Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX Zoom Digital Lens
This review is from: Tokina 11-16/2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX Lens for Canon EOS Digital -ATX116PRODXCWhat more could you want. I've used Canon's great 10-22mm and it is a nice lens but as a comparison here is what I found. -Sharpness goes to the Tokina hands down. While wide open @ 2.8 it might be about equal by the time the Tokina is stopped down to the 3.5 that the Canon is wide open there is no comparison. -Zoom Range obviously goes to Canon. Much more usable here than the limited almost fixed focal length Tokina. Actually you might even say that the Tokina is close to a prime. Also I liked that extra 1mm on the wide end (it is very noticeable). Myself I don't mind the limited zoom as I'm always on the wide side and don't even use the 16mm. -Build Quality again this belongs to the Tokina as it is built like a tank as are most of the pro grade Tokinas. Canon's build quality good for this consumer designed lens but is not up to their L (pro) standards. -CAs Chromatic Aberrations or purple fringing If you are shooting into high contrast scenes (a bridge against a sky background) this is a real problem for both lenses but the Canon is MUCH better here. This is becoming less important as PhotoShop is able to remove it effectively. -Lack of barrel distortion goes again to the Tokina which is very slight, especially for a ultra wide zoom. It is much better corrected than the Canon. -Focus Speed Canon with their USM is fastest but not by much. However, the Canon is quieter too. I do like the clutch system of the Tokina once I got used to it. For manual focus (and I use that a lot) the Tokina is well damped, smooth and usable something that can't be said for the Canon. -Flare Bad in both lenses but here Canon is better as well. Contra light is a demon in both lenses and care should be taken to always use the hood. Provided with the Tokina and conspicuously absent in the Canon which will set you back another 35 dollars or so. -Aperture Obviously this goes to the Tokina. Not only is it 2.8 constant aperture it is very usable and sharp. It gets marginally sharper when stopped down but it is SHARP even wide open. The biggest improvement is at the edges when stopped down with the center remaining very sharp throughout. To get the same performance from the canon you need to get to about f5.6 to pull in the edges with further improvement to f8. Well to wrap it up, the Tokina is quite a lens. Couple that to a savings of about $250.00 and it is a no brainer. While no lens is perfect, and with the CAs this lens has it certainly isn't as well, it maintains great quality and the rugged build make it a good choice for me. I am a semi-pro and take about 10 to 15 thousand exposures a year. I need that rugged build. I own several Canon L lenses and this isn't out of place in my bag. I don't miss that 1mm much as with an ultra wide about 3 or 4 steps back gets in the same view. It would be nice to have the range the 22mm gives but not at the expense of the 2.8 aperture. My recommendation. BUY IT. You won't be sorry....
This review is from: Tokina 11-16/2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX Lens for Canon EOS Digital -ATX116PRODXCFrom the moment I pulled the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 out of the box from the rental store, I wanted to keep it. The build quality of the Tokina is far and away better than the popular Canon EF-S 10-20mm f/3.5-4.5 lens. More metal less plastic, so it just feels like a better product out of the box. It's built more like my Canon L lenses.The Tokina comes with the lens hood (the Canon 10-22mm does not but ironically costs more).This lens works very well for indoor or other low light photography (sunrise/sunset). It has great contrast. I used this lens on a Canon 400D/XTi and got I felt were excellent results (I'm talking not about my skill as a photographer rather the ability of the lens to deliver consistent crystal clear and richly colored images :). Images taken with this lens are sharp as a tack (I uploaded one however the Amazon image processing degraded it significantly). Some possible downsides: The zoom range is smaller that the 10-22mm lenses but I don't feel that it was a problem. I value the 2.8 f-stop over the zoom range.The lens is a heavier than the Canon 10-22mm. I personally do not have an issue with this even when packing it into the back country but it's something to be aware of.Also, this lens is designed specifically for 1.6 crop factor cameras (XTi/400D/40D/etc) so if you end up buying a full frame body you'll need to replace this lens. Bottom line: I recommend this lens....
This review is from: Tokina 11-16/2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX Lens for Canon EOS Digital -ATX116PRODXCOn returning from Italy and evaluating my images (1200), I find this lens to be a real keeper. Photozone.de was my deciding source to purchase this lens where their review and tests indicate this is the sharpest lens in its class. CA's as mentioned there were an issue in a couple of high contrast images and easily corrected in Photoshop. Field curvature is noticable especially in the St Peters interior image above and can be minimized with camera position and focal length settings. Unfortunately I did not have a tripod and a point and shoot technique ruled. The 16mm longest fl will take some getting used to and does not provide much range. I carried a Canon 28-135mm IS for the longer shots. The f/2.8 at all fl was nice for the darker interiors of buildings on my Canon 30D. Lens construction seems solid without any focusing issues.New to wide lenses, flare caught me a couple of times, I'll remember to watch for it more often, I know it's common with these wide lenses.I have posted four customer images above of Florence, a bath house in Pompeii, St Peters in Rome and a narrow street in Sorrento.Update May 2009 Our photography group traveled to Antelope Canyon Arizona and this lens still impresses. Using a monopod for the visit th...
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