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Tokina atx-m 56mm f/1.4 X - Review / Lens Test Report |
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Lens Reviews -
Fujifilm X
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Page 1 of 3
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published October 2021
Introduction
Recently Fujifilm opened up its system to a broader pool of third-party manufacturers. That's good news for consumers because we can finally see some real competition. Among the alternative players is also Tokina, one of the oldest third-party lens manufacturers for system cameras (established in 1950). So far Tokina has released a series of APS-C prime lenses for Fujifilm X and Sony E mount. In this review, we'll discuss the Tokina atx-m 56mm f/1.4 X. On APS-C cameras, the field-of-view is equivalent to "85mm" on full-format cameras. Thus it is primarily targeting the popular portrait-, still- and street-photography market. Priced at around 500EUR/$430USD, it is attractively positioned compared to the more expensive, native Fujifilm alternatives - namely the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R.
When Tokina announced their lineup many readers asked about the relationship between Tokina and Viltrox. After all the specs in the overlapping product range are suspiciously similar. We can't shed more light on this. However, at least on paper, there seem to be slight differences between the Tokina and Viltrox 56mm f/1.4. The MTFs on the manufacturer sites vary slightly and the lens element diagrams aren't 100% identical. Tokina is also emphasizing that their lens is almost neutrally color-balanced with a slightly warm touch - whereas Viltrox doesn't mention this at all.
The build quality of the Tokina atx-m 56mm f/1.4 X is on a very high level. The lens is made of metal including the large focus ring and the dedicated, step-less aperture ring. This may not be ideal for photography purposes at least but it didn't really feel alien during field use. You can, of course, also control the aperture via the camera when setting the aperture ring to A-mode. The length of the lens remains constants throughout the focus range. A deep barrel-shaped lens hood - also made of metal - is provided.
The Tokina lens uses a stepping motor for auto-focusing. It works fast and noiselessly. Manual focusing works, as usual, by wire and is about as good as on modern Fujifilm lenses. EXIF data is provided. On the downside, there is no built-in correction profile thus you have to rely on the raw optical capabilities of the lens in JPEG mode. The lens is compatible with Fujifilm's IBIS. If the need for firmware updates arises, this has to be done via Tokina service centers.
| Specifications |
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| Equivalent focal length (full-format) | "85mm" |
| Equivalent aperture (depth-of-field, full-format) | "f/2.1" |
| Optical construction | 10 elements in 9 groups inc. 1xSD |
| Number of aperture blades | 9 (rounded) |
| min. focus distance | 0.6m (max. magnification 1:10) |
| Dimensions | 65x72mm |
| Weight | 315g |
| Filter size | 52mm |
| Hood | barrel-shaped (bayonet mount, supplied) |
| Other features | - |
| Mounts | Fujifilm X, Sony E |
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