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Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

Started Oct 24, 2005 | Discussions
Tikerz Regular Member • Posts: 293
Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

Has anyone had any experience with this lens? I see them on eBay for about $70 shipped new. The price should indicate how good the lens is, but who knows...

Thanks,
William

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OP Tikerz Regular Member • Posts: 293
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

No one?

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nooner Senior Member • Posts: 1,357
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

Buy a used 70-210 F4 Minolta instead. The Tokina is probably bad.
--
Reality leaves a lot to the imagination-John Lennon

jpmar Regular Member • Posts: 459
What about the 28 to 70mm range? (NT)
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jpmar
' http://imageevent.com/jpmar '
Panasonic FZ30 and Maxxum 5D

AllanMarcus Contributing Member • Posts: 706
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

let's see, $70 v. $200 (the 70-210 f/4 were

The tokina is probably not a very good lens, but you need to compare it to a Sigma 28-200 (about $75-80 on eBay). I'm not sure of the specs for each lens, I'll leave that as an exercise for the student.

I have a Sigma and here are my notes:

Not bad for snapshots.
Poor low light focusing.
Stiff zoom ring (this seems to be a common problem with Sigma).
Light (as in not heavy)

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Thanks,

Allan Marcus
Maxxum 5D
Mac OS X

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Sony SLT-A77 Sony a7 IV Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II Sony DT 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 +3 more
Andrey Zh New Member • Posts: 14
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

Rare doesn't mean bad. Why don't you look at 24-200, it had rather nice comments. Actually, I've hardly ever heard negative comments on Tokina. And they have one advantage over Sigma and stuff: they're heavy and build like a tank.

IrishPhotog New Member • Posts: 14
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

nooner wrote:

Buy a used 70-210 F4 Minolta instead. The Tokina is probably bad.
--
Reality leaves a lot to the imagination-John Lennon
It's amazing, that Tokina is photographing tiny lettering and numbers at two metres that I cannot see myself with my best specs on!
It's incredibly sharp at both ends, the colour is exact with no pop.

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IrishPhotog New Member • Posts: 14
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

AllanMarcus wrote:

let's see, $70 v. $200 (the 70-210 f/4 were

The tokina is probably not a very good lens, but you need to compare it to a Sigma 28-200 (about $75-80 on eBay). I'm not sure of the specs for each lens, I'll leave that as an exercise for the student.

I have a Sigma and here are my notes:

Not bad for snapshots.
Poor low light focusing.
Stiff zoom ring (this seems to be a common problem with Sigma).
Light (as in not heavy)
I'm delighted with the Tokina that I picked up on ebay for £44 plus the postage. It's heavy though because it's steel. It also spins around while auto focusing though it's very fast, so would be awkward with filters. Good low light focusing, push and pull so no problem zooming. Nice looking, something like the Minolta beercan size.You would not be ashamed to be seen with it. No flare or ghosting so far.

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Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G
paul_kew Senior Member • Posts: 1,857
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

It's easier to work out what  you typed if you answer below the previous poster's quote. It then comes up in a different colour and doesn't look like you haven't actually answered.

Also, 2005 posting?

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IrishPhotog New Member • Posts: 14
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

paul_kew wrote:

It's easier to work out what you typed if you answer below the previous poster's quote. It then comes up in a different colour and doesn't look like you haven't actually answered.

Also, 2005 posting?
- but I didn't have the lens in 2005, I only have it a couple of weeks. I can tell you one thing, it is bloody razor sharp!

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Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G
IrishPhotog New Member • Posts: 14
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

IrishPhotog wrote:

paul_kew wrote:

It's easier to work out what you typed if you answer below the previous poster's quote. It then comes up in a different colour and doesn't look like you haven't actually answered.

Also, 2005 posting?
- but I didn't have the lens in 2005, I only have it a couple of weeks. I can tell you one thing, it is bloody razor sharp!

Only thing I can find wrong with it is it slides up and down. It's also heavy, given the usual Tokina tough construction.

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Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G
IrishPhotog New Member • Posts: 14
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

AllanMarcus wrote:

let's see, $70 v. $200 (the 70-210 f/4 were

The tokina is probably not a very good lens, but you need to compare it to a Sigma 28-200 (about $75-80 on eBay). I'm not sure of the specs for each lens, I'll leave that as an exercise for the student.

I have a Sigma and here are my notes:

Not bad for snapshots.
Poor low light focusing.
Stiff zoom ring (this seems to be a common problem with Sigma).
Light (as in not heavy)

The Tokina is as sharp as my Canon 70-200/4 IS L.  However it slides up and down though it's built as tough as nails, the usual Tokina tank job. My experience is that these Tokina's are usually better than the old Sigma's and that seems true again with this lens.
Best stick it on a Sony or Pentax where it will be stabilised. I have it on a Sony a390 that I keep for the CCD sensor and that I can stick old lenses like this Tokina on and rejuvenate them.
This Tokina is so good that it focuses tiny print that you can't see with the naked eye at ten feet away on 210 mm. I find it a bit too heavy, though it lets in a lot of light because of its 72 mm diameter.
Colour is nice, probably due to the CCD mostly but this lens brings it up too. Fair bokeh as well.  I haven't tried yet but I'd say it will enlarge up to a 16 X 20 print as it's in the same class as my Canon though of course it looks cheaper than the L.

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Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G
paul_kew Senior Member • Posts: 1,857
Re: Tokina 28-210 f/3.5-5.6

I found old sigma  lenses to be fragile. The tank I'd compare them to would be the ww2 British Crusader (broke down a lot).

Had two that were ruined by slight knocks.

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