfect. Front hood is plastic, which probably helps with the weight. If it's anything like my fisheye, it'll last forever and put up with all sorts of abuse.

So yeah, money well spent so far. Kudos to Yodobashi Camera for getting it to me two days after release. =)

BLEARGH