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[OM] Re: Tokina SD 28-70mm Zoom

Subject: [OM] Re: Tokina SD 28-70mm Zoom
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:13:38 -0700
Jerry VB wrote:

>Comments on this Tokina lens? Is this lens any good? 
>
It's almost certainly a good lens and unlikely to be a great one. The 
SDs seem use an ED/SD element and modest speeds to produce lenses that 
are relatively small and light and perform relatively well. I have a 
70-210 I've hardly used and a 35-200/4-5.6 that I'm trying out

>Does anybody out there use this lens? How does it compare to Olympus lenses?
>
Which ones? Oly made 4 different 35-70mm lenses, not counting the AF 
ones. Likely the SD is as good as or better than the Zuiko 35-70/3.5-4.8 
made by Cosina. Maybe even as good as the f4 and f3.5-4.5, unlikely as 
good as the f3.6. On the other hand, it's better than any of them at 
28mm.  :-)

> Is Tokina a good third party lens maker?
>
Complicated question. Tamron, Tokina, Kiron and Vivitar have all made really 
first class lenses. They have done so over many years and all but Kiron have or 
had multiple price/performance lines under the same brand name. So between the 
advances in lens design and materials over time and the different lines, no 
acurate generalizations at the brand level can be made except that I've never 
heard of a bad Kiron. 

Tamron's top line is the 'SP' series, Tokina's is the 'AT-X' series and 
Vivitar's is 'Series 1'. With the SP and AT-X likes, you can't go far wrong, 
and in a few cases they are right at the top of all lenses. Unlike the others, 
Vivitar is not a manufacturer, but sells lenses made for them by others. The 
first Series 1 lenses were optically designed by Perkin-Elmer and mechanically 
designed and manufactured by the company that made Kiron lenses. They were 
marvels in their day, and still decent lenses, but not the greatest anymore 
(partly 'cause they are so big and heavy). Since then, Vivitar seems to have 
used the Series 1 label rather loosely, and one needs to research individual 
lenses. The Series one 19-35/3.5-4.5 and the 105/3.5 macro are both plasticky 
and light, but excellent performing current Vivitars.

All but Kiron have also made some nicely mediocre lenses in their second lines. 
Still a better bet than 5-star, Promaster and all the sea of cheap lenses out 
there. Are there some good lenses lurking the that sea? Sure, but how does one 
find out except by going through lots of lenses, film and time to find those 
few.

Moose





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