| Latest Review Posted | Tokina RMC / SL135 135mm F2.8
I'm putting this up early as a record of first impressions, as I've owned the lens only a few days; revisions may follow after I've handled it some more.
This Tokina was purchased for $40 via auction. I had been considering the much more expensive (though still a bargain, for its class) Rokinon/Samyang 135mm f/2.0 manual focus lens and decided this might be a good way to decide whether to invest in a good 135mm prime.
My sample arrived with a focus ring that took some muscle to move; perhaps it hadn't been used for a while and grease had solidified and settled in the focus mechanism. It has loosened up a little bit as I've worked it, but it's still quite stiff. The ring moves about 190 degrees, which helps with critical focusing, and given the stiffness, there's no need to worry about it creeping around during use. The lens itself is quite compact, though solidly built and heavy. If anything, it might be a little more compact than ideal: if the barrel had a wider diameter, a person with typical-sized hands would have better leverage on that focus ring.
As is typical for third party lenses, the focus ring operates backwards from Pentax convention: infinity is approached counterclockwise.
There is an integrated extendable hood, which will help with flare in some situations, but on an APS-C camera, a longer one can't hurt. I put a cheap 52mm threaded metal hood on which extends about twice as far as the bulit-in hood, and am sure it improves contrast slightly a... |
