Tokina at-X PRO M 100mm F2.8 D Macro Lens - Nikon AF Mount

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I am a working professional and former Nikon user. WhileI was a Nikon user I always used Nikon glass exclusively with the exception of this Tokina. I decided to try this lens on the recommendation of a colleague and several reviews I read online. The short version of my feedback... HOLY COW!!! This lens is tack sharp! The 100mm focal length is great not only for macro, but also shooting people (See attached images shot with this very lens) If you read all of the bench test info, I have no doubt that the auto focus is a bit slower than the Nikon made lenses, but I assure you, unless you are shooting rapidly moving objects - that is not an issue. I used the lens primarily to photograph models (hand held) and the auto focus is more than fast enough. I always believed that you get what you pay for, but at a fraction of the cost of Nikon glass, this lens is a steal.

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An amazing lens. Phurchased on reccomendation from the "Angry Photographer" :) Very sharp with briliant color and clarity. Also great for portraits. Read the details carefully to see if autofocus is available with your camera body. My D500 drives it but its manual only on my D5500 but still awsome...esp for macro which I use manual anyway.

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This lens is amazing! Its sharp as no other I have seen and over the entire frame (at least in my D7000). The ergonomics is excellent with the focus clutch mechanism, although it forces you to either use or remove the hood (no reversed hood possible if you want to access the focus ring). The limit switch, although it has only two positions, allows operation in three distances ranges: full distance range, 1:2 magnification to infinity (short tele range) and 1:1 to 1:2 magnification (macro range): The limit set applies to whichever range the lens is at the time you move the switch to the limit position. Bokeh in this lens is also excellent The focus speed is good over the entire range (consider that the lens almost doubles its length when focused at minimum distance). To compare it to a general use short tele, if you keep it in the 1:2 to infinity range, the lens focuses very quick in good light. Please remember the lens has no built-in motor and requires the body to move the focusing screw (no auto focus on D3XXX and D5XXX series, for example). Ive seen some reviews with low star counts indicating the lens do not auto-focus with the mentioned bodies. The distortion is minimal, as is the falloff, however, my copy does exhibit some chromatic aberration when shooting very contrast scenes. Ive read some reviews complaining that the aperture falls to 5.6 when focused to close distance! As for most macro lenses (I would say all the macro lenses or any macro arrangement using extension tubes or bellows) the light reaching the focal plane changes as you focus closer due to the movement of elements away from the focal plane. Im almost sure that the reduction in light accompanies an effective reduction in aperture, affecting DOF, and not only the light. Although Ive read reviews that state the DOF stills the same of the maximum aperture at infinity, I suspect that it is not the case and that the maximum aperture does change. This tokina lens indicates that reduction in light by increasing the f number the lens reports to the camera body when focusing closer. The f changes from 2.8 at infinity down to 5.6 at minimum focus distance. Regardless if it is a real reduction in aperture or an apparent reduction in aperture, DOF is so narrow at close distance that you could only use 5.6 when shooting flat subjects. Any real object of 1/10 of an inch depth or more would require f stops of 16 or more to get it in focus complete or even just partially. So, to those complaining the lens changes aperture, all lenses and arrangements do and if you find a lens that dont, you will have to do it yourself to be able to get some DOF. Warning: if you are using any modern camera that sets the aperture in the camera body, please remember to set the lens aperture ring to f/32 AND move the aperture ring secure switch (at the right of the f scale when looking from above) to the lock position. Otherwise, you can accidentally move the ring from its "auto" position (f/32) and get an error in the camera. There is no VR, VC or whatever you call vibration compensation in the lens. While it can be useful in the short tele range, its worthless in macro. In real macro, you are so close to the subjects that the lightest movement on your side will change the focus. You need a tripod! Put on a UV filter as soon as you get it out of the box. The front element is placed so deep into the lens that it should be a pain to get it clean. All in all, if you want to get into macro, I really believe there is no better lens in the market today to do it. Youll only need one of this lens and one flash that can operate off the camera, either wireless or with synch cable, a remote to operate without touching the camera (use mirror up also) and a tripod.

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Amazingly sharp lens for fx and dx. AF is a screw drive mechanism, so AF it will not work on lower end DX bodies. Auto focus is also slow which in my opinion is its biggest flaw. To switch from manual to autofocus, they have integrated a clutch mechanism which allows you to switch very quickly. Another big complaint that I have is that at a normal portrait distance, the aperture will be a 3.5 or smaller. I was hoping that I could use this as a portrait lens, but the loss of speed kills it for me. If your subject is further away, you can shoot wide open at 2.8, but you cannot achieve this for a normal headshots distance. For weddings, AF is too slow to use during a ceremony or reception, but is my go to lens for ring shots and other detailed shots. Bokeh is nice and pleasant. Build quality is far superior over sigma and tamrons competing versions. This is build very well just like all of Tokinas other lenses. It is slightly more plastic due to the clutch mechanism, but everything else is solid metal. For macro, this is a must have lens. For portraits, you are better off with a Nikon 85 1.8g prime...you will be much happier.

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I was looking for a replacement macro lens for my old Nikkor 60mm lens, gifted to my son. While viewing present Nikkor offerings, the more affordable ones did not have stellar reviews. I purchased this Tokina based upon Ken Rockwells strong recommendation. So far in limited use, I love it. Like any macro lens, the depth of field is limited, so stopping down the aperture helps.Images are sharp with accurate color rendition. This lens has an aperture ring, so it is compatible with 35mm cameras. I noted some confusion in reviews and descriptions regarding it being a zoom lens. It is not. It is a straight 100mm lens, which also works well as a short telephoto or portrait lens.

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I found this lens while shopping for macro lenses to use on my T5i and was drawn in my how many people stated this lens doubled as a very nice portrait lens. I can happily confirm that, yes, this lens works like a dream for both portrait and macro work. I like to manual focus so havent been too picky on AF, but the times I have left AF on have worked nicely. I also purchased a Tamron SP Auto Focus 1.4x Pro Teleconverter for Canon Mount Lenses (Model 140FCA) and the combo works nicely. Havent taken many shots with the combo, but in the few test shots I took AF worked in both standard and macro modes. For macro especially it was nice to get the extra zoom. Great bokeh, as has been stated by others. Sample shots attached (no macro shots with this lens, currently.)

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I picked up this lens upon researching 100mm lenses for the Canon EOS EF mount. The glowing reviews and testimonials helped me in this decision. It has a great build quality though the focus ring when used manually has a sound to it as if it is lightly rubbing on something, otherwise it is smooth and seemingly easy to use. The clutch focus AF/MF feature is really nice and better implimented than my Sigma 20mm 1.8. The EF mount had me puzzled at first because it seemed like it didnt fit. I couldnt get it to twist into position. After a little searching I found that this lens fits very snug in the mount (tried it on the 6D and 5d mk IV) so the usual effort needed to lock this lens to the camera wont do. You have to apply a little more pressure to connect this lens. Thats a little concerning. The initial photos with this lens were very sharp taken both from a distance and in macro position. The auto focus is relatively quick but I do see where this lens can be frustrating for some when it gets caught searching. The focus limiter switch can and does help in that regard as Ive seen so far. The filter threads on the front of the lens take filters easily and threads smoothly. The lens hood mounts well in active and stored positions. The lens was packaged well, shipped safely, and on time. All in all Im pleased with this purchase. The price is definitely a plus for the quality of the results. Would look to Tokina again based on my initial impression.

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Beautiful images. This is a canon lens, but I bought it to use with an adapter on my Sony A7. I had borrowed this lens from a friend, since I dont have a telephoto (he uses a canon). This is a full-frame 100 mm macro lens, and the images are very crisp. It has a switch to change from macro (full) to normal (limited). I used it mostly in MF mode for portrait shots. The AF seek is a little slow (maybe the adapter). Since the Sony has focus peaking, it is very easy to use this lens in manual focus mode. Would I prefer a Sony 85mm or 90mm? Of course, native would be great, but the closest equivalent lens from Sony is about twice the price, and hard to find. I am currently using the lens with a Fotodiox EF-Sny(E) Fusion Smart AF Lens Mount Adapter, Canon EOS EF, EF-S Lens to Sony NEX Alpha E-Mount Camera APSC & Full Frame . There are other adapters out there, and they may improve the AF, but I cant say -- unless one of those manufacturers wants to provide one to test with. :-) After trying the borrowed lens, I ordered my own. I used it in manual mode to shoot a soccer game and got some very nice shots. The lens is sharp all the way down to f2.8, and gives a soft buttery background blur when it is wide open. Now, I would not normally use a prime lens to shot a soccer game, but it was a good test. And, I shot it all MF, which was very easy to do with the nicely made focus ring. Sidebar: The new lens was almost identical to my friends older model. We found that the newer one worked a little better on his Canon, but both were the same on my Sony. We swapped lenses. We are guessing that maybe Tokina made on update to the electronics... ?? Pros: 1) f2.8 2) about $350 3) crystal clear images 4) sturdy, seems rugged 5) large focus ring 6) clear focus distance indicator 7) easily change from manual to auto focus 8) easily switch from macro to standard mode Cons: 1) A little heavy. 2) The lens has an AF / MF toggle that is also the focus ring, so you might inadvertently change from one mode to the other. All in all, for the price, a very nice lens, especially if you have a Canon, but very nice even on a Sony with an adapter. 2017-04-12 update: used the lens for several macro shots over the weekend. The pictures were very nice, and the lens focuses well at a distance about the length of the lens hood. I also took a few portrait shots in AF mode. The auto-focus is tricky, but if you are close to being focused, it works well enough. The lens supports face recognition on my A7 II, but does not support the auto eye focus mode.

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I got this lens for my nikon d500 because I wanted to take pictures of flowers and have a pretty okay telephoto lens. This is such a great macro lens and so much more inexpensive than the nikon macro lenses. There will often be times where autofocus is irrelevant if the wind is blowing or your subject moves a little bit (example: a bee on a flower). However, the manual focus ring is very smooth. On a crop sensor camera, this lens is EVEN BETTER because the 100mm becomes a 150mm. This lens also works GREAT as a mid range telephoto. I was taking some pretty sharp shots of animals at the zoo.

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For the price, build quality (though not weather sealed), and tact sharpness I give this lens 5 stars. Ive only had it a couple days and I have only been able to take couple test shots and so far Im impressed. I will update this review once Im able to take it out on a shoot. A couple things that need to be addressed however is you should make sure you are purchasing it from an authorized dealer. You can choose different sellers here on Amazon, I chose to purchase it from Adorama who is an authorized dealer and a company I trust. Second, in auto focus, the copy I receive is either front or back focusing, however I can fix that through my cameras micro adjustment feature. Most lenses have this problem which is why cameras have the ability to correct for it. Your lower end cameras may not support this feature. Also, it only affects auto focus, not manual focusing. More to come...

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