Tokina Zoom Normal-Telephoto 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

This is an incredible lens.

I was one of the lucky few who was able to purchase this from B&H spring 2010 when Tokina stopped manufacturing this lens and stock was starting to dry up.

After market - sellers and re-sellers are valuing this lens +$300 of what B&H was selling them for...and it is still a good purchase.

70-200mm f/2.8 equivalent on crop bodies. Balances well on D300 and fair on D7000.

Perfect for wedding photography shooting with a D7000 and this versus a D700 and a 70-200. Much much lighter. I save the full frame for my fast primes and ultra wides.

Sharp, sharp, sharp, great contrast and color rendition.

There are rumors that Tokina might make a motorized version of this lens. But I feel that this would just increase the price and weight...might even take away from the QC. Really hoping Tokina re-releases this exact one so I can purchase a back up lens.

A great buy.

Thanks B&H!

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

bought this to complement my 17-55m on nikon d300s for enthusiast's wedding and event shoots. im more than pleased. tact sharp. fast focus. quiet. accurate color. very solidly built and made in japan! not thailand or china. a little soft at 150mm, but can be compensated w/ sharpness setting. at this price, im more than pleased, this lens is for keep.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I purchased this lens about a month ago, and have used it extensively both indoors and outdoors.Pros:- Build quality Build quality Build quality. Everything you've read about the build quality is true. Built like a rock, and inspires confidence when handling.- Color contrast is very good, even at large apertures.- Built in tripod collar. I'm not a big tripod user, but I can't say it really gets in the way. And if I do need to use it, it's always there for me.- Sharpness is very good, especially stopped down a notch or two, but no complaints of softness even wide open.- Everything is internal, focusing and zooming.- Being my first Tokina lens, I've found the AF / MF clutch mechanism to be very handy.- Constant aperture, low price (relative to closest Nikon alternative)Cons:- For the focal range, this thing is heavy. Around 2 lbs. Not a huge complaint, but shooting for the entire day with this lens feels a heck of a lot more tiring than shooting with a 50mm!- AF speed isn't bad. It's no Nikon AFS, but taking pictures of kids isn't a huge issue for me with a D90.- at the long end, this beast could really use VR / IS of some sort. Technically this doesn't affect my rating of 5 out of 5 stars, as I knew this going in.I'm really happy with the purchase overall. [...].Note: Nikon Mount, used with a D90

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I have a Nikon D80 and wanted to shoot my daughter's basketball games. I had been using a Nikon 50 f1.8 prime lens but wanted some zoom ability. This lens fits the bill. It is not as fast as the 50 prime but in well lit gyms it works very well. It is a little slower to focus than the prime but I still have been able to get some great shots. For darker gyms, I still use the 50 prime.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I had been looking for a lens this range for a while. Initially I was looking at Nikon 80-200/2.8. But with my camera's crop factor it would be too long for me. Besides I'm just a hobbiest, I cannot justify myself spending thousands of dollars on lenses. Then I started looking at 3rd party lenses and I came across with this and Sigma. After reading all the reviews I could find I finally decided to purchase this against Sigma since majority of the reviews i've read favors Tokina. I am so happy I did because this is an awesome lens. I love everything about it. Sharp and contrasty picture. High quality contraction. And contrary to other reviews that it was slow, I actually find it's AF fast and accurate. The price...very affordable. Now I have enough money left to buy a wide angle lens (11-16) and a carbon fiber tripod. I use this lens with D80. Highly recommended!

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

the weight may be a problem for some, but it is not really a hassle. additionally the focus speed is a bit slower than desire, but still works fine in normal situations.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

After reading all the reviews I could find, I finally decided to but this against Sigma. I'm happy I did because I love everything about this lens. Sharp, beautiful colors, fast and focus is dead on ( I use it on D80 ) not to mention it's affordable price and it's built like a tank. The tripod collar doesn't bother me at all. It's a little loud but not too bad. Absolutely HIGHLY Recommended!!!

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

It took me a while to decide on which telezoom lens to get for my Nikon D90. I knew I needed a large aperture (f/2.8) as I plan to use this lens for a lot of low-light situtations and portrait shots where good background bokeh is essential. The nikor 70-200 was not even a choice as it was way outside of my budget ([$]at time of review). The only choices left was either the sigma 50-150 f2.8 or the tokina 50-135 f2.8. After much research, I decided on this lens.I am extremely satisfied with this lens. The build quality is very solid. The zoom ring is very smooth. The non-removable tripod mount can get annoying at times but is extremely useful especially at full zoom.I was worried that the focus would be slow since it doesn't have an internal motor but honestly the focus isn't slow for my needs. Since I use it primarily for potraits, the focus is fast enough on my D90.The switch for the manual focus may seem odd in the beginning as you need to pump the focus ring. But this system actually works as you never have to dig around for your focus switch. Just pump back for manual focus and pump forward for auto-focus. Works well and I'm surprised other lenses don't use this method.I also bought the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 together with this lens and I couldn't be happier with this combo. For around $900 I get a range of 17-135 f2.8 for less than half of the one nikor lens.A great deal and a must-have for all budding photographers.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I've been using some borrowed Zeiss primes up until this point and I was looking for something that was fast, zoom, and affordable. This lens so far has delivered. The Bokeh isn't as smooth as the Zeiss glass but it compares in sharpness and contrast. very nice affordable piece of glass. + The zoom is far superior to my Tamron.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

Surprisingly heavy but permanent tripod mount attached to lens for convenience. Sharp edge to edge, great bokeh, excellent workmanship.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

this is an excellent product for the price. works well though-out all ranges wish they offered a 18 150 that worked this good little heavy but definitely very well constructed must add: I'm saying quick focus when used as lens should be under PROPER conditions it is very quick and sharp very good color quality

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I love this lens, outstanding butter with portraits and is fast focusing with minimal noise. Some reviews really hit hard that focusing could be faster and could be less noisy. I will tell you this I am a L lens shooter and it does focus fast and I dislike noise and it is fairly quite on the focus. This lens is also built like a tank, the price is incredible!

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

This is a wonderful lens that covers alot of focal lengths

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I was looking for a smaller and lighter lens than the Nikon 70-200mm. I would prefer to stick with Nikon, but they just don't offer an autofocus lens as fast in this range. I went with this one because of the build quality and Tokina's reputation for compatibility with Nikons. I have not been disappointed in the build quality, and the optics are better than the old 50-135mm f/3.5 Nikon AIS lens (and sometimes as good as my primes in this range). Focus is not as fast as an AF-S, but it is more than adequate for my intended use and the screwdriver focus keeps the size down.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

What It Is: A sharp lens at a nice focal length.
Used it at a recent wedding. Shooting up the isle (on a tripod) was a breeze...great pictures. But it stops there. The lense is so heavy that handholding in low light is next to impossible. Now I know why they put a permanent tripod collar on this lens....and you'd better use it.
Focus was faster than I'd expected. I'll upgrade if they ever made a VR version. Until then I'll only use this lens on a tripod or outside in daylight.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I love this lens. So far I have used it for portraits and wedding photography. The build quality is excellent- it has a great, solid heft. I haven't done any tests for sharpness, but from the photos I've taken it seems sharp enough. My only criticism of this lens, right now, is that the autofocus is definitely on the slower side. I knew that would be the case when I bought it, though, and for 1/3 the price of a "namebrand" 70-200mm 2.8, it is a concession I can live with right now.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

Just got this and put it on the camera. I love it! performs great and is very clear. Focus is very good and zoom is smooth. A great purchase, and for the price a no brainer.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

I bought this lens as a portrait lens & to have as a telephoto during weddings & events. I made several photos at a wedding recently & it did very well. It won't win any fast auto-focus contests but it was sufficient & does good if there is enough contrast to focus on. The lens is built solid, is sharp (very good at f2.8 also), reproduces accurate skin color & is compact & light enough to carry all day. It's a winner with me.

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

This is my first f2.8 lens, and I do weddings and model photography and I really needed a faster lens with a little zoom to it as well. I just shot my first wedding yesterday with this lens and I was very happy with the results. I was able to get much brighter and sharper pictures without using a flash and it was a pretty dark chapel. It focuses fast. There are a few some downsides however...1. It is harder to zoom because the zoom ring is smaller then other lenses I have had and it has a tripod mount on the lens that cant be removed and tends to get in the way when you are trying to focus. After some practice, I was able to zoom without being bothered too much by this.2. Since there is no built in motor in the lens, it is rather loud when focusing. I dont know if this is normal or not. I am guessing its because the camera motor is what's focusing it, whereas all my other lenses have had built in motors. 3. It has a hard time locking focus if you are pointing your focus point on a dark spot It keeps going back and forth. This is fairly normal with most lenses I guess, but found it kind of annoying. Overall, this is a great lens that I feel is well worth the price and a much better deal then paying an extra $600 for a Nikon brand. There just isnt enough difference to justify the cost difference. Unless you are a photographer for National Geographic or something, its not worth it. You will love the pics you get from this lens, get it! Oh, and it is heavy!

Comments about Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon:

use: lifestyle portraiture
love the range for portraits