[hinman]

Thanks for all the input, information and related information on other related lens and here are the pictures on my Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5

The auto focus is quite good on this lens, that is my initial impressions.

Thanks,
Hin

[JohnV3]

I bought the Tokina after reading an outstanding review in one of the photo magazines last year. I believe I got from B&H for around $120 USD. I have been very happy with it. It takes great pictures as evidenced in this thread.

John

[digitaldevo]

The Tokina 19-35mm is a present day Cult Classic lens, lol. The lens should easily cost far more, but yet doesn't!! Thankfully for those who know about it!!! Build quality, tank rings a bell, and optically it is as good as glass costing 5-6x+ what you pay for it!! I have never been able to speak more highly of this lenses!! It is one of my favorites. It the Auto scene we called pieces like this a "sleeper".


Sometimes that out adage. you get what you pay for, couldn't be more wrong in this case!

[Mike Cash]

Thanks to everyone for the info on the Cosina version, it was very helpful. They are currently available (manual focus version only) from dealers in Japan via auction starting at somewhere around $70. They're dead stock and move at a glacial pace so even a minimum bid on them guarantees a win. I have the Cosina 20/3.8 and like it, although there are circumstances where it does a really crappy job.

[creampuff]

The manual focus version of the Cosina 19-35mm has better build quality compared to the AF version. If you can get it for less than US$70 I'd say go for it...

I paid a little more for mine.

[mattdm]

The manual focus version of the Cosina 19-35mm has better build quality compared to the AF version. If you can get it for less than US$70 I'd say go for it...

One complaint I have about the Tokina 19-35 is that the manual focus ring doesn't have a very nice feel -- it's loose and there isn't much overall travel. So it makes sense if you want to manually focus to go for a version designed for that.

[hinman]

One complaint I have about the Tokina 19-35 is that the manual focus ring doesn't have a very nice feel -- it's loose and there isn't much overall travel. So it makes sense if you want to manually focus to go for a version designed for that.

I have not tried on manual focusing on the lens but I feel the AF is very solid on lens though the front part on the focusing ring moves during AF. My initial impression of the manual focus is reasonable, not great, adequate but not as good when compared to other solid manual focus lens.

The other odd thing that I can't explain well is on the use of filled flash or flash for indoor. I get accurate flash exposures in 35mm long end but appears to be way dark in 19mm which I have not seen in my DA 18-55 in the wider end. I have to experiment more to find out why it is so dark in using flash in wider end. Also, when I use filled flash in daylight, pictures tend to over exposed more easily on the lens. Likely user errors on my part as I am total newbie on flash including the built-in flash.

Thanks,
Hin

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Last edited by hinman; 01-16-2008 at 06:27 PM.

[hinman]

The Tokina 19-35mm is a present day Cult Classic lens, lol. The lens should easily cost far more, but yet doesn't!! Thankfully for those who know about it!!! Build quality, tank rings a bell, and optically it is as good as glass costing 5-6x+ what you pay for it!! I have never been able to speak more highly of this lenses!! It is one of my favorites. It the Auto scene we called pieces like this a "sleeper".


Sometimes that out adage. you get what you pay for, couldn't be more wrong in this case!

I share that comment as I love to brag about the quality on < $100 lens. My best find in new lens < $100 is still on the DA 18-55. And my highly recommended best new lens under $200 is the DA 50-200 and FA 50 f/1.4. My thoughts as an amateur on using various lens that I recommend to others:

Thoughts on DA 18-55
Thoughts on Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner

Thoughts on DA 50-200
Photozone.de Pentax DA 50-200 review - Hin's Tech Corner

Thoughts on FA 50 f/1.4
Thoughts on Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 - Hin's Tech Corner

And I hope with further tests, the Tokina becomes my next recommended lens for the best in value for inexpensive but quality lens to be used with Pentax gear. With recent purchases, my zoom lenses look as follows:

1. Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5 (used, paid $81)
2. Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 Di Macro (used, paid $290 + $15 lens hood)
3. Pentax DA 50-200 f/4.0-5.6 (new, paid $175)
4. Tamron 70-300 Di Macro (to be purchased new, about $140)

And I hope all those will be on my recommended list of quality zooms for the money.

Thanks,
Hin

[hinman]

These are not great sample shots as I have blown highlight in the car but I want to see a perspective of the 19mm and 35mm range and I saw my car right after I dropped off my kid in schools walking along a tunnel vision to parking lot filled with fog in morning.

1/13sec, f/8.0, 20mm, iso 200, -3/10 Ev
pp in Picasa for b&w conversion with heavy shadow + cropping


1/50sec, f/8.0, 35mm, iso 200, -3/10 Ev
pp in Picasa for b&w conversion with heavy shadow

It was very foggy in California bay area and I took few snapshots with K100D and Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5 and convert to b&w in Picasa with shadow and cropping.

Picasa Tutorials - Hin's Tech Corner

Thanks,
Hin

[Mike Cash]

The other odd thing that I can't explain well is on the use of filled flash or flash for indoor. I get accurate flash exposures in 35mm long end but appears to be way dark in 19mm which I have not seen in my DA 18-55 in the wider end. I have to experiment more to find out why it is so dark in using flash in wider end. Also, when I use filled flash in daylight, pictures tend to over exposed more easily on the lens. Likely user errors on my part as I am total newbie on flash including the built-in flash.

Thanks,
Hin

The problem is likely due to the flash's area of coverage. Most flashes just can not spread out the light enough to cover the wide area covered at 19mm. You will need to use some sort of diffuser or move your flash off camera. Even then it can be difficult. With my Cosina 20mm I also find that it tends to over-expose when I use it with off-camera flash. I recently did a shoot where the stage had spotlights that actually gave me f5.6 at 1/125 so I didn't really need flash at all, but still set up a couple off-stage and set for f5.6. It worked well for everything from 35-105mm, but that darned 20mm came out at least a stop or a stop and a half over-exposed. I just need to keep that in mind and adjust the aperture accordingly.

[hinman]

The problem is likely due to the flash's area of coverage. Most flashes just can not spread out the light enough to cover the wide area covered at 19mm. You will need to use some sort of diffuser or move your flash off camera. Even then it can be difficult. With my Cosina 20mm I also find that it tends to over-expose when I use it with off-camera flash. I recently did a shoot where the stage had spotlights that actually gave me f5.6 at 1/125 so I didn't really need flash at all, but still set up a couple off-stage and set for f5.6. It worked well for everything from 35-105mm, but that darned 20mm came out at least a stop or a stop and a half over-exposed. I just need to keep that in mind and adjust the aperture accordingly.

Mike, thanks for the tip about wider angle. I have recently acquired a copy of AF540 flash and a Sunpak older auto flash and I am yet to learn from scratch with no experience on using flash. I would be busy in learning to use flash. Thanks for the tips again and I am sure I will ask more newbie questions on flash.

I have a blog post dedicated to my sweetie whom I took the pictures with my boys walking in the sunsets, you see lens flare on this one

My Girl - Hin's Photo Blog

Hin