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For the opportunity to review the Tokina AT-X PRO lens SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical N/AIS many thanks to Alexey Melnikov – http://www.photomlyn.com.ua/

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical

Main technical characteristics of Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical N / AIS

Attention: there are two versions of the lens Tokina AT-X 124. The first one is: Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX AF 12-24mm f / 4 and the second presented in this review: Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II 12-24mm f / 4. The main differences between the versions are the presence of a built-in focusing motor and the quality of the enlightenment of the optics.

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical

Version Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX AF does not have a built-in focus motor and will not work on younger cameras without a focus motor (see exact list) Tokina AT-X 124 PRO Version Dx ii has a built-in micro focus motor and will focus on any Nikon digital SLR camera. I tested my copy on a non-powered camera Nikon D40on which there were no problems with focusing.

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical

Let’s take a look at the lens designations:

tokina AT-X Pro (Advanced Technology - EXbetween PROfessional) - indicates the high quality of lens manufacturing, the PRO (professional) prefix adds information that the lens is part of Tokina's professional lens line. 124 are simply lens designations. Most interestingly, the Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II 12-24mm F4 lens really shows an excellent professional level of build and image quality. The lens has a plastic body with a metal mount. The build quality is very high. To me it was nice to work with the lens.

Photo on Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II 12-24 mm f 4 for Nikon

DX - indicates that the lens Only suitable for Nikon DX APS-C cameras (cameras with a cropped sensor), and is not recommended for use on Nikon full-frame FX cameras.

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical with hood

12-24mm - focal length. But when used on Nikon DX cameras, the lens will give the same angle of view as an 18-35mm lens on a full frame. The lens gives a very wide view, in fact, this is what makes it interesting.

Here Highlights Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX IIto pay attention to:

1. The lens is only suitable for Nikon DX cropped cameras; on the crop, the lens gives a very wide viewing angle. A wider angle can give only a few lenses.

2. During a change in focal length, the front lens moves in a wave-like fashion, but does not go beyond the lens mount ring, and therefore does not increase the overall dimensions of the lens. The maximum lens recess is available at 16 mm focal length. The front lens is moved as close as possible to the edge of the frame rim by 24 mm focal length. We can say that the lens has an internal zoom. When changing the focal length, the rear lens moves.

Example photo on Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical

3. And also, the lens has an internal focusing system. When focusing, neither the front nor the rear element moves. This is a good indicator that will allow you to conveniently use all kinds of filters.

4. Tokina has a very convenient switch between manual and automatic focusing. The focusing ring is close to the front lens, which is quite convenient. The same ring serves as a focus mode switch. To switch the lens from automatic focusing mode to manual focusing, just pull this ring towards you, towards the camera mount. When focusing manually, the ring rotates 90 degrees, the movement of the ring is very smooth. MDF is only 30 cm.

5. The lens has a huge diameter front lens. You need to use 77 mm filters, which are not the cheapest. The front lens is very convex.

6. The lens has a constant maximum aperture of F / 4.0 at any focal length. For example, on a whale lens, the maximum aperture value changes when zooming. Tokina has excellent aperture F / 4.0 at all zoom levels from 12 to 24 mm. A good indicator is 9 aperture blades. On a closed aperture, you can easily achieve the effect of a star with 18 rays.

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical with hood

7. The autofocusing speed is average. At wide angle, focus is almost always set to infinity, i.e. average focus speed is not that important. Infinity, according to the focusing distance indicator, begins after 2 meters. Yes, the lens has a classic focusing distance scale. Personally, when shooting sample photos in this review, I used manual and automatic focusing 50/50.

8. Comes with a great lens lens hood, which can be mounted on the lens in the opposite direction, thereby providing the opportunity to always take it with you. Attention: mount the lens hood correctly. If you do not set the hood exactly according to the marks, you can get strong vignetting.

Sizes of Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical and Nikon AF DC-Nikkor 105mm 1: 2 D Defocus Image Control

Image quality

Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II 12-24 mm I was very pleased. The lens gives excellent sharpness already at F / 4.0, the sharpness becomes maximum at F / 8.0-F / 11.0. The lens does not have much distortion (as for a lens of this class). The contrast of the lens is excellent. Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II 12-24mm well tolerates back and side light. Gives a normal color rendition. Another weakness is the strong 12 mm vignetting and F / 4.0. Lightweight vignette retained flesh up to F / 11.0. Also, HA quite strong, even at /F8.0. When making a conclusion about quality, you need to remember that this is a wide-angle lens, which is very, very difficult to do without the above flaws.

Sample photos on Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

All photos in the gallery below were taken with the legendary camera Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro (Nikon F mount).

Original photos in JPEG format ('.jpg') can be view / download from this link (gallery on GOOGLE DRIVE, 50+ photos).

Original photos in format RAW ('.RAF') can view / download from this link (gallery on GOOGLE DRIVE, 40+ photos).

Sample photos on Nikon D40

All photos were taken on Nikon D40 to RAW, conversion using ViewNX 2 to JPEG, reduced to 1600 * 1200, imprinted data from EXIF module. Photos without processing. All photos were shot using protective filter. The filter does not affect vignetting.

Sample photos on Nikon D90

All photos in the gallery below were taken on Nikon D90 to RAW, conversion using Capture NX-D 2 to JPEG, reduced to 2048 * 11360, imprinted data from EXIF module. Photos without processing. All photos were shot using protective filter.

You can see more photos from this lens here.

Sample photos on Nikon D90

And some more photos from the working shoot:

My experience

Overall, the Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical is an excellent lens. If you also look at its cost, then it becomes just wonderful.

The lens is no worse than native Nikon 12-24mm f / 4G.

Prices

Real prices for Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical lens can see here, or in the price block below:

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical on camera Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

Alternatives

Below is a list of all ultra-wide angle lenses with auto focus support for cameras with an APS-C sensor (crop Kf = 1.5-1.6X) whose focal length is less than or equal to 14 mm.

Tokina (for different mounts):

With moderate aperture:

1. Tokina 124 AT-X PRO SD 12-24mm F4 (IF) DX Aspherical, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
2. promaster Digital af 12 24 XR EDO F4 Aspherical, previous lens under the 'ProMaster' brand
3. Tokina 124 AT-X PRO SD 12-24mm F4(IF)DX II aspherical, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
4. Tokina 128 AT-X Pro SD 12-28mm F4 (IF) DX Aspherical, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
5. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12 28 F4 (IF) DX V, Canon EFS only

Aperture:

1. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 16 F2.8 (IF) DX ASPHERICAL, since 2007, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Sony A
2. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 16 F2.8(IF)DX II ASPHERICAL, since 2008, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Sony A
3. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 16 F2.8 (IF) DX V, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
4. Tokina atx-i 11 16mm F2.8CF, since 2019, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, black/white
5. Tokina atx-m 11 18mm F2.8E, since 2022, for Sony E, black/white
6. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 20 F2.8 (IF) DX ASPHERICAL, from 2014, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
7. Tokina atx-i 11 20mm F2.8CF, since 2020, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, black/white
8. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 14 20mm F2 (IF) DX, from 2015, for Nikon F, Canon EFS

fisheye:

1. Tokina 107 Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5DX AT-X, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
2. Tokina 107 Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 DX NH AT-X, for Nikon F, Canon EFS
3. Tokina 107 Fisheye 10 17 F3.5-4.5 DX AT-X V NH, Canon EFS only

Tamron (for different mounts):

1. Tamron SP 10-24mm 1: 3.5-4.5 Di II B001, from October 2008, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Pentax K, Sony A. Japan / China / Vietnam
2. Tamron 10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Diii VC HLD-B023, from February 2017, for Nikon F and Canon EFS
3. Tamron Aspherical LD ​​DI II SP AF 11-18mm 1: 4.5-5.6 [IF] A13, since 2005, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Sony A. Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 11-18mm 1: 4.5 (22) -5.6 D and Sony 4.5-5.6 / 11-18 DT (SAL1118) lenses are built on the same optical scheme )
4. Promaster Digital EDO AF Aspherical LD ​​(IF) 11-18mm 1: 4.5-5.6, previous lens under the 'ProMaster' brand
5. Tamron 11-20mm F / 2.8 Di III-A RXD B060, from April 2021, only for Sony E

Sigma (for different mounts):

1. Sigma 4.5 mm 1: 2.8 EX DC HSM CIRCULAR FISHEYE, since 2007 for Canon EFS, Sigma SA and Nikon F. Since 2008 for Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A
2. Sigma 10 mm 1: 2.8 DC FISHEYE HSM, from 2007 for Canon EFS, Sigma SA and Nikon F. In 2008 a version for Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A was released
3. Sigma 8-16mm 1:4.5-5.6 DC HSM, since 2010, Canon EFS, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sigma SA, Sony/Minolta A
4. Sigma 10-20mm 1: 4-5.6 DC EX [+ -HSM, + -D], since 2005 for Canon EFS, Sigma SA, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A. Since 2008 for 4/3 SLR system. 'D' prefix for select Nikon and Sony / Minolta A only. HSM motor only available for Canon EFS, Sigma SA, Nikon F and 4/3. The Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A versions have a different appearance (there is no focusing distance window). There are two sub-versions: with a matte finish and with a velvet finish on the body.
5. Sigma 10-20mm 1: 3.5 DC HSM EX, since 2009, for Canon EFS, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sigma SA, Sony / Minolta A
6. SIGMA 10-18mm 1:2.8 DC DN C, from 2023, for Sony E, FujiFilm X and Leica L

Nikon DX (for Nikon F mount):

1. Nikon DX AF Fisheye Nikkor 10.5 mm 1: 2.8G ED
2. Nikon DX VR AF-P Nikkor 10-20mm 1: 4.5-5.6G
3. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 10-24mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED SWM IF Aspherical
4. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm 1: 4G ED SWM IF Aspherical
5. Nikon Nikkor ZDX 12 28mm 1:3.5-5.6PZ VR

Canon EF-S / EF-M

EF-S (Mirror APS-C)

1. Canon Zoome Lens EF-S 10-18mm 1: 4.5-5.6 IS STM
2. Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 10-22mm 1: 3.5-4.5 USM

EF-M (Mirrorless APS-C)

1. Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 11-22mm 1: 4-5.6 IS STM [2013]

RF-S (mirrorless APS-C)

1. CANON LENS RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM [2023]

Pentax DA (+ Samsung / Schneider-Kreuznach, for Pentax K mount):

1. SMC Pentax-DA 1: 2.8 (22) 14 mm ED [IF] (Pentax 14)
2. SMC Pentax-DA FISH-EYE 1: 3.5-4.5 10-17mm ED [IF] (Pentax 10-17) (FISHEYE, most likely optically identical Tokina Model 107)
3. HD Pentax-DA FISH-EYE 1: 3.5-4.5 10-17mm (FISHEYE, most likely optically similar to Tokina 107 NH)
4. HD PENTAX-DA * 1: 2.8 11-18mm ED DC AW
5. SMC Pentax-DA 1: 4 12-24mm ED AL [IF] (Pentax 12-24) (most likely optically identical Tokina Model 124)
6. Samsung Zoom Lens Fisheye D-Xenon 10-17mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AL, copy Pentax 10-17optical scheme from Tokina Model 107
7. Samsung Zoom Lens D-Xenon 1: 4 12-24mm ED ALcopy Pentax 12-24optical scheme from Tokina Model 124
8. Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenogon 1: 3.5-4.5 10-17mm ED AL, copy Pentax 10-17optical scheme from Tokina Model 107
9. Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 1: 4 12-24mm ED AL, copy Pentax 12-24optical scheme from Tokina Model 124

Sony / Minolta (A or E):

E-mount (E):

1. Sony E 4 /10 18 OSS (2012)
2. Sony E 4 /10 20G PZ (2022)
3. Sony E 1.8 /11 (2022)

A-mount (A):

1. Sony 4.5-5.6 /11 18 DT (SAL1118) (most likely optically identical Tamron model a13)
2. Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 11-18mm 1: 4.5 (22) -5.6 D (most likely optically identical Tamron model a13)

Samsung NX

1. Samsung Lens 1: 3.5 10 mm Fisheye
2. Samsung Lens 1: 4-5.6 12-24mm ED I-FUNCTION

Fujifilm x

1. FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 8 mm 1:3.5RWR
2. FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 14 mm 1: 2.8 R
3. FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS NANO-GI XF 8-16mm 1: 2.8 R LM WR
4. FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 10-24mm 1: 4 R OIS
5. FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 10-24mm 1: 4 R OIS WR

Zeiss (E / X)

1. ZEISS Distagon Touit 2.8 /12 T* (Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount)

VILTROX (E/X/Z)

1. Viltrox AF 13mm 1: 1.4 STM ASPH ED IF C (2021, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount, Nikon Z-mount)

Leica CL/TL/T/L

1. Leica SUPER-VARIO-ELMAR-T 1: 3.5-4.5 /11 23 ASPH. (2014)
2. Leica SUPER-VARIO-ELMAR-TL 1: 3.5-4.5 /11 23 ASPH. (2014)

Samyang (E / X)

1. Samyang AF 12/2E + Samyang AF 12/2X (2021, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount)

Yongnuo (E/X/Z)

Yongnuo 11mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL S/X/Z (2023, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount, Nikon Z-mount)

Do you know more similar lenses? Or do you have experience with any of them? Then be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.

Final World

The Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical is a good wide-angle zoom lens that has excellent sharpness but suffers from severe vignetting. Autofocus will work on any Nikon camera. The Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II is a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Ultra Wide Tokina Lenses as an excellent replacement for original similar lenses.

Now there is an update for Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX II Aspherical in the face of the new Tokina 128 AT-X Pro SD 12-28 F4 (IF) DX Aspherical.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval.