Originally posted by snostorm A bit longer, the Tokina 100-300 f4 AT-X SD tested as one of the best, though my experience with one didn't live up to the reputation (I dismissed this as sample variation).
My experience (two samples, one a K-mount, the other a Ka-mount) is that the AT-X 300/4 is a somewhat unusual long zoom, in that it is as good at its long end as it is at its short end.
The following six "tables" show the center and corner resolution and contrast, at 100mm, 200mm, and 300mm, of the manual focus Tokina AT-X 100-300/4 lens, as determined by Modern Photography magazine:
Center and Corner Resolution at 100mm (at 1:49)
4 -- 55 Excellent -- 49 Excellent
5.6- 55 Very Good - 49 Excellent
8 -- 62 Very Good - 55 Excellent
11 - 62 Excellent -- 55 Excellent
16 - 55 Very Good - 49 Excellent
22 - 55 Very Good - 49 Excellent
32 - 49 Excellent -- 44 Excellent
Center and Corner Resolution at 200mm (at 1:49)
4 -- 55 Excellent - 49 Excellent
5.6- 55 Excellent - 49 Excellent
8 -- 62 Excellent - 55 Excellent
11 - 62 Excellent - 55 Excellent
16 - 55 Excellent - 49 Excellent
22 - 55 Excellent - 49 Excellent
32 - 49 Excellent - 44 Excellent
Center and Corner Resolution at 300mm (at 1:51)
4 -- 57 Excellent - 51 Excellent
5.6- 57 Excellent - 51 Excellent
8 -- 64 Excellent - 57 Excellent
11 - 64 Excellent - 57 Excellent
16 - 57 Excellent - 51 Excellent
22 - 51 Excellent - 45 Excellent
32 - 51 Excellent - 45 Excellent
Center and Corner Contrast at 100mm (at 30 lpm)
4 -- 54 High - 42 High
5.6- 59 High - 48 High
8 -- 74 High - 59 High
11 - 69 High - 56 High
16 - 66 High - 53 High
22 - 58 High - 48 High
32 - 49 High - 40 High
Center and Corner Contrast at 200mm (at 30 lpm)
4 -- 49 High - 40 High
5.6- 64 High - 48 High
8 -- 71 High - 55 High
11 - 73 High - 65 High
16 - 67 High - 57 High
22 - 53 High - 47 High
32 - 45 High - 34 Medium
Center and Corner Contrast at 300mm (at 30 lpm)
4 -- 53 High - 43 High
5.6- 58 High - 48 High
8 -- 73 High - 58 High
11 - 69 High - 56 High
16 - 64 High - 50 High
22 - 57 High - 45 High
32 - 48 High - 40 High