Tokina 12-24 f/4 Review

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The Tokina 12-24 f/4 is by far, my favourite budget ultra wide-angle lens that is currently on the market. If someone were to come up to me and ask me how I’d describe this lens in 3 words, it would be AWESOME BUILD QUALITY!  And you don’t have to pay a premium price to get this superb quality too!


For many years, Tokina has created its own brand of superb build quality with a non-premium price. In that respect, they have certainly succeeded.




In my early stages of searching for an affordable ultra wide-angle lens, I was torn between choosing the Tokina 12-24 f/4 or the Sigma 12-24 f/4.5-5.6. The Sigma was slightly cheaper than the Tokina, but has a variable aperture. Plus, the Tokina has better build quality than the Sigma. So, after a thorough thought, I decided to pay a bit more for the Tokina’s superior build quality and constant aperture. 


I used this Tokina lens together with my Nikon D300. Tokina also have them available for Canon.


For the money, the Tokina is great value for money when compared to the Nikkor 12-24 f/4G. It produces the same sharpness and distortion control as the Nikon. As a matter of fact, the build quality is also better than the Nikon, for half the price!


Hold on, there is a downside though to this lens.

The Tokina fails to control its chromatic aberration at every focal length. But that does not bother me at all, as I can easily correct them in post-processing. I’d rather buy the Tokina and save the extra money than to pay a premium for the Nikon version and have inferior build quality!



Specifications
Optical construction
13 elements in 11 groups inc. 2 aspherical elements and 1 SD element
Number of aperture blades
9
min. focus distance
0.30m (max. magnification ratio ~1:8)
Dimensions
84x90mm
Weight
570g
Filter size
77mm (non-rotating)
Hood
supplied, petal-shaped
Other features
focus-clutch AF/MF switch

POSITIVES

  • Very sharp at any aperture
  • Good distortion control (except at 12mm)
  • Excellent build quality
  • Great value for money

DRAWBACKS

  • Chromatic aberration is apparent at all focal lengths at any aperture (can easily be corrected in post processing)
  • Vignetting is a bit high on 12mm at f/4
RATINGS

Optical Quality:   
Mechanical Quality:
Price/Performance:

See sample images taken using this equipment HERE

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