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RMC Tokina 17mm F3.5
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 7:52 pm    Post subject: RMC Tokina 17mm F3.5 Reply with quote

For some reason this lens is not very popular. I read a lot about the Carl Zeiss Jena 20mm F2.8 Flektogon, but the 17mm Tokina crushes it in all respects. It's also much better than the 20mm F3.8 Vivitar I had before it.

1. Yours truly in a rearview mirror (hence the distortion):


2. The real captain of the ship:


3. A glimpse from the cabin:


4. Nice remote workplace! Smile


PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Peter,
Great results, this lens seems not bad at all!


PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to have the Vivitar 3.5/17 which is very similar to the Tokina (if not the same) and I agree, a great lens, much better than my CZJ Flek 4/20.
I gave the Viv away for a complete set of old Canon lenses (plus some $$$) that I wanted to have in order to play with. Sometimes I regret that!


PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh Carsten, I regret so many things in my photographic life Smile

Before I forget: I used this same lens on my Canon 5D (with the help of a PK to EF adapter). Still very good results!

http://forum.mflenses.com/rmc-tokina-17mm-f-3-5-pk-mount-on-canon-5d-t18515.html


PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great demonstration Peter! This is a hidden gem IMHO and I have to confess I have three of them (Nikon mount) because of that.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spotmatic wrote:
Oh Carsten, I regret so many things in my photographic life Smile


Laughing Yeah! I know how that feels.

And I agree to your 5D verdict. That 17mm lens is surprisingly good at fullframe!


PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would like to see a comparison showing the barrel distortion of the Tokina and the Flektogon.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks good Spotty, although there's some purple fringing in the window on the second shot Wink

I have a very similar lens as a Soligor 17/3.5, also made by Tokina. I think it performs very well too and is great for close ups of cows!


PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

much much sharper in corners than Flek 28/2.8. concerning barrel distortions I guess the flek would win.

the boat is great !!!

Cheers
Tobias


PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent results, and I like the venue, too!


PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the Vivitar 17/3.5, made by Tokina, and I love mine. Unfortunately it's in Canon FD mount. I'd like to find another 17mm in Nikon mount, but all the ones I see on eBay go for a lot these days.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow. Fantastic results. I have a Tamron 17mm f3.5 (like this one: Click here to see on Ebay ) myself. I wonder if the Tokina lens would beat it.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am astonished by the clarity and sharpness of these samples.
What I had seen before from this lens was not even comparable in quality.
But it always comes down to the same old point, how is that every lens that you try looks so impressive?
Perhaps you should lend your lens to someone else so that we can have a more realistic term of comparison! Laughing


PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It has long been known as a "hidden gem". There are, I believe , a few versions of this lens. I have the 'non-pro" version which apparently behaves better than its titled brother.


patrickh


PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone! Frankly I'm a little bit surprised that this topic recieved so many responses. Because the photos are not masterpieces; I only wanted to show off what the 17mm F3.5 RMC Tokina can do, because its performance was an eye-opener to me. It does not have the typical "ultra-wide" abberations in the corners I'm so used to seeing with the 20mm F2.8 Flektogon and the 20mm F3.8 Vivitar I've used before. Most of the older ultra-wides also are not very sharp, not even stopped down (or those lenses lack resolution).

What I like about this lens is that it, despite it having a Pentax K bayonet, fits perfectly on a stock 5D with PK to EF adapter installed. Because the lens does not have a protective flange for the diaphragm lever. There are also no infinity problems!

I will try to take some pictures to show the distortion. And maybe we should start a topic on 17mm superwides to see the similarities and differences.

And a final word: I don't think I'm a very talented photographer; but I do know the fine art of perfectly focusing a lens Wink


PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got myself one of these lenses last week, to use on my 40d. I used to have one in the past, on my OM2, and I agree it is a great lens.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've just been offered one of these lenses in PK fit for £50 GBP, 56 Euro, does that sound about right ?

I haven't got anything this wide, and a very quick bit research shows it to be a decent lens.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lloydy wrote:
I've just been offered one of these lenses in PK fit for £50 GBP, 56 Euro, does that sound about right ?

I haven't got anything this wide, and a very quick bit research shows it to be a decent lens.


Yep, I would get it for that price, immediately! Also perfectly usable on the Canon 5D with just a PK to EF adapter; no leverectomy or mirror shave needed. Recommended!


PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Vivitar 17/3.5, built by Tokina, and by all accounts I've come across, it's the same lens. Mine is a very nice optic, the only drawback being it's in Canon FD mount so it's of limited use with my EOS DSLR. But I've got some Velvia 50 slides I could show you that I took with that lens. If I were offered one in PK mount, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought this lens had really bad distortion and for that reason people preferred the Flek?

For a UWA, I don't mind as I make creative use of perspective distortion.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

great results Peter!

for 56 Euro it's a great deal, I'd take it immediately!
still looking for one, had the Vivitar minty but because it was in Nikon mount fitting badly on my Pentax, sold it again here in this forum for over 100 Euro

does anyone know if the Tokina ATX AF version optically is the same lens too?


PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

does anybody know if the coating of the tokina and the Viv version is the same?


PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

martinsmith99 wrote:
I thought this lens had really bad distortion and for that reason people preferred the Flek?

For a UWA, I don't mind as I make creative use of perspective distortion.


I tested my Tokina-made Vivitar version of the 17mm for this. I did it by lying on the floor of my father's office and taking a picture of the ceiling. I could get the entire perimeter of the ceiling in the frame. I detected noticeable barrel distortion with mine. But I don't care. Most of the time when I use my 17mm it's for nature scenics, where barrel distortion isn't going to matter. And when I do use it for straight-lined subjects, like architecture, I haven't yet felt the need to correct any of the images for barrel distortion. It's just not that big of a deal, really.

@agent_cooper: I don't know for sure, but I do know that this has been the difference between other Tokina lenses and the same lenses built for Vivitar, e.g., the "Bokina" the Tokina 90mm f/2.8 macro. The Vivitar 90mm f/2.8 macro is built by Tokina but the coatings are different, and by all accounts I've read, the Tokina coatings are superior to those they used on the Vivitar. So this might be a justification for going with the Tokina instead of the Vivitar in this case. But if you ask me, I'd say it's a minor one.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cooltouch wrote:
e.g., the "Bokina" the Tokina 90mm f/2.8 macro. The Vivitar 90mm f/2.8 macro is built by Tokina but the coatings are different,

The "Bokina" is Tokina 90mm F/2.5, and the related Vivitar one is Series 1 90mm F/2.5 .


PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the correction, Maple. Sometimes the old memory slips a cog every once in a while.