Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm DX

 
This is lens number 13. Initially wanted to buy the Tokina 35mm Macro (M35) to try out for IR suitabilty and also to add to my "Alien Lens" collection (adding to the Sigma & Cosina) but was told by the local distributor that the 35mm will no longer be shipped to Singapore – at least not anytime soon. So the next lens to consider will be the fairly new and slightly more expensive Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm DX. This lens is designed and made for use on cropped bodies only. Using in on my 350D-IR or 500D, this lens is wide and the zoom is adequate for most applications. (equivalent to a Full Frame range of 26mm to 220mm) This range naturally made this lens a great landscape lens or a general walkabout lens covering from wide angle to medium telephoto.


* picture:  Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm DX

On the infra red 350D, this lens is a little inconsistent. It produces very, very slight hotspots randomly. (I did not use the hood at all) Image sharpness are increased with zoom, at 16.5mm, the corners appears slightly soft and sometimes CA is visible. However when zoomed out, the image gets better contrast and sharper. The apeture range of this lens is F/3.5-5.6 which is class-standard for lens with such a range at this price (RRP SGD$799, Street Price about $100 to $150 cheaper). At F3.5, the 9 apeture blades works well to get good bokehs making it suitable for portrait shots. But be warned, magnification is bad so forget about doing any form of macro with this lens. Even at F14, tiny things you shoot will end up with blurred or NO details at all!


* picture:  Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm DX

The lens feels solid enough given its half metal and half "engineered plastic" construction. It does look like it can take some abuse and survive harsh shooting conditions too. If you have a cropped EOS body and need a good general or travelling lens, do consider the Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm DX.

It serves the purpose it was built for.


* picture:  Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm DX (with the supplied hood mounted)

 
Some User Facts/ Information:
(If you are looking for the specs, please google yourself, it’s all over the internet.)
– Filter Size 77mm
– Lens Hood BH777 (Supplied with Box).

– Average lens for Infra-red Photography (IR), Random Hotspot.
– AF Runs on mechanical motor – but surprisingly quiet. 
– Focal Range Equivalent on Full Frame Sensors – 26mm to 220mm.
– Tokina’s "Canon EF-Mount -DX" is designed for use on Canon’s EOS Cropped Bodies.

What I Like:
– Good walkabout range when used on all my Cropped EOS Bodies.
– Good image quality produced.
– Suitable for Infra Red photography.
– Great Bokeh for portraiture shoot.
– Solid Build and feels more expensive than it cost.
– Supplied Hood.

What I Hate:
– No Distance Scale Meter.

– Zoom ring not smooth when zooming out to 135mm.
– Focusing is not very fast.

*Picture Source Internet.
 
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