TOKINA AT-X 1120MM F2.8 PRO DX
A reworking of one of the world’s first ultra-wide zooms for APS-C cameras, this Tokina gains extra focal length
Available for Canon and Nikon APS-C format SLRs, the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 was originally launched back in 2008. It gained popularity thanks to a combination of good build quality and performance at a reasonable price. A Mk II edition followed, with new coatings and the addition of an internal autofocus motor in the Nikon-mount version, enabling autofocus with D40, D3XXX and D5XXX series SLRs.
The newer 11-20mm lens was announced in 2015 and, while its maximum viewing angle still falls short of competing 10-20mm and 10-24mm lenses, it does at least give a more generous maximum focal length.
The attraction of a fast and constant f2.8 aperture is carried over to the newer lens, as is the somewhat basic autofocus system. It’s reasonably quiet for an electric motordriven rather than ultrasonic system, but still noisier than in the competing lenses on test. Tokina’s trademark ‘One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism’ is also retained, enabling you to switch between autofocus and manual focus simply by snapping the focus ring forward or backward respectively. A little care is needed not to nudge it back or forth accidentally, and some may find the arrangement less convenient than the full-time manual override facility available in the other lenses on test.
A new optical path includes three aspherical elements and three SD (Superlow Dispersion) elements. Image quality is good on the whole but autofocus accuracy proved a little inconsistent in our tests. When correctly focused, images are still a little soft at f2.8, but reasonably sharp at apertures of between f4 to f11. Colour fringing and distortions are fairly well controlled, resulting in good overall performance.