Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

U need a tripod for movies,, don't have stabilizer and some times when shooting u need too, but I have the accessories to do that a great tripod INDURO CARBON and a very good head MANFROTTO and Im happy.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

Seems a little sharper when not at maximum zoom and aperture. Have to get used to zooming without hitting the tripod collar,not a big deal.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I needed a longer lense for wildlife, but could not justify the cost of the canon lenses. Ordered this one hoping to get fairly good pictures at longer ranges. The image quality that I am getting far exceeds my expectations. Took a handheld picture of a wall clock 22 feet away in dark room lit by one bulb in a globe. At 380 the picture showed the wood grain and small scratches. I had to manually focus as the auto focus takes forever in low light. It is much slower than a UDM lense at all times and hunts quite a lot in low light. However, this has not been a problem in my wildlife shots as I prefocus close to where I expect to seethe animals.
Picture quality is close to my better canon lenses and low light is not a problem if the subject is stationary for a moment.
Pictures of children playing in early evening came out very well with faces in sharp focus and immediate background nicely blurred.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

The few pictures I've taken with the new lens has really turned out great. They make you think you can reach out and touch the subject.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I am nature photographer.

I spent several days looking and researching lenses ranging in price from $150-$800. I picked this one for it's good price, excellent zoom, and the lens quality that came with it.

Not only was I looking for superior zoom (the kind that gets a full picture of the animal at 30+ feet away), but also something durable (aka not cheap plastic). This lens is made entirely of metal (as far as I can tell) and in no way, shape, or form is it flimsy. It has high quality images with the zoom at 400mm end, which many cheaper lenses do not have. It does very well outdoors, and with a flash, I can see it being pretty good indoors. Not to mention, I haven't noticed distortion in any of my images.

There isn't much of a downside to me, because I previously worked without image stabilizers and don't use auto-focus, but I noticed when I messed around with the auto-focus, it wouldn't always cooperate with what I wanted to focus on. It's a little nose heavy which made the lens creep when it was completely vertical, but nothing that bothers me since I don't take pictures of anything directly above me or below me, and the fact that it's a little nose heavy is the price you pay for solidarity.

So, as soon as I got this lens, I went out into the field with it. I've gotten amazing shots of birds, squirrels, deer, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and even good flower shots (just have to stand back a little). You name it, I've gotten good shots of it (minus bears; didn't get close enough). I'm very impressed with this lens on my rebel xt body, and would recommend it to anybody interested in nature photography who can afford it, and if you can't afford it, save your money until you can!

P.S. Even my friend who is a professional photographer of many many years was impressed with it!

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I bought this lens primarily for photographing birds. It is very well built--like a tank actually. It is heavy due to its solid build but can be shot hand-held even at 400mm. It has good glass and the images are good in terms of color and contrast etc. It focuses fairly quickly for its focal range but is very noisy--not the best thing for photographing skittish wildlife. I also found myself shooting only at 400mm and wondering why I bought such a vast zoom--I assumed I would use the full range. I have decided that if I am going to lug around something weighty I might as well save my money and buy the Canon 400mm 5.6L or the 100-400mm L glass. If the noisy focus won't be an issue this is a pretty good lens.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I have read the reviews of this lens being "soft" at extreme focal lengths. We have to remember at 400MM, the actual focal length with a 1.6 Crop Factor is nearly 650MM. The depth of field at that zoom and 5.6 is very thin.

That being said, with proper focus and Aperture, this lens works well. Using a monopod or tripod helps, but I have hand shot, at ISO 400 and 1/200 at 400 MM and had clean, clear shots.

I am very happy with the lens. The autofocus is a bit slow, but not something I can not live with.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I was looking for an affordable lens to use for landscape and wildlife shots. This lens does the job decently. I suggest using a tripod if using for the farthest distance. If you are hoping to use it to catch some star and planet shots you will probably be disappointed. This is a great lens is you are like me and can't justofy spending over $1000 for the lens you know will get all the shots you dream of capturing as an ameteur.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I use this lens all over the board from events to sports and love it! I was skeptical about the product compared to its competitors but in the end love it! Crisp shots at all FL but less sharp at full extension of 400mm. Some color fringing on overcast day but overall it was a great buy for a student like me who could not afford the next best thing!!

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I purchased this lens hoping to use if for, among other things, astro-photography. It's a nice solid feeling lens, and I was happy with the construction (although the small wheel on the included hood which appeared to be there to help you rest your lens on a flat surface did not line up with the bottom of the lens). When I first took it out back to try it on Venus, I was having a hard time keeping it stable. At the time I had an extremely cheap tripod, so I went ahead and bought a larger medium range tripod (I couldn't afford the $150 tripods). Despite this, when I took it out again my pictures either had faint echos around the star, or appeared as a line instead of a point (depending on exposure time). I'm giving it a 3 because it's well made, but if you're looking to cut costs on astro-photography, this is not the lens for you.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

You do get some Chromatic Aberrations but it is not bad considering the price range of the lens and they can easily be handled in Photoshop!

I did a test using the lens tripod mounted and the photos were sharp as a tack and I could read the lettering on my neighbors satellite dish (The old large dish).

Mine was stolen on a trip to San Antonio and I had to replace it.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I just started into photography and needed a long range lens because wildlife leave if you get too close. This lens gets me closer then I can get with my other lens. You do need to use a pod to steady the lens. The price was also part decider for this lens. The lens does weigh a good amount. I also used the lens for low light shots and it worked great.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

This lens is perfect for wildlife. I am not quite a professional on the wildlife front but love to shoot in Yellowstone Park. I took this lens to the Phoenix area and shot some great landscape photos along with some wildlife--what a perfect lens! It is great in low light and really brings the subjects close without making them skittish. I really can't wait to get this to Y-Stone. The lens is a bit heavy but is well worth it as it is very compact. The lens will need a monopod at 400mm unless it is bright daylight and shutter speed can be bumped up. I took it as my only lens this trip (to minimize my in-flight footprint) and the only regret is that it is very hard to get "normal" shots--those I take with the supplied 50mm lens. But that should be obvious and for pulling in those distant subjects...WOW!! Don't pass this up--it is more than worth the [$] I paid.I also used this lens to shoot a Spring Training baseball game. From center field I was able to frame the batter and catcher--410' away from my shooting position.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

This lens works excellent, I had seen reviews that said, slow focus and had to use tri or mono pod, not true, focus is quick enough and if you are steady, no problem, works very well! Best of all , about half the price of canon...

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

This is my second Tokina lens and both are built very well, which makes them on the heavy side. I haven't had a chance to give it a complete test, but I have taken about 50 shots with it, none in idea lighing. The photos all seem, in quality, comparable to my Canon 75-300 IS lens. I've followed what others on this board have said about it and have taken all my shots on a tripod. It's not a lens that you take with you without a tripod.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

Haven't had a great deal of time with the lens yet, but the sharpness isn't quite there. For fast action manual focus may need to be used.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I use this lens for birding and I am very pleased with it.
Even wide open it gives very good detail (no problems seeing tongue of colibris !)
Great buy.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

I am into bird photographer being a birder most of my life. I know that to get a good birding shot you need a bit more zoom than a 300mm....which is why I didn't buy the usual Canon 70-300mm. I purchased this zoom for several reasons. First was the weight and size. Although extremely well constructed this lens is not all that heavy for a zoom 400 (36oz) which is important since I am hiking in the backwoods all time and every ounce helps.The size of this lens fully extended is another benefit...not nearly as long as other lens.

Second, the price gives me (an amateur) excellent quality for what I ask of it. I realize that shooting birds is not easy and one of the keys to good bird photography is getting close to birds regardless of the lens (unless you spend in the thousands). So just realize that and your photos will be great.

I shoot usually in 8f which is the sweet spot for this lens....adjusting for light from that point. Although I started off at 5.6F I found that is stretching the limits and played with enough to know that 8 is the place to be. I use a mono-pod when shooting 300 or higher and that improved my quality for it does need to be supported for shaking as all lens do in the higher zooms.

I like the lens lock at 80mm which allows me to walk with the lens and not have it "creep" on me.

I find the zoom easy to manipulate. Although not an all around lens since it is 80-400...I find I always use this as my walk about since I am into birding and not landscapes.

My advice is to purchase this,...the price is right and for an amateur who still likes to get good photos, this lens will be well worth the price compared to a Canon or Nikon 400 zoom.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

The first thing you notice about the Tokina when you open the box is the build quality. The lens is solid and built like a tank. The construction leads to a heavier weight which may be an issue for some, but with the included tripod/monopod attachment collar it should not be a big issue for most users.My primary use for the lens will be wildlife/birding as well as aviation photography. During my tests with the lens in the back yard with the dogs, a couple of airliners climbing out of MCO flew over head at a few thousand feet and I was able to capture some amazingly sharp photos of their undersides considering I was set up to photograph the dogs at closer range. In other reviews, I have read that the Tokina was slow to focus, but my experience shows it to be quite fast. I was able to focus lock on the airliners almost immediately as my subject distance went from 30 feet to several thousand feet. It is a bit louder than my USM lenses, but it locks in the focus much faster than either USM lens and does not focus hunt like my EF 75-300 USM.This is my first non-Canon lens and I like some of the added features that came with the Tokina. It comes with a nice lens hood which is plastic, but is lined with a velvity surface to prevent reflections. The lens cap is a center pinch cap which allows the user to easily place or remove the cap with the lens hood on. The tripod/mono pod ring is nice extra, but the friction knob does get in the way of the zoom ring on occasion depending on the way I am holding the camera. This lens will easily replace my Canon EF 75-300 USM mk I for most of my wildlife and aviation photography. The Canon is smaller and a little bit more convienient to carry around, but the performance of the Tokina is significantly better. It is probably a little too heavy to use without a monopod for a long period of time, but I have been able to get decent handheld shots in good light with no problems. For the price, your not going to match the quality; the Tokina has to be one of the best value lenses available for the Canon EF mount.

Comments about Tokina Zoom Telephoto AF-D 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ATX 840 Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS:

This full frame lens is brighter and has a longer focal length than the DX only Nikon 70-300VR. It's a good weight, well built lens that works well hand held. If you are using with birds, wildlife or movement VR is not so useful anyway when you need a faster shutter speed.

I have used a Kenko x2 teleconverter with this lens that will not work with the slower Nikon 70-300VR. The tripod collar is solid. A great buy if you are on a budget.