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Post by kiev4a on Mar 15, 2006 18:09:07 GMT -5
Suddenly I find myself a collector of manual focus Tokina lenses for Nikon. I got the 80-200 f2.8 zoom a few weeks ago followed by a 28mm f2.8 (really cheap). Yesterday I picked up the 35-105 Tokina zoom (also cheap)and today, a 35-135 zoom.
About three years ago I had a 35-135mm Tokina but sold it to get the 35-135 Nikkor. I discovered the Tokina was sharper and had more contrast than the Nikkor. I alway regreted selling it. That model doesn't come up for sale often so I grabbed the one today. I still have my 35-135 Nikkor AF (It isn't worth a whole lot more than the Tokina). I am interested to see if the 35-105 is as good as its big brother.
For some reason the 35-135 zoom length is considered an amateur lens but I like it because the wide and tele extremes are close enough that designer can get good results at both ends.
Most of the new AF Tokinas don't get very high marks but the older ones have a real quality feel.
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Post by kamera on Mar 15, 2006 21:08:55 GMT -5
Wayne,
The Tokina company was started years ago by 3 or 4 ex-Nikon optical engineers. Two pros who shoot Nikon and use Tokina lenses, mostly AF, are Moose Peterson and John Herbst.
I just briefed over an article that compared a wide angle lens from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina.
Tokina got the high rating.
Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Mar 15, 2006 21:16:15 GMT -5
I can relate to the older Tokina lenses having more of a quality feel Wayne. I have a Tokina 135 f2.8 m42, Tokina 80-200 f4 PK (x2), Tokina 28-200 f3.5 PK, Tokina 80-200 f4.5 MD, Tokina 35-105 f3.5 OM, Tokina 28 f2.8 T mount, Tokina 80-200 f4 Konica, Tokina 28 f2.8 EL Nikon, and Tokina 45 Exakta. I really like the feel of the old pre-set M42 version although it is slower to use and inevitably you'll take a shot or two forgetting to stop down the aperture after focussing.
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Post by kamera on Mar 16, 2006 19:28:42 GMT -5
Hey Curt,
The avatar looks good. Finally get to see what ya look like. Thanks.
Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI
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Post by kiev4a on Mar 20, 2006 13:37:55 GMT -5
My Tokina 35-105 ai arrived today. The build is outstanding. The 35-105 and the 35-135 are both macro lenses, too. The big advantage of the 35-105 is it is muchmore compact than the 35-135. Wish I had had it for my weekend trip to Seattle. Asd it turned out I didn't get a chance to shoot much anyway as I spent the whole time in a hotel a quarter mile from the airport!
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Post by John Parry on Mar 20, 2006 19:35:36 GMT -5
Nothing to do with Tokinas Wayne, but I just splashed out on a Sigma 400mm/5.6 AF for my two Yashica AFs. I know they made versions of the same lens for Nikon, and I know you like Nikons.
Ever come across it?
Regards - John
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Post by kiev4a on Mar 21, 2006 9:32:30 GMT -5
Nope. Never seen or encountered that particular lens. I would like to have a 400 someday, however, for wildlife shots. I'll have to check it out.
Regards
Wayne
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Post by John Parry on Mar 21, 2006 10:53:39 GMT -5
Oh well, got to be worth a try. I already have a Soligor 400 which I would like to try with an extender to really stretch out. Problem is that with a 2x extender, it won't focus to infinity. So the second part of my plan is this:
Yashica make an ingenious auto-extender for their AF cameras. It gives 1.6x magnification, but here's the clever part. The lens in the extender is motorised, and converts a manual focus lens to an auto-focussing one by moving backwards and forwards to find the exact point of focus. (You have to help it by getting the focus roughly correct).
So if I got the Soligor, with a 2x extender, plus the 1.6x extender = 1280x !!
You know what's going to happen of course - the auto-focussing circuit is going to run out of light - it needs an f4 lens to work properly, and the Soligor is over that already. But on a bright sunny day........ !!!
I've actually got it to convert my Carl Zeiss Tessar 50mm/1.8 into a portrait lens and make it autofocussing. Will let you know how it turns out.
Regards - John
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Post by kiev4a on Mar 21, 2006 14:25:21 GMT -5
Nikon has the TC-16A teleconverter with that same AF capability on MF lenses. You get the focus close and it refines it. Had one for awhile but didn't use it much so I sold it. Good luckon your project.
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