Review on Tokina 11 16Mm AT X116 Digital Motor by Todd Look

Bought this in my bag after a long search for the best f/2.8 ultra telephoto lens. I've considered the highly regarded Nikkor 35mm, 50mm wide open under f/2, the venerable Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye, and some ultra-telephoto lenses like the Nikkor 10-24 due to its high recommendation on several photography forums. . I didn't consider the Sigma 8-16 because of aperture limitations. It was delivered the same day - thanks to my Prime membership (hooray!). I've never photographed the night sky. This lens was basically the motivation for it. I picked a dark spot in the sky (search cleardarksky.com for a spot near you) and mounted this lens on a Nikon D7100 mount on a tripod. Settings: ISO 3200-6400, exposure length: 15-25 inches, white balance: auto daylight, image setting: light neutral, f/2.8, 11-12mm, color temperature - choose cooler, bluer. And blacks. First picture - see attachment! It's impossible to describe the joy of what I saw on the camera screen. Yes, more shots followed. But this one was the first. I consider this camera a multipurpose lens for night sky photography, wide open panoramas, 11mm fisheye, 15-16mm low light photos, etc. This is a great option! Pros: 1) Super sharp anywhere from 12mm to 16mm. Slight vignetting at 11mm, but tolerable. 2) Love the manual/auto slip ring - takes a bit of practice but is very effective 3) The lens doesn't slip and looks very well built 4) Price - couldn't be better! Cons: 1) Short focal range compared to other options 2) Sigma has an 8-16 lens which some might like - more fisheye than Tokina / eliminates the need for a separate fisheye lens