Looking to find more information regarding the Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon? Read our latest review to learn more about the Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon, its specifications, and if it’s a good camera lens for you.
Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon Overview
The Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon is a zoom lens that provides professional photographers and videographers with the finest performance possible, thanks to its perfect optics quality. This camera lens features a metal housing and is built to last for many years of shooting pictures and taking videos (a true investment). The Auto Focus (AF) is driven by a silent DC motor which keeps the noise down while operating the lens, thus producing superior video content.
The build quality is excellent owing to the duraluminum-alloy frame, as usual for most Tokina AT-X lenses. The large and rubberized zoom and focus rings operate smoothly and effectively dampened. Unlike other f/2.8 standard zoams, when zooming the lens does not physically lengthen. There is, however, a rotating inner lens tube, which does not extend beyond the filter thread.
A push/pull action on the focus ring activates or deactivates the focus-clutch mechanism, allowing you to switch between AF and MF operation with a single motion. However, it is a somewhat flawed design because in addition, you must utilize a 2nd conventional AF/MF switch.
When switching to MF, the focus ring must be returned to its original position (the AF 28-80mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro does not have all these restrictions). The lens’ focusing speed is rather quick when the focus clutch switch is set to AF mode, but sluggish otherwise. With the focus clutch switch in AF mode, the noise while focusing is fairly quiet, although it’s clearly audible (standard AF micro motor).
Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon Specifications
The Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon was first announced on 09-17-2014 with a Nikon F FX mount type. Below is a summary of this len’s specifications:
Indicative Price: $950
Focal Range: 24-70mm
Aperture: F/ 2.8
Filter Diameter (millimeters): 82
Maximum Diameter (millimeters): 89.6
Number Of Lenses: 15
Length (millimeters): 107.5
AF Motor: Ultrasonic
Stabilization: None
Zoom Type: Ring
Tripod Mount: None Available
Colors Available: Black
Manual Focus: None
Weight (grams): N/A
How Does Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon Score?
Below are the lens metric scores we’ve measured for this specific lens:
Sharpness: 4.5/10
Under laboratory testing, the Tokina proved to be very sharp. The center resolution is excellent straight from the maximum aperture setting at 28mm. Despite the fact that the quality isn’t quite as high, it’s nevertheless on a good to very-good level. nAt f/5.6 and above, center quality stays extremely high and borders catch up significantly with excellent figures.
At this focal length, the difference in sharpness between f/2.8 and f/4 is obvious. There’s a significant performance hit at 70mm specifically when comparing to f/2.8, where both center as well as border quality are excellent. The local peak occurs at f/5.6, when both the center and borders are again outstanding
Vignetting: 6.7/10
The AF 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 AT-X Pro II is a full frame lens, so it benefits from a sweet spot effect on APS-C cameras. Even at wide apertures, vignetting is barely noticeable in most cases.
Chromatic Aberration: 6.5/10
Chromatic aberrations (color shadows at high contrast changes) vary considerably depending on the focal length chosen. The issue is related to the aperture selected at 28mm – it’s minor, but it gets worse at medium apertures with a maximum of 1.87 pixels on the average near the image edges. The problem is less noticeable at 40mm and more so at 70mm.
Distortion: 7/10
At 28mm, the lens exhibits mild barrel distortion that changes to minor barrel distortion at 40mm and modest pincushion distortion 70mm.
Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon Performance
The focus is extremely sharp and the lens exhibits low levels of chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion. The Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon has very good optical performance.
The AF speed is very quick when switching to MF mode. Here, the focus motor is driven by a ring type USM motor, which might be faster than standard AF micro motors.
Something to keep in mind is the bokeh quality of this lens, which is a weak point according to our metrics. It’s quite good at the minimum focus distance from 24mm, but not as great when you move closer with a higher focal length.
In general, the Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon has mediocre bokeh performance due to its 7 aperture blades design and also the lens tends to create a low amount of flare in backlit scenes – which can be a problem since most modern DSLRs have a matte screen that is very susceptible to highlights entering into the viewfinder/sensor area even if it isn’t noticeable on monitor or via live-view.
Another area to note is the ergonomics of the lens. It’s not very good because it’s not designed to be used by heavy professionals. The autofocus switch falls easily under your fingers and can cause problems when changing the focus mode quickly.
Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon Pros and Cons
Below are some of the pros and cons regarding this lens.
Pros:
- Very sharp across its zoom range
- Low distortion, low chromatic aberrations, low vignetting at f/2.8
- AF fast and accurate
Cons:
- Bokeh quality is mediocre due to the 7 aperture blades design.
- Ergonomics could be better
Our Verdict
The Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon is an excellent lens that can be used by amateurs and professionals alike. It has very good sharpness throughout the zoom range, low distortion, chromatic aberrations and vignetting. The AF speed is fast and it’s highly accurate too.
