Photography by Tom Zeman - REVIEW: Tokina AT-X 124 AF Pro DX 12-24mm f/4

With the advent of digital SLR’s with smaller than 35mm sensors, a couple of side effects have quickly become apparent. While we all enjoy reaping the benefits of getting a boost to our long lenses from the “Cropping Effect” this provides, it also renders our wide angle lenses not nearly as wide as they used to be.

Several manufacturers have moved to fill the void with ultra-wide zooms. I decided to try the Tokina AT-X 124 AF Pro DX 12-24mm f/4, after reading several other reviews that said its performance nearly rivals the Nikon’s 12-24mm f/4G DX, but at a much lower price.

On first impression, the Tokina is sturdy, feels well built, and has a nice heft to it. Its metal construction feels rugged, but not excessively heavy, unlike some of its competitors, which use more plastic. It’s finished in a nice, no nonsense, textured black.

My first real test of the lens was on a recent trip to Paris, where I experimented with traveling very light, carrying just the Tokina and a Nikon 18-200 F3.5-5.6G. The ranges of these two lenses nicely complement each other. On a Nikon D200, the auto focus is fast and smooth, with no stuttering or hesitation. Lock on is quick and precise, with no fooling around. All in all, the impression is one of a solid, professional piece of equipment.

The Tokina’s image quality is excellent throughout all zoom ranges, with just the slightest hint of softening, and a hint of light falloff in the corners. As with all wide angles, flare is present, but not to excess, and is obvious when it’s happening. (The lens hood is minimal, so a shade of some sort definitely helps, be it your hand or hat or whatever.) There is very little margin for error at the 12mm end for filters before you start to get vignetting. Slim filters can help, but you may need to back off a bit from the widest angle, if you’re using a polarizer.

If you’re in the market for an ultra wide angle lens for your DSLR, the Tokina AT-X 124 AF Pro DX 12-24mm f/4 is an excellent choice. At approximately $499, its image quality compares very favorably to the $920 Nikon 12-24 AF 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S D, but at almost half the price. In a perfect world, I would choose the Nikon, but sometimes you have to decide where to commit your resources most effectively, and the Tokina has not disappointed.