New Member Registered: January, 2020 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 2 | Review Date: January 28, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $14.00
| Rating: N/A |
Pros: | Inexpensive | Cons: | Lacks resolution and contrast | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 3
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 6
Value: 10
Camera Used: Canon Eos RP
| | This is a moderate wide angle lens from Tokina. I had difficult time finding accurate information about its manufacturer specification such as year of production and so on. I’ve used it as a budget wide angle lens adapted to a Canon mirrorless body. A modern prime lens equivalent can cost several hundreds.
For an EL(intended to be an economy line?) the lens is built well and reassuringly tactile solid with butter smooth focusing ring that feels pleasant to use. However I found the lens difficult to focus even with focus peaking. Somehow the focus peaking seem to inaccurately highlight with this lens. Wide angle focal length with slower aperture is supposed to be easier to focus. Zone focusing method might work too.
The image quality is on the soft side with poor contrast in bright light. Highlighted parts of images tend to get over blown with this lens. Images and corner improves stepped down to f5.6 I try to underexpose little and try to shade the lens. Lens seems to render black and white images better than color, possibly due to its limited lens coating. I often use focus magnifying feature with the lens but it can be rather slower and hit and miss process not ideal for timing sensitive subjects.
Despite somewhat soft and hazy rendering, and other limitations I feel it’s still a good lens if you are patient and do not expect too much resolution or fast aperture. The lens rendering also reminds me of some of those third party Chinese lenses from Meike, 7Artisans, Kalman, or Yongnuo with poor multi coating, corner darkness, and aberration. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Yke8d42yLOCEaRNGFkZKAZo9sFhFGkf/view?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N9Dx6rzOIkXMm-3Qn3ouWU0KzYwIXHfc/view?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FjZSHC6K_TYq7uxzK5acWTYVlkWqFqvX/view?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z7RpVPDMzoTfcQTVIkufSKAh-cUtkddw/view?usp=drivesdk | |
Senior Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: BC Posts: 138 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: July 3, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Metal Mount, sharp, inexpensive | Cons: | CA, manual focus (could be an issue for some) | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
| | It seems there are different versions of this lens. The copy that I have is an EL version and has an A setting on the aperture ring and a smaller filter ring size of 49mm (I've posted some photos for reference)
In regards to the lens. The build is top notch like lenses of yore, metal mount and excellent feel on the focus ring without being too heavy. Lens is sharp however suffers from CA on occasion. If you google Tokina it seems the older lenses did suffer from lots of CA.
Only issue I see is that it is a manual focus lens and if you are not used to focusing manually then this might not produce sharp images for you. | |
Veteran Member Registered: August, 2010 Posts: 648 | Review Date: August 20, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | good sharp lens | Cons: | CA | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 3
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
| | Mine is EL version.
Good lens to shoot with. I do not need it anymore because I have Pentax SMC 28mm.
I added a couple of glasses in a tube on the front element and use it for macro shooting.
Here it is some picture. | |
New Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Jakarta Posts: 13 | Review Date: September 19, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Sharp, light, good built | Cons: | Some CA and flare | | Mine is SL28, its a prosumer model so the quality suppose to be better than the EL model. I was lucky to bought mine as new in box.
The lens produce sharp image wide open, and even sharper stepped down. At F/11 it will give DOF focus from 2 meters to infinity.
The focus start very close at 0.3 meters so this lens also makes very good macro photos too.
The problem is only with CA and flare, I heard all Tokina lenses have this problem also.
So I use this lens mainly for black and white photos so CA is no more a concern.
I would give this lens a 9, but with the CA problem, this lens is a solid 8.
| |
New Member Registered: November, 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 24 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: March 16, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | lightweight, excellent feel and construction | Cons: | prone to flare | | i have the Tokina 28mm 2.8 EL version
bokeh kind of busy at 2.8, looks better at f4
nice and lightweight, very prone to flare though biggest disadvantage, take this out on a cloudy day or use for indoor.
got it cheap for $20 so it's hard to complain | |