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azcavalier · 10-22-2007, 08:35 AM

I just bought a Tokina SZX 730 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens off of eBay for about $130. It was listed as new, even though this is an older manual focus lens. Am I correct in thinking that since it was made for a 35mm film camera, that the length on this lens will be more like 450mm on my K10D? Does anyone know anything about this lens? I did a search on the forum before I bought it, and didn't see much. I also don't know what Tokina's reputation is as far as the quality of their lenses.

egordon99 · 10-22-2007, 08:59 AM

Well for about $30 more, you could have had a brand new AUTOFOCUS Tamron 70-300mm.
Tamron Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Autofocus Lens for Pentax AF (AF017P-700) -

So I'd say you didn't really get that great of a deal. Sorry!

AlexL · 10-22-2007, 09:05 AM

For the field of view it provides, it doesn't matter whether the lens was made for a film camera or not. A 300mm lens originally made for a film camera but placed on a digital body will have the same field of view as a 300mm "digital" lens on the same digital body. This is a function of the sensor size on most digital SLRs being smaller than film. Both lens will provide the same equivalent field of view on the K10 as a 450mm on a 35mm film body. The only difference is that the digital lenses are smaller, more compact and generally more likely to vignette, and although you can use either lens on a digital body, you can't really use the digital lens on a film body without severe vignetting. I have a little more detailed explanation of the topic in this post.

As for the particular Tokina lens...sorry, I don't know anything about it.

Alex

azcavalier · 10-22-2007, 09:12 AM

Originally posted by egordon99

Well for about $30 more, you could have had a brand new AUTOFOCUS Tamron 70-300mm.
Tamron Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Autofocus Lens for Pentax AF (AF017P-700) -

So I'd say you didn't really get that great of a deal. Sorry!

Well, but my whole point was that this is an old film lens, put on a digital body, which gives me an equivalent range of about 112-450mm on the digital (I think). I'm not looking for a 300mm lens. I want something with a longer reach than that. I have the Tamron 18-200mm lens, and I didn't want to spend the $$$ for just a 300mm lens. But thanks for the opinion!

little laker · 10-22-2007, 09:15 AM

I believe that the Tokina is a better lens than the Tamron so I wouldn't worry about the new Tamron only being a few more dollars for a new lens.

However I don't know if you got a good deal on it.

here's the specks page
Tokina SZX 730 75-300

azcavalier · 10-22-2007, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by gerbilbox

For the field of view it provides, it doesn't matter whether the lens was made for a film camera or not. A 300mm lens originally made for a film camera but placed on a digital body will have the same field of view as a 300mm "digital" lens on the same digital body. This is a function of the sensor size on most digital SLRs being smaller than film. Both lens will provide the same equivalent field of view on the K10 as a 450mm on a 35mm film body. The only difference is that the digital lenses are smaller, more compact and generally more likely to vignette, and although you can use either lens on a digital body, you can't really use the digital lens on a film body without severe vignetting. I have a little more detailed explanation of the topic in this post.

As for the particular Tokina lens...sorry, I don't know anything about it.

Alex

Alright, now you've lost me. I guess what I want to know is, if I put this 300mm film lens on a digital body, what will my focal length equivalent be? 450mm, right? Because that's what i'm shooting for. And, by using this lens on my digital camera body, is this a longer focal length than if I put a 300mm "digital" lens on my digital camera body? Or is it the same? Is that what you're saying? Because I always thought that if you could find older film lenses for your digital camera, you were getting more "bang for your buck" as it were. That you could take advantage of the fact that the sensor is smaller than film, so you extended your reach by 1.5.

Tom M · 10-22-2007, 09:19 AM

A 300mm lens on a 1.5x crop factor sensor like that of the Pentax will provide a FOV (Field of View) equal to that of a 450mm of a 35mm camera.

No, you will not gain any magnification. A 450mm lens has a narrower FOV than that of a 300mm lens on a 35mm camera however, that 300mm will have the same FOV as the 450mm on a APS-C sized sensor.

Essentially, lenses designed for FF cameras lose some usefulness due to the fact that the small APS-C sensor can only 'see' some of the image the lens is capable of producing.

For Pentax users the answer is for Pentax to produce a full-frame sensor camera that can really take advantage of all the old glass plus newly developed glass. Currently, this myth that all Pentax lenses ever produced work on the new DSLR's is misleading. Yes, technically they work, however, they are severely limited.

azcavalier · 10-22-2007, 09:20 AM

Originally posted by little laker

I believe that the Tokina is a better lens than the Tamron so I wouldn't worry about the new Tamron only being a few more dollars for a new lens.

However I don't know if you got a good deal on it.

here's the specks page
Tokina SZX 730 75-300

Thanks. I had seen the specs page, but it didn't really tell me much more than I already knew. I have an 18-200mm Tamron, which is my main lens, and I do like it alot, but I have heard a couple of people say that they thought that Tamron had a bit of a bad repuation for being cheap. However, I do like mine. I have seen some ads for Tokina lenses, but I don't know anyone who actually has one. So I don't know much about their quality.

little laker · 10-22-2007, 09:21 AM

Originally posted by azcavalier

if I put this 300mm film lens on a digital body, what will my focal length equivalent be? 450mm right?

Right

Quote:

And, by using this lens on my digital camera body, is this a longer focal length than if I put a 300mm "digital" lens on my digital camera body? Or is it the same?

It would be the same. They haven't changed the lens sizes since they switched to Digital.

azcavalier · 10-22-2007, 09:24 AM

Originally posted by little laker

Right

It would be the same. They haven't changed the lens sizes since they switched to Digital.

So, a 300mm digital lens and camera is the same as a 450mm lens on a film camera. But if I take that film lens and throw it on my digital camera, it's the exact same as a digital lens as far as focal length goes? Hmmm....I may have to spring for a 2x extender.

I don't suppose that someone has a Bigma that they want to sell me on the cheap?

little laker · 10-22-2007, 09:26 AM

I have 2 Tokina lenses, and have gotten a few breathtaking photos with them.

Although they aren't that actual lens.

I don't use them very often, but that'll change pretty quick. Since they're the first lenses to get packed in my bag in the winter.
They're both small and light weight, yet good quality.

egordon99 · 10-22-2007, 09:40 AM

Like we told you on the other thread, FOCAL LENGTH IS FOCAL LENGTH, doesn't matter what format it is for. 10mm is 10mm. 300mm is 300mm. If you don't have any experience with 35mm film, IGNORE THE "EQUIVALENT" FOCAL LENGTH!

AlexL · 10-22-2007, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by azcavalier

So, a 300mm digital lens and camera is the same as a 450mm lens on a film camera. But if I take that film lens and throw it on my digital camera, it's the exact same as a digital lens as far as focal length goes? Hmmm....I may have to spring for a 2x extender.

I don't suppose that someone has a Bigma that they want to sell me on the cheap?

I fail miserably at explaining these things.

Yes, you are correct.

Any 300mm lens (digital or not) on any of the Pentax's current digital SLR bodies will produce the same telephoto view as (equivalent to) a 450mm lens on a 35mm film SLR camera. That is essentially what it boils down to.

Alex

AlexL · 10-22-2007, 10:28 AM

Originally posted by egordon99

Like we told you on the other thread, FOCAL LENGTH IS FOCAL LENGTH, doesn't matter what format it is for. 10mm is 10mm. 300mm is 300mm. If you don't have any experience with 35mm film, IGNORE THE "EQUIVALENT" FOCAL LENGTH!

I have been trying, although I haven't been successful at it here, to carefully use the word "equivalent." That's the one thing I've really been torn over in explaining this issue, since focal length doesn't change no matter what body you slap a lens on, but that doesn't say anything about field of view, which is what people are asking about.

Alex

azcavalier · 10-22-2007, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by egordon99

Like we told you on the other thread, FOCAL LENGTH IS FOCAL LENGTH, doesn't matter what format it is for. 10mm is 10mm. 300mm is 300mm. If you don't have any experience with 35mm film, IGNORE THE "EQUIVALENT" FOCAL LENGTH!

Hey, don't yell at me. What thread was I told this? Don't remember ever asking the question, nor looking at a thread about it.

10-22-2007, 08:35 AM	#1
azcavalier Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Photos: Gallery Posts: 135	Someone tell me this was a good buy...Tokina 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 I just bought a Tokina SZX 730 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens off of eBay for about $130. It was listed as new, even though this is an older manual focus lens. Am I correct in thinking that since it was made for a 35mm film camera, that the length on this lens will be more like 450mm on my K10D? Does anyone know anything about this lens? I did a search on the forum before I bought it, and didn't see much. I also don't know what Tokina's reputation is as far as the quality of their lenses.

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10-22-2007, 08:59 AM	#2
egordon99 Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Outside of Philly Posts: 1,561	Well for about $30 more, you could have had a brand new AUTOFOCUS Tamron 70-300mm. Tamron Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Autofocus Lens for Pentax AF (AF017P-700) - So I'd say you didn't really get that great of a deal. Sorry!

10-22-2007, 09:05 AM	#3
AlexL Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 137	For the field of view it provides, it doesn't matter whether the lens was made for a film camera or not. A 300mm lens originally made for a film camera but placed on a digital body will have the same field of view as a 300mm "digital" lens on the same digital body. This is a function of the sensor size on most digital SLRs being smaller than film. Both lens will provide the same equivalent field of view on the K10 as a 450mm on a 35mm film body. The only difference is that the digital lenses are smaller, more compact and generally more likely to vignette, and although you can use either lens on a digital body, you can't really use the digital lens on a film body without severe vignetting. I have a little more detailed explanation of the topic in this post. As for the particular Tokina lens...sorry, I don't know anything about it. Alex

10-22-2007, 09:12 AM	#4
azcavalier Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Photos: Gallery Posts: 135 Original Poster	Originally posted by egordon99 Well for about $30 more, you could have had a brand new AUTOFOCUS Tamron 70-300mm. Tamron Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Autofocus Lens for Pentax AF (AF017P-700) - So I'd say you didn't really get that great of a deal. Sorry! Well, but my whole point was that this is an old film lens, put on a digital body, which gives me an equivalent range of about 112-450mm on the digital (I think). I'm not looking for a 300mm lens. I want something with a longer reach than that. I have the Tamron 18-200mm lens, and I didn't want to spend the $$$ for just a 300mm lens. But thanks for the opinion!

10-22-2007, 09:15 AM	#5
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	I believe that the Tokina is a better lens than the Tamron so I wouldn't worry about the new Tamron only being a few more dollars for a new lens. However I don't know if you got a good deal on it. here's the specks page Tokina SZX 730 75-300

10-22-2007, 09:16 AM	#6
azcavalier Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Photos: Gallery Posts: 135 Original Poster	Originally posted by gerbilbox For the field of view it provides, it doesn't matter whether the lens was made for a film camera or not. A 300mm lens originally made for a film camera but placed on a digital body will have the same field of view as a 300mm "digital" lens on the same digital body. This is a function of the sensor size on most digital SLRs being smaller than film. Both lens will provide the same equivalent field of view on the K10 as a 450mm on a 35mm film body. The only difference is that the digital lenses are smaller, more compact and generally more likely to vignette, and although you can use either lens on a digital body, you can't really use the digital lens on a film body without severe vignetting. I have a little more detailed explanation of the topic in this post. As for the particular Tokina lens...sorry, I don't know anything about it. Alex Alright, now you've lost me. I guess what I want to know is, if I put this 300mm film lens on a digital body, what will my focal length equivalent be? 450mm, right? Because that's what i'm shooting for. And, by using this lens on my digital camera body, is this a longer focal length than if I put a 300mm "digital" lens on my digital camera body? Or is it the same? Is that what you're saying? Because I always thought that if you could find older film lenses for your digital camera, you were getting more "bang for your buck" as it were. That you could take advantage of the fact that the sensor is smaller than film, so you extended your reach by 1.5.

10-22-2007, 09:19 AM	#7
Tom M Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lincoln Park, NJ Photos: Gallery Posts: 780	A 300mm lens on a 1.5x crop factor sensor like that of the Pentax will provide a FOV (Field of View) equal to that of a 450mm of a 35mm camera. No, you will not gain any magnification. A 450mm lens has a narrower FOV than that of a 300mm lens on a 35mm camera however, that 300mm will have the same FOV as the 450mm on a APS-C sized sensor. Essentially, lenses designed for FF cameras lose some usefulness due to the fact that the small APS-C sensor can only 'see' some of the image the lens is capable of producing. For Pentax users the answer is for Pentax to produce a full-frame sensor camera that can really take advantage of all the old glass plus newly developed glass. Currently, this myth that all Pentax lenses ever produced work on the new DSLR's is misleading. Yes, technically they work, however, they are severely limited.

10-22-2007, 09:20 AM	#8
azcavalier Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Photos: Gallery Posts: 135 Original Poster	Originally posted by little laker I believe that the Tokina is a better lens than the Tamron so I wouldn't worry about the new Tamron only being a few more dollars for a new lens. However I don't know if you got a good deal on it. here's the specks page Tokina SZX 730 75-300 Thanks. I had seen the specs page, but it didn't really tell me much more than I already knew. I have an 18-200mm Tamron, which is my main lens, and I do like it alot, but I have heard a couple of people say that they thought that Tamron had a bit of a bad repuation for being cheap. However, I do like mine. I have seen some ads for Tokina lenses, but I don't know anyone who actually has one. So I don't know much about their quality.

10-22-2007, 09:21 AM	#9
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	Originally posted by azcavalier if I put this 300mm film lens on a digital body, what will my focal length equivalent be? 450mm right? Right Quote: And, by using this lens on my digital camera body, is this a longer focal length than if I put a 300mm "digital" lens on my digital camera body? Or is it the same? It would be the same. They haven't changed the lens sizes since they switched to Digital.

10-22-2007, 09:24 AM	#10
azcavalier Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Photos: Gallery Posts: 135 Original Poster	Originally posted by little laker Right It would be the same. They haven't changed the lens sizes since they switched to Digital. So, a 300mm digital lens and camera is the same as a 450mm lens on a film camera. But if I take that film lens and throw it on my digital camera, it's the exact same as a digital lens as far as focal length goes? Hmmm....I may have to spring for a 2x extender. I don't suppose that someone has a Bigma that they want to sell me on the cheap?

10-22-2007, 09:26 AM	#11
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	I have 2 Tokina lenses, and have gotten a few breathtaking photos with them. Although they aren't that actual lens. I don't use them very often, but that'll change pretty quick. Since they're the first lenses to get packed in my bag in the winter. They're both small and light weight, yet good quality.

10-22-2007, 09:40 AM	#12
egordon99 Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Outside of Philly Posts: 1,561	Like we told you on the other thread, FOCAL LENGTH IS FOCAL LENGTH, doesn't matter what format it is for. 10mm is 10mm. 300mm is 300mm. If you don't have any experience with 35mm film, IGNORE THE "EQUIVALENT" FOCAL LENGTH!

10-22-2007, 10:16 AM	#13
AlexL Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 137	Originally posted by azcavalier So, a 300mm digital lens and camera is the same as a 450mm lens on a film camera. But if I take that film lens and throw it on my digital camera, it's the exact same as a digital lens as far as focal length goes? Hmmm....I may have to spring for a 2x extender. I don't suppose that someone has a Bigma that they want to sell me on the cheap? I fail miserably at explaining these things. Yes, you are correct. Any 300mm lens (digital or not) on any of the Pentax's current digital SLR bodies will produce the same telephoto view as (equivalent to) a 450mm lens on a 35mm film SLR camera. That is essentially what it boils down to. Alex

10-22-2007, 10:28 AM	#14
AlexL Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 137	Originally posted by egordon99 Like we told you on the other thread, FOCAL LENGTH IS FOCAL LENGTH, doesn't matter what format it is for. 10mm is 10mm. 300mm is 300mm. If you don't have any experience with 35mm film, IGNORE THE "EQUIVALENT" FOCAL LENGTH! I have been trying, although I haven't been successful at it here, to carefully use the word "equivalent." That's the one thing I've really been torn over in explaining this issue, since focal length doesn't change no matter what body you slap a lens on, but that doesn't say anything about field of view, which is what people are asking about. Alex

10-22-2007, 11:19 AM	#15
azcavalier Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Photos: Gallery Posts: 135 Original Poster	Originally posted by egordon99 Like we told you on the other thread, FOCAL LENGTH IS FOCAL LENGTH, doesn't matter what format it is for. 10mm is 10mm. 300mm is 300mm. If you don't have any experience with 35mm film, IGNORE THE "EQUIVALENT" FOCAL LENGTH! Hey, don't yell at me. What thread was I told this? Don't remember ever asking the question, nor looking at a thread about it.

Someone tell me this was a good buy...Tokina 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!