soupcraze's Full Review: Tokina AT-X 107 DX For nikon
The Tokina 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 AT-X 107 AF DX is currently my newest lens. It is a complimentary lens to my primary Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens that I use for 90% of my shots. The Tokina AT-X 107 is the only non-prime fisheye lens available (Except for the identical Pentax variant). It is also a sister lens to the Pentax 10-17mm fisheye, whereas both Tokina and Pentax worked together on the development of it. The Tokina AT-X 107 is available for both the Canon EOS and Nikon digital mounts. I am currently using it with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. When using the lens, I also used a borrowed Canon Speedlite 430EX Flash. So far, I have been very pleased with the Tokina AT-X 107.
-WHO THE LENS IS FOR-
*Before starting this review talking about the price, I would like to point out that the Tokina AT-X 107 is a fisheye lens. Therefore, when taking photos, particularly when it is wider, you will have circular distortion. This means that straight lines will curve and circles will become even more pronounced. I noticed in my photos that there is severe distortion near the edges, especially at its widest angles. Interestingly, the Tokina AT-X 107 has significantly less noticeable distortion upwards of 17mm, but still you can notice some. Therefore, the Tokina AT-X 107 proves to be a great lens for shooting group photos with minimal distortion, and then getting more and more distortion as you get wider. Therefore, the lens should definitely be considered by someone that is missing the wide-end with their current main lens. My widest point before purchasing the lens was 28mm, and with the Tokina AT-X 107, I am able to take much wider shots.
The fisheye lens makes a beautiful artistic tool. You are able to create very unique images due to the extreme curvature of straight lines. However, I found this to be a problem when considering the lens. At first, I did not want to have severe distortion with my images. I was then looking at other super-wide angle zoom lenses, which have rectilinear distortion, where straight lines seem more elongated. Therefore, if you are shooting photos with a rectilinear lens, distortion won't appear as severe. You can easily notice rectilinear distortion if you look at a picture pointing upwards in front of a tall building. The building will look like it's leaning since the parallel lines are essentially conversion. As an amateur photographer, I would not have noticed the distortion had I not researched it. Therefore, if you are concerned about severe distortion and simply want a wider end without anything artistic, I would not recommend a fisheye. I felt that since I was spending almost $500 on a lens, that I should have something a bit more exotic.
You should be aware that if you are shooting in RAW format, you can find software that can essentially "defish" your images. I am still finding out how to do this, since I have not had the desire to defish anything. I currently own DxO Optics Pro, where I run all my RAW images through to automatically alter them and then convert to JPEG. I believe that you can defish images with that, but I am not certain. I do know for a fact that DxO Optics Pro does support the Tokina AT-X 107. So once you figure that out, you can always defish images.
I also liked the fact that the fisheye lens captures considerably more area than a rectilinear distortion lens. Therefore, if you so terribly wish to defish the images, you can have much more area in your shots. I believe this is better. In order to get a good idea of what a fisheye lens would be like compared to a ultra-wide zoom with rectilinear distortion, follow the link on the bottom. Tokina compares this lens with the Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 EX DC HSM.
Therefore, if you like the artistic look or have the tools to "defish" the image, I believe the fisheye would be a better tool. If you just want an ultra-wide supplement to your lens collection and want something far more conservative in terms of distortion, then you should look into the many ultra-wide angle zoom lenses on the market from Canon, Tamron, Sigma, and of course Tokina.
-PRICE-
*I knew what a fisheye lens was before ever purchasing SLR equipment. When I first got my camera with the kit lens, I knew I wanted a fisheye lens to supplement it. I therefore typed "fisheye" into eBay and saw tons of, what I initially thought to be fisheye lenses, for $40! It turned out that they were adapters. I was amazed to see in actuality how expensive such a lens really was. Therefore, if you are in the market for a real fisheye lens, then you will spend a lot of money, even if you purchase a manual focus antique Russian-built model.
This is a zoom fisheye, and technically has no competition within the fisheye market in regards to zoom lenses. On the Canon side, there are a few prime fisheyes that can effectively compete with the Tokina AT-X 107. They include the Canon EF 15mm f2.8 made by Canon. Sigma also makes two fisheye lenses, the Sigma 8mm f3.5 EX DG and Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX DG. There are also popular Russian manual-focus lenses from Zenitar and Peleng. I have heard that they can be found for low prices, but I have also seen them near $400. What makes the Tokina AT-X 107 unique from these lenses is that it is a zoom lens. Therefore, you should consider these lenses, but for the added flexibility of being able to zoom, you should also consider the Tokina AT-X 107.
Aside from getting lucky with the Zenitar or Peleng for a low price, the prime fisheyes are very expensive lenses. You will essentially be spending more than $400. Therefore, you should pick out the lens that would work best for you. The Tokina AT-X 107 was a no-brainer for me since it is a zoom lens, and I wanted that flexibility. I noticed that the Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX DG has a larger aperture, which would make it more optimal in low-light positions. I did use my Tokina AT-X 107 in dark conditions, but used the Canon Speedlite 430EX. The most difficult photos to take were my 10mm portrait shots (More on that later), since you either need good lighting conditions or an external flash for bounce flash (Pointed straight up). If I were using a lens like the Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX DG, I probably would have had better luck without a flash in some darker conditions.
The Tokina AT-X 107 also does not go as wide as the Sigma 8mm f3.5 EX DG, since that goes wider by 2mm. The Sigma is considerably more expensive pricing itself out at $700 on eBay, therefore essentially placing it out if the Tokina's reach when it comes to pricing.
You need to ask yourself an important question?
DO I NEED A ZOOM LENS?
I found myself mostly using the Tokina AT-X 107 at 10mm, especially for portrait and panoramic shots. I would use 17mm or slightly wider when taking a normal group photo where I did not actually care about creating an artistic effect from the distortion. Therefore, you may not need a zoom fisheye lens if you already have a primary lens that is reaching a wide-end of 17mm or 18mm which would nicely take care of many group shots. Therefore, if you are using a camera such as the Canon EOS 40D, you would probably suffice with using a prime fisheye if it is complemented with a Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens where it does essentially go quite wide.
That section seems pointless to an extent since the Tokina AT-X 107 zoom lens is actually priced quite a bit cheaper than the prime Sigma counterparts. Or, perhaps the trade-off, at least with the Sigma 15mm is the smaller aperture on the Tokina. With a good flash, this should not be a problem. However, if you use a fisheye for portraits, you will need a higher-end flash unit that can point straight up to receive the bounce flash effect.
Well I have talked a lot about the Tokina AT-X 107 compared to other fisheye lenses. The pricing is essentially the same, if not cheaper with the Tokina. I purchased my lens at Beach Camera. The lens cost $464 with free shipping. That was the best deal I was able to find. It was also considerably cheaper than the eBay gray market. The lens also came with a Tokina warranty. I feel that a zoom lens will give you more flexibility over a prime, but nonetheless I still find myself shooting with the lens wide open. Besides this, the Tokina AT-X 107 is a superb quality lens. The images are superb quality. The lens construction proves to be just as good as the image quality. It is all metal, and built like a tank. This lens is built to last. Fisheye lenses are expensive, and if you are looking for one of these, be prepared to spend a considerable amount of money on a lens that may not receive extensive use. If you are willing to purchase one, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Tokina AT-X 107 since you are getting a lot of bang for the buck. This lens is worth the price in terms of performance that it gives.
-BUILD QUALITY-
*The Tokina AT-X 107 is built like a tank. The body is a very tough metal. It also has a built-in lens hood, that also is made of metal. The lens is quite small though, and feels very well balanced on my Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. My only complaint is that there are no filters available. I have UV filters on all of my lenses to protect the actual lens from damage. I wish that you could have filters on the Tokina AT-X 107, but the lens does not use them. I think it may be all fisheye lenses though that do not use filters due to the curved outward protrusion of the glass. Nonetheless, for such an expensive lens, a filter would have been very nice. Nonetheless, if you take care of the lens, it should last a lifetime. Tokina builds a great quality product, and it really shows with the solid construction. It feels great that the lens is not made of cheap plastic.
-FEATURES-
*What sets the Tokina AT-X 107 apart from other fisheye lenses is the fact that it is a zoom lens. This givers the photographer a considerable level of flexibility. If I want very wide shots that have considerable amounts of distortion, I have that option. It is a lot of fun to see the distortion. What makes me feel better is that there is software that can "defish" my widest images. By being a zoom lens, the Tokina AT-X 107 also has the ability to take over the area that I lost by giving up my Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens. Now I am able to take images at 17mm with minimal distortion, and with significantly improved image quality.
The Tokina AT-X 107 also features a built-in lens hood. This saves money since you don't have to go out and buy a separate lens hood. The lens hood is also made of the same metal that the body is. Therefore, it is one less thing to worry about, and one less thing to break!
-IMAGE QUALITY-
*The Tokina AT-X 107 provides images that are absolutely stunning in quality. I use the lens for three primary purposes: Group, ultra-wide landscape, and portrait photos. For group photos, the Tokina AT-X 107 fills in the ~17mm I lost by giving up my old kit lens. There is minimal distortion at this focal length, therefore there won't be a need to "defish" these photos for most part. I also take landscape photos at varying focal lengths. Generally, I prefer a wider view, and therefore the images become more distorted. I like the unique artistic look of the circular distortion. Therefore as of yet, I have no desire to defish any of my photographs.
One of my favorite things to do, is to use the Tokina AT-X 107 as a portrait lens. I would like to issue a disclaimer. The Tokina AT-X 107 is not going to replace a 50mm prime lens for a portrait lens! The Tokina AT-X 107 takes very distorted portraits if you set it wide open. The effect is very funny. When you bring the camera very close to an individual, their face looks quite funny, with the nose protruding significantly! This is a very fun thing to do, but of course the images will be very distorted, and thus your fisheye will never become a primary portrait lens. It does make a fun lens though if you wish to severly distort peoples' faces! Another cool way to use it as a portrait lens is to take pictures of your pets. Dog owners would greatly benefit from such a lens. At 10mm, it would make the dogs nose longer, making it a very cute picture!
In terms of actually taking the portraits, the Tokina AT-X 107 has to be brought inches away from someone's face. This was a bit trickier to do in darker environments. Due to the small aperture of the lens, I required the use of a Canon Speedlite 430EX. I had trouble getting exposure exactly where I wanted it, and many of my photos were either under or over-exposed depending on where I took them. Perhaps with a little more skill, this would not be a problem.
In terms of actual image quality, the Tokina AT-X 107 is one of the sharpest lenses I have ever used! When I had the correct level of flash exposure, my portraits came out beautifully. I was able to see incredible details on people that my naked eye could not see before! The images were very sharp and crisp. Very colorful without any softness. All across the focal length spectrum the Tokina AT-X 107 performs beautifully. Tokina is known for making excellent quality lenses, and without a doubt the Tokina AT-X 107 doesn't fail to exceed expectations.
I have used the entire focal length spectrum of the Tokina AT-X 107, and it stays sharp along the whole thing. I have heard that such wide lenses are susceptible to chromatic aberration, which are fringes of color. I have not noticed this so far in the pictures that I have taken. The Tokina AT-X 107 employs extra low-dispersion glass to overcome it.
I love the Canon USM motor, and this is a lens where I have to adjust to not having it. Nonetheless, the Tokina AT-X 107 is very quick at auto focusing. It is also relatively quiet, which is quite nice. The lens has never had to hunt for long.
The Tokina AT-X 107 also can be used as a Macro lens, where it can be used to take photos of very small subjects such as insects or flowers. The lens can be held 1" away from the subject. I have been very pleased so far with the macro abilities.
Overall, the image quality on the Tokina AT-X 107 is nothing short of spectacular. The images are very colorful, sharp, and just look spectacular. If having a fisheye is your type of thing, then you will love the distortion. The Tokina AT-X 107 also provides the best of both worlds since it provides less distortion when it is longer, especially at 17mm when it is barely noticeable.
-CONCLUSION-
*The Tokina AT-X 107 is a very unique lens, since it is the only zoom fisheye available. It provides excellent build quality that also sports excellent optical quality for a very good price. While any fisheye lens will be expensive, it is a bit cheaper than the prime lens competition. Unfortunately it is slower than the Canon and Sigma lenses with larger apertures, but this can be overcome by combining the lens with a good flash. The Tokina AT-X 107 also provides the best of both worlds for those who also want to use it as an ultra-wide angle lens without considerable distortion, since distortion is much less severe at 17mm. The Tokina AT-X 107 provides an incredible fisheye when it is wider. It also gives an excellent 180 view when it is wide-open. This gives the photographer to take very unique and artistic photos. This lens is perfect for taking ultra-wide photos when traveling since it captures a greater area than a rectilinear counterpart. The portraits are also priceless! This is a very fun lens, but is probably not for everyone. Please make sure that this is what you want, otherwise you can find an ultra-wide zoom lens with rectilinear distortion that is a bit more practical. Nonetheless, do not forget that some expensive photo editing software such as DxO Optics can defish your images, but it can be quite expensive!
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