Review by Klaus Schroiff, published November 2007

Lens kindly provided for testing purposes by Karsten Scheidel!

Introduction

The Tokina is a true macro lens providing a min. focus distance of just 0.30cm (max. object magnification 1:1). Typical for most modern macro lenses its max. aperture decreases towards very close focus distances. On the D200 the corrected, effective aperture setting is automatically displayed. As you can see in the produce images above the lens features a linear-extension system for focusing so it extends quite a bit when focusing towards closer distances. The supplied lens hood adds a some cm on top but due to the recessed front element of the lenses this is really an optional item.

Tokina is a manufacturer that it renowned for lenses with excellent mechanical qualities of their AT-X (Advanced-Technology Extra) lens lineup and the AF 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D is no exception here - thanks to metal parts in conjunction with high quality plastics the lens feels very solid and durable. The lens has an Armalite finish (crinkle style) similar to the finish used in some of Nikon's pro grade lenses such as e.g. the Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8 ED D. The Tokina has a so-called focus clutch mechanism - the focus ring can be moved back and forth in order to change between AF and manual focusing. You can do so at any focus position which is an improvement over earlier implementations of the idea. In manual focus mode the focus ring feels extremely smooth and very well damped - about as good as it gets here. The front element does not rotate so using a polarizer is no problem. Typical for most conventional lenses in Nikon mount the Tokina has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw operated by the camera. As a result the AF generates a moderate degree of noise and the AF speed is very slow - a fate shared by many macro lenses. Unless you use the lens for macro photography it is a good idea to take advantage of the focus limiter in order to avoid excessive AF hunting.