Review on Tokina 12 28Mm AT X Lens Nikon by Cory Jacobson

The Tokina 12-28 f/4.0 is a great wide-angle DX lens that really excels in its combination of versatility and excellent image quality. Although Tokina makes other lenses somewhat similar to this one (e.g. the 11-16 and 11-20 at f/2.8 and the older/cheaper 12-24 at f/4.0), I think that the wide-angle focal range helps make this camera stand out from the rest. PROS: //+/ The image quality is really great - the images are sharp and I haven't had any issues with dull or inaccurate colors. I didn't notice any significant vignetting either./+/ The extra range offered by the 28mm zoom means it can get closer to the standard focal length. I've found this to be particularly useful when taking group photos on vacation - I can leave it on my camera as the primary lens for landscape photos, but I can also just set it to 28mm and mount it on a tripod using the remote. triggered when the group wants to take a picture in a good spot./+/ Build quality is solid. As I walked down the narrow mountain trail, the lens bumped against the stone walls a bit and there's no sign of damage./+/ The zoom and focus rings strike a reasonable balance of smooth and easy rotation. and resistance to random movement./+/ Any distortion present is relatively minimal throughout the zoom range and can easily be corrected in post-processing if you have Lightroom. CONS:/-/ The 77m filter thread size means any filters you get are likely to be relatively expensive if they are of decent quality./-/ The clutch that lets you switch from autofocus to manual focus is is a bit clunky, and I've often found it switched (particularly from manual to automatic) without my knowledge. It also makes it very difficult to autofocus and then manually adjust focus - there are no manual controls in autofocus, and when switching between them it's very easy to accidentally turn the focus ring if you pull the clutch towards you. ./-/ The lens is relatively slow (only works at f/4.0). For landscape photography, this is not a problem at all, since you tend to shoot with higher apertures. However, this is not very good for astrophotography (where extra light is really important). Also, you can't get strong bokeh. This is obvious and again not a problem for the main purposes of a wide angle lens. However, if you try to rotate it to 28mm and use that as a "pseudo-standard" lens, as I mentioned, you will be limited in what you can do. Also good enough for photographing friends/family in a pinch, but if you're used to a fast standard lens (like a 35mm prime) you'll notice the difference so much you'll want to take both lenses with you. Overall I think this is the perfect lens for crop sensor enthusiasts looking for a wide angle lens for landscapes and other (non-astro) purposes. I have attached here some photos I took with it - all photos were taken with my Nikon D5500. I also had a B+W 77mm XS Pro HTC Kaesemann CPL attached to most of them, which I also recommend if you plan to buy a CPL for this lens as I have had no issues with image degradation. All photos were also post-processed in Lightroom.