Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 ATX Pro

[richardHaw]

I had this lens around 10 years ago. It was built very well, was reasonably sharp wide-open from 28-50mm but is kind of poor at 70mm.
f/4 brings everything up to the same level, very sharp from here on. I love this lens a lot and I bought another one recently because I missed it.
I shot photos for billboards back in the day with this on the D90

I had the Pro II before and now I got the Angeniux-based one.

how about you guys, do you like yours?

[Akira]

Here's the Tokina version of "thousand and one night":

http://www.pictavern.com/column/detail?no=1246

Sorry, the text is in Japanese.  According to this, Angenieux one was manufactured by Tokina.  So, Angenieux was Tokina-based.  The author doesn't mention whether there was any optical difference between the A and T.

[richardHaw]

thanks! i read it! 

[richardHaw]

i am loving the lens. this was such a hot item back in the day 

[Akira]

Yeah, ATX Pro lenses may have been made better than the genuine AF Nikkors back then...

[richardHaw]

 

[Fons Baerken]

Looks quality made, i still have the 100mm f/2.8 macro with the similar slide up or down af/mf.

[Thomas Stellwag]

I had the 2.8  28-70 and the 2.8  80-200 of this series (my first FF lenses beside a 1.4  50mm AF, on D 700)
built like tanks, but CA worse than the comparable Nikkors

the info that the French top lens was made by Tokina, I heared the first time - is that sure?
I always thought Tokina bougt a license to copy the optical sheme into the 2.6-2.8 series

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Briefly used the Tokina 28-70 until it split into two. A fellow photographer had the same happen to his 80-200. No more Tokina for either of us.

[Fons Baerken]

So the af/mf switch must be the vulnerable spot, i suppose, never liked that mechanism, somewhat reminiscent of the a/m ring on D lenses.

[richardHaw]

http://richardhaw.com/2017/11/12/repair-tokina-28-70-at-x-pro/

Here it is! 

[benveniste]

I had this lens around 10 years ago. It was built very well, was reasonably sharp wide-open from 28-50mm but is kind of poor at 70mm.
f/4 brings everything up to the same level, very sharp from here on. I love this lens a lot and I bought another one recently because I missed it.
I shot photos for billboards back in the day with this on the D90

I had the Pro II before and now I got the Angeniux-based one.

how about you guys, do you like yours?

I have the 3rd version (Pro II?) -- The f/2.6~2.8 with the bayonet lens hood.  Wide open, I find it's weakest at 28mm, pretty nice in the midrange, and slightly weak at 70mm.  Since I rarely photograph events it's one of my least used lenses.  For casual or "freestyle" shooting I typically use a 24-120mm f/4, and for more planned events I'll typically use a 17-35mm f/2.8 along with primes and/or a 70-200mm f/2.8.  I've owned quite a few Tokina lenses over the years.  I had a aperture linkage issue with one (a 20-35mm f/2., and found that a second was not a good fit for me (80-400mm f/4.5~5.6 without tripod mount).  But the others either gave me good service while I owned them (24-40mm f/2.8, 80-200mm f/2. or continue to do so today (60-120mm f/2.8, 90mm f/2.5 macro).