Tokina AF 100mm F/2.8 Macro at-X 100AF PRO D - Nikon

I received the lens today, and was a little concerned about the condition of the Tokina box - one corner had that crinkly-crushed look (small, but still...), and the top flap was popped out of the box. After opening it, however, the lens appeared to be in pristine condition. One sour note was that this did NOT come with a USA warranty from wikideals, but I figured it was no big deal with Amazon's return/exchange policy, which is great. Took the lens for a quick test drive on my D7100... autofocus worked like a charm. The limiter switch made focusing in telephoto mode nearly instantaneous and virtually silent. Macro focus was fairly quick as well, albeit a bit noisy in comparison to telephoto focusing. Not LOUD, mind you, but fairly audible as compared to my Tokina 12-28 and Nikon 55-200. All my daylight shots were taken at ISO 100, with varying F-stops. Initial macro shots were pretty good - I was very pleased for handheld results. I couldn't see any sharpness issues that I could distinguish from depth-of-field issues. Telephoto shots were encouraging, but not quite as sharp as I'd expected. I withheld judgement on both macro and telephoto until I was able to get the camera and lens at home (I was shooting at work), and do some auto-focus fine-tuning using a very handy chart I've been using on all my lenses. As it turned out, I needed to adjust the auto-focus fine-tuning to a -8 setting for this lens to reach top performance. (Not a surprise - Ken Rockwell had mentioned he needed a -10 on his D7000 and a -7 on his D3.) FYI, I also checked DXOMark and compared like lenses before choosing this one, so my sharpness expectations were set pretty high... especially so, since my Tokina F/4 12-28mm DX lens is incredibly sharp at 28mm. (There's minor softness in the corners at 12mm if you pixel-peep.) In fact, at 28mm, my Tokina zoom surpasses all my other lenses in terms of sharpness, with the possible exception of my Nikkor Prime F/1.8 35mm. This new Tokina 100mm, however, may end up in that class as well. After fine-tuning, I ran some macro shots against a quarter on a flat surface, as well as a small dish of jewelry. Macro was outstanding, and I could clearly see depth-of-field issues versus focus issues! Wherever the focus was, was razor-sharp! I also tested a quick test distance shot from across the room (about 20 feet), shooting at a lampshade with the light on. The lampshade is cloth, and I could see individual stitches - heck, I could even see where the fabric had tiny "hairs"! I'll be taking this lens for a test drive several more times this week, but if the above results stand up, then this is likely to become my main medium telephoto lens and not just my macro lens! I'll post a follow-up on the weekend and let you all know how I feel about the telephoto performance of the lens. There's no doubt that as a macro lens, this is stupendous. :) ******************* UPDATE 8/5/2014 ******************* After I wrote this, I couldn't help myself - I ran some more quarter and dime shots using a tripod. This time, however, I ran the F-stop all the way down to F/32... all I can say is that I am absolutely stunned by the macro quality, especially with the lens stopped down. I'm not sure there IS a sweet spot for aperture settings on this lens, at least regarding sharpness! Jury is still out as a telephoto... as I said, I'll update this on or after the weekend. :) ******************* UPDATE 8/5/2014 ******************* No need to wait until the weekend. I decided to take the lens out and take some shots off my back deck at sunset. All my pictures were RAW at ISO 100, F/2.8, and telephoto only. Shutter speeds ranged from 1/60 to 1/2000, depending on what I was shooting... the telephoto capabilities of this lens are WONDERFUL. Bokeh is great, sharpness is great... I have NO complaints about this lens in either macro or telephoto usage. Great purchase - don't hesitate. Get one. :) ******************* UPDATE 8/21/2014 ******************* Still thrilled with the lens, but I ended up re-doing the auto-focus fine tuning. After shooting many images as a telephoto lens, I was a little frustrated with inconsistent sharpness - sometimes it would be amazing, other times, soft when I pixel-peeped. (Macro was perfect regardless - just telephoto was an issue.) Today I had an opportunity to re-do the tuning calibration outside, where the lighting was much better. I found that I needed to increase the AF fine tuning to a -9. Just for the record, a -10 worked well in the tests... but I did some real-world shooting at both -9 and -10, and it appeared to me that -10 was the way to go - we're talking MINUTE difference here, though... although the difference between -8 sharpness and -10 sharpness is pronounced. If you buy this lens (and you should!), make sure you evaluate it for AF fine tuning if you're going to use it as a medium telephoto - as a macro, though, it's not needed.

This is the second Tokina Lens I've bought (the first being the 11-16). I have to say, what a fantastic lens, at around half the price of the competition. Tokinas have a few quirks, the most unusual being the focus clutch. I still don't like it. It works, but it's too awkward, especially for this lens. The push-pull action requires so much force that you'll loose the shot every time, even on the tripod. Nikon's over-ride system is so much nicer, and you get so used to it that Tokina's attempt is just so damn clunky (and believe me, it comes with a noise too). I keep forgetting when I have a Tokina on, and keep trying to over-ride the focus. I can't get used to it, and am not sure I want to. The build quality is first rate. Seriously, this is build quality you'd expect on a lens for 3 times the price. it's heavy, and heavy is good. the Optics are also first rate, it's incredibly sharp. Without spending hours taking photos of charts, I don't see any chromatic aberrations, and sharpness is very good. The Bokeh is nice, and when you have a look at the diaphragm blades you'll see why. They are an engineering masterpiece. This is a beautiful lens, and at a damn good price. The front element is recessed a hell of a long way, why I don't know. This is an external focusing lens (meaning it gets longer as you focus - pretty much doubling it's length) so maybe it's to accommodate the focus rail. what ever the reason, you don't want to get this thing dirty, it's too deep to clean properly, so buy a filter. It comes with a lens hood, but with the recessed front element you'll wonder why - buy a filter, and you'll use it. This isn't a 'G' lens, so it has an aperture ring. this really pissed me off until I found the lock, which locks it into the auto position. I kept getting error messages when I set the aperture on the camera, as the ring had to be in the right position, and it moves every time you mount it on the camera. I'm so far past aperture rings, that I never checked it. This is more operator error than a fault, and those of you using older bodies need the aperture ring (who reads the instructions anyway right?) Speaking of bodies, it's a full frame prime lens, at 100mm, so on a crop frame Nikon you get 150mm. it's great for Macro, as you get some distance from your subject, but as a portrait lens, be prepared to walk........ a long way (if your studio/conditions allow!) Focus is slow, but when you see how far it moves, you'll allow it this fault. Setting up hand held macro shots can be hard to get an initial focus to work with, and doing it all on manual is frustrating. I guess I'll get better as I get used to the focus range. I almost gave a hermit crab a heart attack one day as I constantly re-positioned him as I just couldn't get the initial focus right. again, operator error rather than a fault, but I've never had as much of an issue as with this lens. (The little fella just gave up walking away after a while and I got some great shots). There's no image stabilization either, not a big issue for macro, but for normal shots, 150mm is long with out VR. You could spend all you money on name brand lenses, and only have one or two. Or you could buy a couple of Tokinas (as I have) and have a more diverse kit. And if you read some of the technical reviews, you see several of the Tokinas blow away the name brand lenses anyway. buy it. The more I use it, the more i like it (I just hate the damn focus clutch) A great investment, and I recommend to all

This is my second lens after Nikon 50 mm f1.8. I bought this at the recommendation of some tattooed youtube photographer for my Nikon D750. And I'm glad I did even though I am just a amateur and do not make a dime from photos: Pros: -- Two in one lens -- for portrait in full frame as well as Dx bodies and superb macro lens -- Takes super sharp pictures, the colors it produces are jaw dropping -- its just a joy to shoot with -- It feels very sturdy well built, made in Japan ( My Nikon 50mm 1.8 is made in china and is plasticy not as sturdy) -- Great value - price is cheap for the quality it provides, outperforms its expensive rivals per several photo gurus -- Seems to hold up its value well -- used ones are not much cheaper Cons: -- There are two extra steps with limit/full switch to activate autofocus mode -- read instructions carefully -- though its super easy -- Autofocus is slightly slower than my 50 mm ( not by much and has not posed a problem so far for me) Should a beginner buy it? -- If you are on tight budget -- do some research on macro extention tubes -- they may be enough for your needs and will save you money. If you are not making money from photos, all these gears are men's toys can be expensive hobby. -- If money is no matter or you really love photographing tiny objects and are thinking to buy a macro lens -- go for it -- its difficult to find a better alternative with better quality and value without spending much more P.S - I've attached a lime flower on my potted lime plant. Its taken indoor at night, handheld and is one of my first attempts at macro photo, so the imperfections are most likely mine rather than lens/camera

...and a nice general purpose 100mm prime. The auto focus is not super fast with the camera's (Nikon D7100 for me) motor, but seems to work accurately in conjunction with the camera. I would have liked image stabilization for general purpose use, but at less than half the price of a Nikkor 105mm or an equivalent Sigma, I can understand the strategy to keep the lens small, clean and uncomplicated, designed for its specific macro mission. My copy appears well built and solid. Its optics are incredibly sharp and clean, I think at least equivalent to the 105 Nikkor, probably better. There is some lens distortion apparent even when paired with my APS-C D7100 - this is a "full frame" designed lens - but nothing that can't be adjusted easily in post processing. The distortion is quite predictable so it doesn't bother me. Some purple fringing especially in telephoto dark edges against a strong light source like the sky, but simple to get rid of in Photoshop. At least one other reviewer mentioned this as well. The strange clutch mechanism to go from auto to manual focus I find awkward, but again I can certainly live with it at the price point. I would recommend the lens to others. It's a keeper for me and only 4 stars because of the few quirks mentioned above. It is great value for the money.

Thanks to the low price and high quality, I think this lens is likely to be many people's first macro lens. Thankfully, it is also a truly fantastic lens in its own right, and fits an interesting niche. 100mm is a good length for those starting out with macro photography, as it's not so close that you must use a tripod and rails. Similarly, at 2.8 this lens is fast enough to cover a broad range of DOF without giving such a razor thin focus area as to create mostly blurry pictures. Yes, the bokeh is very nice on this lens, but you don't want a picture that's JUST bokeh. It's also a solid addition to a fledgling lens library as 100mm is a very flattering portrait length, and the sharpness of the lens results in very flattering pictures. The focusing, as discussed in other reviews, requires a body capable of supporting plain AF lenses, or it becomes a manual focus lens. That's fine if you're using this lens exclusively for macro, but for portraits or walking around, having AF is pretty important. I'm using this lens on a D90, and the focusing is slower compared to an AF-S lens, but the only real complaint I have about the focusing time is due to the fact that it's a macro lens. I find myself usually using the AF to get close and then quickly switching over to manual. Switching to manual is incredibly easy on this lens, although it does make a noise and will jar the camera body slightly, so if you're in the middle of intense macro focusing, be sure how you plan to focus BEFORE setting up the shot. The Nikon lens equivalent does cost more, and most of what you're paying for is the VR support. VR is useless if you're using a tripod, but can be very helpful if you're looking to do on-the-fly macro or candid portraiture. It really depends on what you're looking to do. I think for many casual photographers looking to get into macro, or who are comfortable with taking a tripod for macro work, they'll already have a zoom lens with VR that covers the same range as this lens. Is it worth almost double the price for VR and faster focusing? That's up to the photographer to decide, but this lens easily matches or beats the Nikon equivalent. It's a great way to start taking macro pictures, and the lens is of such a high quality that it's likely to stay in your kit for years. The lack of VR makes it a little trickier to use as a plain walk-around lens, though.

I continue to be impressed by the image quality of this little Tokina. By little, I don't mean the focal length. The equivalent Micro-Nikkor 105mm VR is longer, has a larger diameter, and weighs nearly 50% more. Which is better optically? I couldn't say. These two are so close in quality, your photographic technique will make a far greater difference than any inherent optical quality difference. You still want to know which has better optics? According to people who compare such things for a living, The Tokina is as sharp as Nikon's 105mm macro. It has no coma. It has no chromatic aberration. It has almost no distortion (less than the Nikon). And, it has wonderful bokeh (quality of out-of-focus areas). On the downside, the Tokina uses a screwdriver focus drive, which means autofocus won't work on lower end Nikon DSLRs (check your owner's manual), although the great manual focus works fine. Also, the Tokina doesn't have vibration reduction, and it doesn't have as 'brag-worthy' a name as the Nikon. So, if you need VR or you desire the status of the Nikon, buy one. If you want superb optical quality that's at least as good as the Nikon, you don't mind lugging around less weight, and it doesn't bother you to pay less than half as much for it, then the Tokina might be just the ticket. it has been for me. BTW, if you plan to use your modern 100mm class macro on a pre-autofocus, 35mm Nikon, then forget the Micro-Nikkor AF 105mm f/2.8G VR. It has no aperture ring and won't work, but the Tokina has an aperture ring. It functions just as well on my Nikon F2A and FE and on my wife's D40 as it does on my F100 and D700--in manual-focus-only mode, at any rate.

I had pretty clear expectations with this lens before purchase. After playing around with the lens for a day or two however, I'm convinced this lens soars far above my lofty expectations, both in build quality and image quality. I was expecting Tokina's focus ring clutch system to by awkward, but it isn't. I was expecting chromatic aberration to be a problem, but since I shoot at very small aperture for macro, it isn't much of a problem. Even at wider apertures when shooting portraits, I find the mild-moderate CA easily correctable in LR. Of course, the most important aspect of the lens - the image quality! And oh boy, this lens deliveres in spades. At times I think it is as sharp or even sharper than the acclaimed Nikon 85mm 1.8G! When combined with my DIY flash diffuser, I expect to roll out some insane macro shots in the days to come. Below are some pros and cons with additional points. PROS: - Lightweight - Sharp, sharp, sharp! - Convenient focus limiter for both macro and portraiture - Aperture ring is nice for cheap macro extension tubes for futher magnification - Did I say sharp? Oh yeah, color saturation and micro contrast is very nice too. - Very affordable for the quality CONS: - Auto AF is slow and loud. - Some people mentioned that the focus ring breaks easily if you twist it beyond the focus stop (teeny tiny screw holding it together inside) - No VR but at this price point, don't expect one - The lens hood on mine doesn't snap on. Also, the lens hood is made from cheap plastic - Mild to moderate CA

First off, I'm a Nikon guy so this is a Nikon-centric review. Right out of the gate: A full frame, 100mm macro for $349? Seemed too good to be true. I fully expected to return this lens in a day or two because it was a cheap knock-off. It's cheap, but it isn't a knock-off. It's a good, solid lens; out of the box it resembles a Nikkor lens cosmetically in its construction and in its heft. It's also well balanced as far as weight goes. I've used the lens on my D3200, D7500, and D850; even on my little 3200 the lens didn't feel front heavy. I could easily hand hold my 3200 with this lens on. So, this lens doesn't have its own focus motor. It relies on in-camera focus so be aware of that before you buy this lens. Off the top of my head, the 3xxx and 5xxx Nikons don't have in-camera focus. If you're not sure just look at the lens bayonet on your camera body. There will be a little do-hickey sticking out about 3/16th of an inch in the lower left quarter of the bayonet and it looks a little bit like the tip of a drill bit. If your camera has one of those, you have in cam focus. Otherwise the lens is manual focus only. The lens also doesn't have vibration reduction. These are the two feature deficits that bring the price of this lens so low. However, the lens *does* have CPU connectors so you can play with the F's in Aperture priority and Shutter priority will deal with the F's. Finally, the last kink in this lens is that it doesn't have an obvious flick switch for M-AF. You slide the entire focus ring forward to engage the AF clutch. I've also seen reviews with complaints about the speed and noise of the focus driver. Yeah, it's not as fast or responsive as a Nikkor in-lens focus motor and it is noisy if the focus grinds from 1.8 to infinity in a low light or low-contrast shot. But, seriously, if you're using a macro lens to take pictures of a sporting event, you might need to rethink your lens strategy So, cheers to Tokina. This is a great, third-party, non-Nikkor, full frame lens that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

If you're reading this, you probably already know about this lens. All I can really say is that everything you've read about it is true. It is one of the best portrait lenses I've ever used, and I love it's macro abilities too. I use a Nikon D5300.

Objectif Macro sans stabilisateur ni moteur interne de MAP. Ceci a bien peu d'importance en macrophotographie. Ceci entraine un rapport qualité/prix exceptionnel. Objectif assez lourd mais très bien construit. Parasoleil intégré . Bague de limiteur de course de MAP , ce qui évite à l'autofocus de trop "pomper". Le passage de Mise au point Manuelle à Auto se fait en tirant/poussant la bague de MAP ( très pratique ) . Très bon piqué. Bref , bel achat , à recommander

This is the best alternative len for both Nikon & Canon 105/100mm macro! I have been using this lens for almost over an year now & I'm not even disappointed with the purchase! So, let's jump into Pros & Cons! Cons- 1) Auto Focus- This is manual lens so it will only work with bodies having autofocus motors. So, Nikon D3000 & D5000 series won't work. You will have to manually autofocus. And now even D7500 doesn't have Autofocus motor so, it won't work with camera, if only you will use manual focus. My next big take on this lens, the autofocus is not the fastest since it's a screw drive lens. It's good but not even close to 24-70mm. However, once it locks focus it stays & doesn't shift. I use it with Nikon D850 & D500; both cameras have best autofocus & the lens work great with them. 2) Noise- Yes, you read that correct! Noise! While autofocusing, the lens make quite a noise; which maybe a deal breaker if you're photographying wildlife or macros in general. However, I like the noise of autofocus somehow! 3) No VR/Image Stabilization- Biggest Draw Back of the lens is no image stabilization; which is critical for macro shots as we have to shoot in very deeper DOF. But I suppose people considering this lens does know this. 4) I can't say about other reviewers but for me in particular the back cap of the lens i.e lens mount cap is very loose. Even a slight rotation opens my rear lens cap easily. 5) No Weather Sealing- Since this lens is like oldies so, there is no weather sealing; except there is a weather gasket at the rear of the lens. 6) The Auto-Manual Switch- I don't know if it's me; but while shooting I several times by mistake switched from Auto Focus to Manual Focus accidently. Maybe my lens holding technique is wrong!? Can't say! 7) No Case with this lens but I can take it since I can spend another 2k & get a decent case for it rather spending 68k over Nikon/Canon ones & getting trash pouch case! LOL! Pros- 1) Sharpness- This lens is sharpest I have ever owned till date! It even beats Nikon 24-70mm that too with quite a fair margin. I tested it with both my Nikon D850 & D500 both showed the best sharpness & the quality you will be looking for in expensive primes! 2) Quality- Image Quality is simply outstanding! The quality of images this lens produces even on my DX Nikon D500 is so good that I have to edit/retouch so little! 3) Build Quality- Damn! This lens is a tank! The only lens which I own having all metal body is Nikon 24-70 which is wopping 8x costlier than this! This lens has taken a lot of bumps but it still works like I got it first day. It's all metal even the manual/autocus ring! Even my Nikon 24-70 doesn't have that! 4) Price- This was the best lens decision I ever made after Nikon 200-500mm. This lens with the cost to IQ ratio (Image Quality) which is delievers is unbeatable. I would never spend 68k over Nikon 105mm trash as spending that much money over that lens with almost same IQ as this!? No! I would rather buy this lens 10 times rather spending on Nikon/Canon one! And believe me, the quality this lens is delivering at just more than 1/2 of the cost of Nikon/Canon ones is unbelievable. 5) Hood- Even the hood is made of metal! I really wanna laugh at Nikon/Canon for making plastic hoods & still charging 68k! 6) 9 blade Aperture- I don't know if anyone here knows this fact; but the more blades a lens has the smoother the bokeh will be. This lens has 9 blade aperture which is really good for the price one would pay for. Bonus Tips- 1) If you want to achieve faster autofocus use the lens limiter button. 2) If you are shooting macro, shoot in live view & turn on peeking (Most Cameras have nowadays). It will help you a lot & would help you to know where the focus will be. 3) Get a case for this lens. Spending another 2k won't hurt & this way you can protect your lens. 4) Cover the lens with lens cover or use DIY method like I do & use old socks to make a lens cover. I'm advicing you this because this lens has moving components. It's not an internal focus lens rather while focusing, the barrel of the lens extends quite a bit; so to keep the lens safe & make it dust proof (sort of) use lens cover/DIY Method. That's it folks! I hoped my review would help your purchase decision. Also, just a side note; if anyone is confused between Nikon/Canon & this lens; I would suggest to get this lens as the price to IQ ratio is not even close for what you would be paying for Nikon/Canon. However, if weather sealing & VR/Image Stabilization is really impirtant for you then you may skip this lens. But, mind you for less than 1/2 the cost of Nikon/Canon you would be getting Oldie which is still a Goldie! And yes, it's that good! Feel free to write me down if someone has any querry!

Excelente calidad, envío lento debido a aduana, pero la espera valió la pena

I have had this lens for about a year and it is outstanding in every way. I have not used it too much but hope to more often in the future. Tack sharp macro lens at a great price. I purchased this lens to replace a 60 mm Nikkor macro lens I own because I wanted a longer focal length than the 60 mm gave me. This lens takes better photos than the Nikkor did, which says a LOT.