TOKINA SD 400mm 5.6

[dean.peace]

same help please
for long time im in search for a 400mm lens (for wild life)
i was looking for sigma apo 400mm 5.6
but i have a chance to buy TOKINA SD 400mm 5.6 for 111€ (with post)
if someone have this lens, i would be very happy if you share yours findings, regarding this lens.
THX

[SXR_Mark]

I have not owned my Tokina SL 400mm SD for long so have only had chance to do some simple tests with it (so I've no real world experience). I found the performance quite poor at f5.6. It's a bit soft and low in contrast but the real killer is the strong green fringing on highlights. It improves dramatically at f8. Contrast and sharpness are now fine but there is still a hint of purple fringing unless the focus is absolutely spot on. This also means out-of-focus areas show some green and purple fringing on high contrast edges. My feeling is that this will not be too intrusive in real world situations. The fringing does improve as one stops down further but is never entirely absent.

This was taken at f5.6



This is a 100% crop at f5.6


This is now at f8. The difference is dramatic


100% crop at f8


There is no doubt the Sigma 400mm APO is a better lens at f5.6, but I think the Tokina is comparable at f8 and smaller apertures. However, I only have copies (3 of them) of the Sigma with the common foggy inner element to compare it with. If you can find a clean copy of the Sigma, that would be the lens to go for.

Mark

[miran]

Probably depends on the copy you get. Mine seems to be better wide open. It's doesn't have that much glow, but there is quite abit of fringing and it's not extremely sharp.

Some samples below, shot in the morning sun at about 10m distance and ISO800 to get short times. Subject is the top of a 20m tall tree swaying in the wind. Should be representative if you shoot birds. Shot in raw and converted with default settings (some NR and input sharpening).

Full image @f/5.6:



100% center crop @f/5.6:



Full image @f/8:



100% center crop @f/8:

[dean.peace]

thx Miran and SXR_Mark
i don't now
price for Sigma apo 400mm 5.6 is between 160-220€ and great possibility of cement degradation problem.

and the pictures from Miran are OK for the price of 110€ i think.

[Attila]

[dean.peace]

[Attila]

Keep looking with NEX5 N you can use any lens, Sigma APO is lightweight, short and good as or better than any affordable 400mm lens.

[ManualFocus-G]

I wouldn't pay that much for the Tokina. Personally, I would hunt around for a used Soligor / Hanimex 400/6.3 preset lens (which IMO is better than the later auto version). I wouldn't pay more than 60 euros for that either.

[cooltouch]

My favorite 400mm was my Canon FD 400mm f/4.5 until it got stolen. But even so, that lens is well out of your price range. My next favorite would have to be the Tamron 400mm f/4, but that's way out of your price range, too.

You know, there really aren't a whole lot of offerings to choose from if one is looking for a 400mm prime. Being between 300mm and 500mm, it doesn't seem to get the attention that either of these other focal lengths do -- especially 300mm. So an option worth considering would be to go with a good 300mm f/4 and a good 1.4x teleconverter -- which would get you up to a 420mm f/5.6.

Mark, if you look closely at your 100% enlargement at f/5.6, there is a good amount of detail there. It's just got low contrast. Which can often be fixed in post. Same with the green and purple fringing. I have lenses that do this and I am almost always able to remove the color fringing in post.

[Attila]

[hifisapi]

I used to have the tokina, but it wasn't as good as my smc pentax 400mm F5.6 so I sold it. Its worth $100 though.

[dean.peace]

thx for help

i decided not to buy and rather wait for canon fd 400mm 4.5(very rare on ebay-for good price ) or something similar .

[hoanpham]

i am not so sure that the tokina 400/5.6 is so bad as all of you comment here.
i have use it on the nex5n, and results look ok to me. sharp enough for the most, unless you have some lenses that is better.
i will post my result soon.

The nikkor 400/5.6 ed if ais is more expensive, and it would be interesting to see how these perform.

[cooltouch]

[Phenix jc]

Dean, I have the Tokina SD in MD mount and I made a quick real life test (birding distant shot) vs a Nikkor 400/5.6 IF ED, and I got the same Q with the 2 lens. (G1 camera)
I have to go further, but it seems this lens is a keeper!
I also think that your lens has a pb.
I have to test it against the Sigma Apo, a Pentax K, and a nFD 400/4.5.
Sorry Michael, but the nFD has important CA wide open.

[hoanpham]

[cooltouch]

[hoanpham]

The Tokina may not be the best 400, but for sure among the cheapest.
Image quality is ok. I think copy variation might be an issue.

[kenm]

I recently purchased this lens for wildlife photography in mint condition for $180. The quality is amazing for the price. I do have a metering issue with the Tokina 400mm on my Nikon D90 which requires me to unlock the lens partially from the camera and relock every time I turn it on. Apparently you can have the lens sent back to Tokina and re-chipped for something under $100 to solve the problem. The more advanced Nikon cameras (D7000+) don't use the lens autofocus to meter and won't have this problem apparently.

This lens is very sharp when using a tripod or in bright light. 1/400 and above is a good shutter speed handheld. I know there is talk about CA with this lens but I've found even the best Nikon telephoto lenses have CA, especially wide open, and it's easily correctable in post processing. I certainly recommend this lens. I've been doing macro work with a 50mm prime but will have pics from this Tokina up shortly (if it stops raining) on my site: geartechreviews.com/photos

I plan to use this lens for wildlife photography in the near future and will also be acquiring a 1.4 teleconverter. I've head this lens doesn't suffer hardly at all with a good teleconverter.

[dean.peace]

happy man
today
finally my new toy arrived, the canon fd 400mm 4.5


its a BIG lens, the nex 5n looks funny on this lens.
i didn't really have a time for "real" shooting and this are my first pictures with this lens ( hand hold).
Still have to learn to focus more accurate with tele lenses, i mis-focus to many pictures

[Phenix jc]

I'm waiting your opinion about CA wide open

[cooltouch]

Congratulations, Dean! Your 400/4.5 kit looks identical to the one I owned. About focusing, one of the nice things about the lens that you have is it is a later New FD, with internal focusing. Because it has internal focusing, the focusing collar spins easily so it becomes a fast focusing lens once you get used to it. I look forward to seeing more pics. And since Phenix has had a different experience from what I had regarding CA wide open, I'm also interested in seeing any test shots you might want to post that show CA -- or the lack thereof.