| Author: | | Forum Member Registered: March, 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 89 | | Review Date: April 16, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $275.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Wel built, great rendition, sharp | | Cons: | tripod mount too compact (very minor complaint) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: MAny
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Very sharp from F4. Stays in focus throughout the zoom range. Quick handling and built like a tank. I have not a lot bad to say about this lens (mine), but my buddy had one in Minolta mount and it was just not as good, so there can be some variance. Even still, his was a nice lens. The constant aperture is not a big deal these days, but back in the days of transparencies and manual exposure it was a godsend. Has a small amount of colour fringing with very high contrast out of focus image elements, but nothing to worry much about. Great value!
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: July, 2007 Location: Jonesboro, GA Posts: 1,972 | | Review Date: May 23, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Build quality, smooth focus/zoom, optical quality | | Cons: | Heavy! but that's a consequence of build quality, difficult to use tripod mount* | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 8
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This is a good lens! Genuine old school, all metal construction, even the lens hood, at least with my example. Even came with a metal screw in lens cap. It is heavy; I'm not happy carrying it mounted on my K5 just with the camera neck strap. While the front element does rotate with focusing, the screw in hood, if mounted to a polarizer, at least let's one adjust a polarizer, if mounted. Not ideal, but it seems that only the Pentax hood portal has addressed this problem.
I've not conducted any systematic "tests" but in general use it seems quite sharp. Hand held shots at my granddaughter's dance recital were sharp at 1:1 in Lightroom, but the DoF is really shallow! The K5's focus confirmation works just fine. Some shots at the Atlanta zoo were really sharp.df
*At least with my K5, battery grip mounted and the Manfrotto rectangular quick release tripod use is a real problem. The close proximity of the lens' tripod mount to the lens mount to the K5 means that the quick release interfers with the battery grip. I've found it necessary to remove the battery grip to mount the lens/camera on my tripod. I'll have to get some heavy bar stock to fashion an extension so that the tripod can be attached forward of the lens' tripod mount.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: December, 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Posts: 3,697 | | Review Date: November 13, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $99.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Well Built. Zoom is smooth and satisfying | | Cons: | Heavy, Soft at F2.8 | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
Focusing: 10
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I really wanted this lens to be sharper than my Tokina AT-X SD 100-300 F4 but disappointingly it is not. It is quite soft at F2.8 and gets better by F4. At F5.6 it is very sharp. My Tokina AT-X SD 100-300 F4 is actually sharper at F4 than this lens. But by the time you get to F5.6 both lenses are equal. Honestly whats the point of having an F2.8 lens if it's only going to be sharp at F5.6 and above.
So if you already own the Tokina AT-X SD 100-300 F4 which is a stellar lens, don't waste your time looking for this lens. I will however keep this lens as they are quite rare in the Pentax mount in mint condition. And it's not a bad lens by any means. It's just unfortunately not equal to it's brother 100-300 F4 lens.
Here's a shot at F2.8
 Tokina 200mm 2.8 by frankweiser, on Flickr
And here's the same one at F5.6
 Tokina 200mm 5.6 by frankweiser, on Flickr
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: February, 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,710 | | Review Date: December 24, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $116.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Well built, proper focus rotation, smooth bokeh | | Cons: | Needs PP for sharpening & contrast, ABERRATION! | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: KP, *1st DS
Focusing: 9
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I owned and used the Tokina AT-X SD 80-200/2.8 back in the 1990s, using it extensively to photograph high school sports. On Tri-X and T-Max black and white film, the lens really delivered great images from f4 to f11 and good images at f2.8. I ended up selling the lens when I switched to AF cameras.
Recently, I found a nearly new example of this hard to find in PK/A mount lens for $98 plus tax and shipping. Hey, $116 for a clean f2.8 80-200mm zoom? I had to buy it.
I must say, digital sensors really find the major flaw in this lenses optics instantly. Chromatic aberration !! Purple and green fringing is obvious and there all the time. My 24 MP KP really highlights this fault, its not as bad on my old CCD sensor 6 MP *1st DS.
Files straight from the camera look a bit soft, though the fine details are there. Post processing corrects the sharpness. A contrast boost is necessary too. Still, images have a pleasing, film era look and shots of people and animals are quite pleasing.
The push-pull one touch zoom is perfect for manual focus and the 200mm position being closest to the camera aids steadiness. Build quality is impeccable. A heavy metal and glass lens. The deep, screw in 77mm thread metal lens hood is necessary all the time. Any side lighting on the large front element is a major contrast killer.
Bokeh at wider apertures is smooth and unobtrusive.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 888 | | Review Date: April 26, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | build, sharp, fast | | Cons: | contrast, CA in high contrast | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
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a great lens, considering its half the price of an AF alternative. Gets me decent pictures when I do use it. built like a tank and with an IQ to match. The front element rotates, so that might be bad for people who use polarizers. The lens hood is the only cheap feeling thing about this lens, everything else is solid metal. there are some issues with contrast wide-open on extreme zoom settings, easily fixed in PP however. Same goes for CA, the few extra seconds i spend in PP is totally worth it =)
overall, a great lens if you dont mind the lack of AF
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,774 | | Review Date: December 8, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, f2.8, Tripod Mount, well built. | | Cons: | Some PF, contrast can be better at 200mm | |
Its about the most affordable f2.8 telephoto zoom you can get without breaking the bank.
The tokina is a beast of a lens with its all metal build and 77mm filter size. Push pull maybe your thing, maybe not your thing but is more necessitated by manual focus i think. 3 Actions in one hand movement. (focus, zoom, support)
Takes great photos, really sharp. Only complaints are contrast at the tele-end wide open, some PF and wishing that it could focus closer.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2009 Location: Springe Posts: 3,693 | | Review Date: November 1, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $280.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Build quality, fast, sharp, tripod mount | | Cons: | contrast at f=2.8 | |
I own the old "no A-setting" version and I use it mainly to shot sport events.
It's a very solid (and quite heavy) piece of equipment, quite usable already wide open and very good from f=4 on. For a long shooting day I recommend using a monopod, but it is also well balanced for handheld shots with my K200D & grip.
Excellent value for money!
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