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Tokina AF 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II (Canon) - Review / Test - Sample Images & Verdict |
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Lens Reviews -
Canon EOS (APS-C)
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Page 3 of 3
Sample Images
Click on an image for downloading the full-size variant.
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 200 |
| Focal Length | 16.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/7.1 |
| Exposure | 1/640s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 640 |
| Focal Length | 12.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/2.8 |
| Exposure | 1/40s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 250 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/2.8 |
| Exposure | 1/40s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 100 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/8.0 |
| Exposure | 1/125s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 200 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/5.6 |
| Exposure | 1/30s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 100 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/5.6 |
| Exposure | 1/30s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 100 |
| Focal Length | 16.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/8.0 |
| Exposure | 1/100s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 100 |
| Focal Length | 16.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/2.8 |
| Exposure | 1/160s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 125 |
| Focal Length | 16.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/2.8 |
| Exposure | 1/30s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 100 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/8.0 |
| Exposure | 1/250s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 100 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/11.0 |
| Exposure | 1/125s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 400 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/2.8 |
| Exposure | 1/30s |
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| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon EOS 7D Mark II |
| ISO Speed | 640 |
| Focal Length | 11.0mm |
| Aperture: | f/2.8 |
| Exposure | 1/30s |
Competition
The ultra-wide APS-C zoom market is crowded albeit most offerings are quite old by now. APS-C DSLRs received little love from CaNikon lately (...). The most modern competitor is the Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD (to the left below). It is obviously slower than the Tokina (to the right) but it can compensate this to some degree thanks to an image stabilizer. Generally we would expect this lens to be a little weaker though. The Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is probably the most popular choice and roughly similar in quality. But, once again, it's about 1 f-stop(-ish) slower. Another one is the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (not shown) - it's should be capable of delivering the best quality in this group but it doesn't accept front filters and it's quite a bit more expensive.
Visual comparison courtesy of camerasize.com.
Verdict
The Tokina AF 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II may be a veteran by today but it is still a good one. The resolution remains truly impressive between f/4 and f/8 throughout the (short) focal length range. You may wish to avoid 16mm f/2.8 though if corner sharpness is a priority. Image distortions as well as vignetting are moderate for a lens in this class. Lateral CAs are on the high side though but that's something you can usually fix during post-processing in most modern RAW converters.
The quality of the construction is very high. However, the age of the design shows up in the focus-clutch mechanism. Manually switching between AF and MF have gone out of fashion a while ago (except on macro-lenses). The AF motor is also reminiscent of a different era. This is no show-stopper for an ultra-wide lens though - we haven't come across a situation where an ultra-fast AF is really needed that to the large depth-of-field at such focal lengths.
Some may consider a very limited focal-length range covering just 6mm to be a little odd but do you really need a longer focal length than 16mm on such a lens? After all the usual standard zoom lenses start at 16mm or 18mm so you got that covered anyway. That being said - the competition is offering a little more on the extreme wide-end these days.
A stand-out aspect of the Tokina lens is its pricing. A f/2.8 ultra-wide zoom lens for 500USD/EUR (and much less than that with some of the current promotional offers) is a steal. The question may be whether you need a fast ultra-wide lens though - and if you need one Tokina has a 14-20mm f/2 AT-Pro DX for you.
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