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Tokina AF 11-16mm f2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX  Hot PDF Print E-mail
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out of 5
Editor's rating
out of 5
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Lens Summary

Overview

The new Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX is an ultra-wide angle lens with a fast f/2.8 aperture for better photography in low-light situations. Many photojournalists consider having an f/2.8 aperture a must for any lens in their camera bag. Based on the award-winning optical design of the AT-X 124 PRO DX (12-24mm f/4) lens, the new AT-X 116 PRO DX has a slightly shorter zoom range to maintain optical quality at wide apertures. Tokina’s exclusive One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism allows the photographer to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward for AF and back toward the camera to focus manually. There is no need to change the AF-MF switch on Nikon cameras** and there is no second AF/MF switch on the lens for Canon, everything is accomplished by the focus ring.

Lens Specifications

Generic Lens Specifications
Lens Type: Zoom
IS / VR / OS: None
Min Focal length (mm): 11
Max Focal Length (mm): 16
Number of Elements: 13
Element Groups: 11
Max Aperture: 2.8
Minimum Aperture: 22
Diaphragm Blades: 9
Closest Focus Distance (m): 0.3
Filter Type: Screw In
Filter Diameter (mm): 77
Lens Length (mm): 89
Weight (g): 560

Details


  • Mount availability: Canon and Nikon APS-C
  • Focal length: 11 - 16mm
  • Maximum aperture: f/2.8
  • Minimum aperture: f/22
  • Optical construction: 13 elements in 11 groups.
  • Coatings: Multi-layer
  • Angle of view: 104°~82°
  • Minimum focus distance: 0.3m
  • Reproduction Ratio: 1:11.6
  • Focusing Mode: Internal Focusing
  • Zoom Mode: Rotary Zoom
  • No. Aperture blades: 9
  • Filter Size: 77mm
  • Lens length: 89.2mm
  • Lens Hood: BH-777
  • Weight: 560g
  • Accessories: Flower design Bayonet lens hood (BH77A)

* The lens is designed for Digital cameras with APS-C sized CMOS and CCD sensors, not designed for cameras with Full Frame sensors.
** Please note, the Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX lens itself is not waterproof or water resistant.
*** Will not AF when used on Nikon D40 SLR camera body.

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User Lens Reviews

Average user rating from: 26 user(s)

Overall rating (weighted)
4.4
Sharpness
4.3
Build Quality
4.5
AF Speed
4.3
Value for Money
4.4
 

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Incredible Lense, Tuesday, 27 July 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
If you are looking for a wide angle lense then look no further. After doing research between the Canon and the Tokina I decided on the Tokina. I'm glad I did! This is a terrific lense. The images are incredibly sharp you could almost consider this a prime lense. The only downside is the lense is a Bit heavy, but the image quality more than makes up for the extra weight. I highly recommend this lense.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

However you get one; just get one, Sunday, 25 July 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I found this lens as a trade on Craigslist for my Canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro (non L) with Canon tripod collar. It was a great trade for us both as the 11-16 doesn't give a full image on the full frame cameras the trader now has.

However I got the lens, it is hands down the best UWA I've ever used. I've owned three before this one. They were: Tokina ATX 17mm(bad CA), Sigma 17-35(soft) Tamron 10-24(soft). It seems with most UWA you can usually find one that's sharp but has heavy CA. Or you can find one that is mostly free of CA but is soft. This lens is sharp AND mostly free of CA.

The bonus is f2.8. Sure it'll take in more light than any other UWA. More importantly, it'll produce more background Blur than any other UWA in close ups.

More pluses:
+Comes with a lens hood.
+Tokina lenses are all built better than most others; especially ones of this price range.
+Uses the common 77mm filter thread like most pro lenses do.

The only slight drawback I can say about this lens is the push pull switch from AF to MF. Tokina calls this their 'exclusive focus clutch mechanism'. Well not sure how exclusive it is since my Sigma 24mm prime has the same thing. In any case, it's more of a pain to use than just flipping the usual little switch. But I won't knock the lens because of this.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Very surprising build quality, Thursday, 24 June 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
The biggest thing about this lens in my opinion is the build quality. I chose this over the Canon 10-22mm for two reasons: 1. F2.8 throughout and 2. Not an EF-S mount which means it works on my 35mmm Elan (11-15mm has really bad Vignetting, but 16mm makes for a nice ultrawide on full frame). I was really impressed by the build quality. I have been very skeptical of third party lenses in the past and I decided to give this a try because everyone seemed to be impressed with the build of it. Even expecting it to be high quality build, I was still surprised. As for the sharpness and all that, it looks great to me.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Best UWA for APS-C, Wednesday, 17 February 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
First off it must be said that this lens rivals the quality of most of Canon's L series glass. Build quality, including focus movements and zoom movements are silky smooth, focusing is just a bit louder as it does not use a USM or equivalent motor, but as a wide angle with a very short focal range such focus technology isn't necessary.

Sharp as a tack, and really really wide with very little barrel distortions, this is not a fish eye lens.

Only downfall of this lens, though not really specific to this lens but should be considered when looking to shoot Ultra Wide in general, is that it is tough to manually focus using the viewfinder since photos have so much content and usually you will be focusing on something quite small.

The 0.3m minimum focus distance is plenty close for taking somewhat awkward portraits and getting close to objects while taking i nthe background. But for those new to shooting wide, you will feel the urge to get closer for 'normal' compositions.

Beware those with small camera bags, this lens is big! especially with the supplied lens hood, be prepared to make a nice fat slot for it. (and correspondingly spend a big chunk of change on a good protector)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Love it, but could AF better on a 7D, Wednesday, 17 February 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I love this lens (used with my 7D), but the real reason I'm writing a review is to let people know about the AF quirks of the lens.

Here's the short attention span version:
GOOD -- "Manual AF point selection mode" & "Spot AF point selection mode"
BAD -- "AF point expansion mode" & "Automatic AF point selection mode"

A little more detail...

Spot AF point selection mode and Manual AF point selection mode:
With the center point selected, the camera and lens focus perfectly everywhere I point it, very close or the horizon. With the far right or far top af points selected, it does an ok job finding the focus. In the dozen or so tests I've done, it missed one focus attempt (at something far away), but then recovered. It always seems to nail the 3' and closer targets. I personally just keep the spot af center box selected.

Automatic AF point selection mode and AF point expansion mode:
The camera & lens does a beautiful job focusing up close, 3' or closer. However, if I point it at the horizon, it tells me it's focussed but it has actually set the focus around 3'. I have no idea if this is a problem with my specific lens (or lens + body) but it wouldn't surprise me if this is typical behavior (and possibly body combination). My 7D focusses perfectly everywhere with a 28-70L.

Assuming this problem isn't my specific lens, it would be interesting to know if the Canon 10-22 has the same AF focus limitation. If the Canon wide doesn't have this problem, it could be an important part of the decision making process between these two competing lenses.

Hope this helps somebody else out there. If it weren't for the fact that I intend to use this lens A LOT at night, I'd probably go with the slower Canon 10-22 (and hopefully not be really disappointed to discover it too can't focus on infinite using the automatic AF modes ;) ).

Also, I found this review to be very helpful in my decision making process:[...]

Oh, and after you're done shopping for lenses, don't forget to get out there and actually take some pictures!
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Love it, but could AF better on a 7D, Wednesday, 17 February 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
I love this lens (used with my 7D), but the real reason I'm writing a review is to let people know about the AF quirks of the lens.

Here's the short attention span version:
GOOD -- "Manual AF point selection mode" & "Spot AF point selection mode"
BAD -- "AF point expansion mode" & "Automatic AF point selection mode"

A little more detail...

Spot AF point selection mode and Manual AF point selection mode:
With the center point selected, the camera and lens focus perfectly everywhere I point it, very close or the horizon. With the far right or far top af points selected, it does an ok job finding the focus. In the dozen or so tests I've done, it missed one focus attempt (at something far away), but then recovered. It always seems to nail the 3' and closer targets. I personally just keep the spot af center box selected.

Automatic AF point selection mode and AF point expansion mode:
The camera & lens does a beautiful job focusing up close, 3' or closer. However, if I point it at the horizon, it tells me it's focussed but it has actually set the focus around 3'. I have no idea if this is a problem with my specific lens (or lens + body) but it wouldn't surprise me if this is typical behavior (and possibly body combination). My 7D focusses perfectly everywhere with a 24-70L.

Assuming this problem isn't my specific lens, it would be interesting to know if the Canon 10-22 has the same AF focus limitation. If the Canon wide doesn't have this problem, it could be an important part of the decision making process between these two competing lenses.

Hope this helps somebody else out there. If it weren't for the fact that I intend to use this lens A LOT at night, I'd probably go with the slower Canon 10-22 (and hopefully not be really disappointed to discover it too can't focus on infinite using the automatic AF modes ;) ).

Also, I found this review to be very helpful in my decision making process:[...]

Oh, and after you're done shopping for lenses, don't forget to get out there and actually take some pictures!
Was this review helpful to you? yes     no

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Fantastic, Wednesday, 10 February 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I've been looking at ultra wide lenses for several months and decided to buy one for my canon when Adorama offered it for $600. For some reason the canon version of this lens usually seems to priced $100 more than the Nikon equivalent, which was frustrating. When I saw equivalent prices is when I purchased it. I've only had the lens for a few days but the second I put in on the camera I knew it was excellent. It has opened up a whole new field of photography and expanded the type of shooting I can do. The 2.8 aperture is phenomenal and I wouldn't trade that for millimeters on either end of the zoom range. Whether you want the lens for low light photography, landscape, or the million other uses the lens could have you'll never regret purchasing it.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Does the job with excellence!, Wednesday, 21 October 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I should start out by saying that I am VERY pro Canon lenses. Their quality is awesome. However, after finally finding one of these lenses I decided to buy it to go along with my new Canon 7D. It's not a "true" wide lens on a 1.6 crop non full-frame camera (which is anything except the Canon 5D) but so what? This optics on this lens are fantastic, it's built very well, and it's easy to use. On anything except a 5D, think of this as more of a 17.6-27.2mm, which is still GREAT!

I like to do a like of wide shots, and until I get a full-frame camera like the 5D MarkII, this is as good as I think I'm going to get. I've used the Canon 10-22mm before, and while it's a GREAT lens, the glass is too slow for my use. I NEED the 2.8, and as of this writing, you can't get that fast of glass in a wide Canon lens. This is the lens to get for both stills and video. You won't go wrong getting this one!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great Lens!, Tuesday, 22 September 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This lens is great for landscape and low light shooting. Image quality is comparable to high end Canon L lens but less expensive. I have a lot of great pictures using this lens. A must have if you love landscape photography.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

A Must if You Have to get it all in, Wednesday, 16 September 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I love this lens! I have a Canon 10-22mm which I am selling (BTW, the Canon is a great lens too), but the Tokina is slightly sharper wide open. Canon has the range, but Tokina (with only 1.5x zoom) is slightly sharper as Tokina apparently chose quality over quantity, as a Real Estate agent, I need tack-sharp pics and the Tokina delivers ever so slightly over the Canon.

A quick comparison;

Build Quality;

Tokina 8.5
Canon 7.0

Range;

Tokina 5.0
Canon 7.5

Image Quality;

Tokina 9.0
Canon 8.5

The only drawback of the Tokina is there are obvious lateral chromatic abberations (CAs) - fortunately, if you use Photoshop or Photoshop Lightroom 2, fixing CAs is a breeze.

If you need to get it all into one photo, the Tokina won't let you down. Enjoy!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

A superb UWA lens, Sunday, 13 September 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I did a lot of research and read a lot of review before deciding on this lens.

After waited for a few month, I finally got this Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 UWA lens just yesterday and have been playing with it for two days now.

First of all, it is very well build; heavy and solid feel in my hand. The weight does not bother me because I normally bring a monopod and use it whenever needed. This lens has excellence IQ, and it has a fast auto-focus. It performs very well even under low light condition. The images from this lens are very sharp; at wide aperture, it gives you a nice mild smooth bokeh.

In addition to being a superb lens for taking landscape photos, because of the lens distortion, where nearer subject is closer to you and farther subject to farther from you, it is excellence for taking photos with exaggerating effect.

I bought this lens due to its UWA quality so the limited range does not bother me. I normally plan ahead as to what kind of photos/theme I want to take for a particular day, and bring my lenses accordingly.

Overall, this is a superb ultra wide angle lens, and to me, it is certainly worth months of wait. At less than $600 and the quality, this is perhaps the best value for money UWA lens available in the market.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Hands down one of the best wide angles on the mark, Tuesday, 07 July 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I was in a dilemma as to which wide angle to buy and I had a pending trip to Australia coming up. I was town with which lens to go with. So I set out for my local camera shop and to try the multitude of wide angles available.

As I have bought the Tokina 11-16, I couldn't be happier having a wide angle at f-stop 2.8. It's also the sharpest lens around.

This should help you understand the various wide angles around.

http://photo.net/equipment/wideangle-dslr

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/379-tokina_1116_28_canon

I'll post some pics of my trip from Australia. Let's just say that I didn't have a tripod and I was able to shoot multiple locations - Great Barrier Reef at Sunset/Dusk, Manly Beach, Hyde Park, Sydney Opera House at night - without a Tripod. I was surprised at how sharp it is. Interior shots are simply stunning. This lens is a must for wedding, interior, or nighttime photographers looking for a low f-stop and a wide angle range.

The only draw back is it's 16mm on the far end. So this may out off some users, but you should know what you are buying and testing before jumping in. Definitely worth the sacrifice in my opinion. I couldn't be happier with the Tokina. It's my standard walk around lens.
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0 of 6 people found the following review helpful

$1000 ???, Tuesday, 30 June 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
This lens is selling for $1000. You have to be kidding. For a Tokina??? BUY THE CANON THEN!
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Fast Sharp and Excellent Build , Tuesday, 10 March 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
What more could you want. I've used Canon's great 10-22mm and it is a nice lens but as a comparison here is what I found.

-Sharpness goes to the Tokina hands down. While wide open @ 2.8 it might be about equal by the time the Tokina is stopped down to the 3.5 that the Canon is wide open there is no comparison.


-Zoom Range obviously goes to Canon. Much more usable here than the limited almost fixed focal length Tokina. Actually you might even say that the Tokina is close to a prime. Also I liked that extra 1mm on the wide end (it is very noticeable). Myself I don't mind the limited zoom as I'm always on the wide side and don't even use the 16mm.

-Build Quality again this belongs to the Tokina as it is built like a tank as are most of the pro grade Tokinas. Canon's build quality good for this consumer designed lens but is not up to their L (pro) standards.

-CAs Chromatic Aberrations or purple fringing If you are shooting into high Contrast scenes (a bridge against a sky background) this is a real problem for both lenses but the Canon is MUCH better here. This is becoming less important as PhotoShop is able to remove it effectively.

-Lack of Barrel Distortion goes again to the Tokina which is very slight, especially for a ultra wide zoom. It is much better corrected than the Canon.

-Focus Speed Canon with their USM is fastest but not by much. However, the Canon is quieter too. I do like the clutch system of the Tokina once I got used to it. For manual focus (and I use that a lot) the Tokina is well damped, smooth and usable something that can't be said for the Canon.

-Flare Bad in both lenses but here Canon is better as well. Contra light is a demon in both lenses and care should be taken to always use the hood. Provided with the Tokina and conspicuously absent in the Canon which will set you back another 35 dollars or so.

-Aperture Obviously this goes to the Tokina. Not only is it 2.8 constant aperture it is very usable and sharp. It gets marginally sharper when stopped down but it is SHARP even wide open. The biggest improvement is at the edges when stopped down with the center remaining very sharp throughout. To get the same performance from the canon you need to get to about f5.6 to pull in the edges with further improvement to f8.

Well to wrap it up, the Tokina is quite a lens. Couple that to a savings of about $250.00 and it is a no brainer. While no lens is perfect, and with the CAs this lens has it certainly isn't as well, it maintains great quality and the rugged build make it a good choice for me. I am a semi-pro and take about 10 to 15 thousand exposures a year. I need that rugged build. I own several Canon L lenses and this isn't out of place in my bag. I don't miss that 1mm much as with an ultra wide about 3 or 4 steps back gets in the same view. It would be nice to have the range the 22mm gives but not at the expense of the 2.8 aperture.

My recommendation. BUY IT. You won't be sorry.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Great wide angle "prime", almost, Tuesday, 10 February 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
Just got the Tokina 11-16 to use on 40D, my first Tokina. I have been using Sigma 10-20 for wide. Comparing this Tokina and Sigma, I honestly don't think Tokina scores much over the Sigma as far as the build and feel. The Tokina is a big heavier than the Sigma, but not "heavy" at all. The AF/Zoom rings are in the same league as the Sigma. Sigma certainly got a better quality shade,but I like the pinch Tokina cap better than the one found on the Sigma. Tested a few rough shots in low light indoor high ISO 1250 shots, thought this is the toughest test on the lens as well as on the camera sensor. Shot wide open and at f4.5, with Canon 17-55, Tokina 11-16, Sigma 10-20, Sigma 24-70. Canon clearly came out on top in IQ. Tokina the second, great color and contrast, a bit less in the IQ department than the Canon 17-55. Both Sigmas are similar and not quite as sharp and the color are not as "pop" in comparison. So all the rumors on the web about the Tokina IQ is not for nothing after all :) Just that I thought the Tokina build quality is not as great as it the rumor has it. It's very good, no question, better than the Canon 17-55 for sure, but personally, I thought the Sigma feels more solid actually. Under the indoor household lights (table lamps, ceiling lights, floor lights, etc), Tokina doesn't have flair problem. The AF on the Tokina is quite fast and relatively quiet, far better than my Tamrons. But Sigma HSM and Canon USM clearly out-AF the Tokina. Will update when I get some day light use. So far I think the Tokina is very promising. Being a constant f2.8, it'll help a lot when it gets dark. On my last trip to China, my Sigma 10-20 struggled with me at the train stations, inside the concert halls, inside the subway stations and restaurants. I think this Tokina will do far better there. The AF is very promising indeed. DOF on this f2.8 is not so bad if the subjects are some distance away, unlike at 200mm. Last time I shot in the woods, hand holding my Sigma 20mm/f1.8 and I was pleasantly surprised how much I got away with at f4!

In short, so far I found the Tokina to have fulfilled all of its promises: nice build, nice IQ, nice AF, great color and contrast. So far I haven't found anything spectacular just yet. But nothing disappoints either. Even the lens hood, a bit on the cheap side, but got a very solid and positive lock-in position - a great design. The Sigma 10-20's hood tends to let itself loose under stress, resulted my shooting quite a few shots with shades in the picture only to realize the error later on, very regrettable (even though the Sigma hood is made of a better grade plastics)! The limited zoom range doesn't bother me at all since I bought it for the 11mm anyway. By the way, I didn't consider the Canon 10-22 because I already have the Sigma and am reasonably happy with it. But the Tokina has the speed nobody else does!
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