Testing my Tokina 11-16

[mrelsewhere]

Guys, I just bought a used Tokina 11-16mm and I need your help deciding if I should keep it. I love its color quality, focal length, and build. But I'm not so sure about its SHARPNESS.

Here are some test shots - straight from the camera - taken at 16mm, 1/40. The first photo has not been cropped. The second is a collage of crops with these settings: f/2.8 ISO320, f/3.2 ISO400, f/4 ISO640, f/8 ISO2500, f/11 ISO3200.

I've heard this lens is sharp at f/2.8, so do I have a lemon? I'd love to hear from anyone who has used/owned this lens. Thanks!

 

[mrelsewhere]

Maybe I'm being too picky. I found this quote on another forum: "For greatest sharpness from the lens, you typically need to shoot at f/5.6 to f/8.0, which will also increase the depth of area within the image at which you are achieving good focus."

 

[Tiberius47]

That looks fine to me.

 

[camerateur]

in the six images picture, what are you focusing on?? It would be easier to judge sharpness if you designated the sharpness at one point in each picture.


the pictures are getting sharper because the dof is getting larger(so the part you're showing us happens to be in focus). the first (2.8) doesn't look like any part is in focus /: did you possibly focus on a part that you cropped off?

 

[camerateur]

oooh I meant at the same** point in each picture

 

[mrelsewhere]

In each shot, my focus was set on the bottle's label. I think I was pretty accurate.

 

[spacefuzz]

Its not a $2000 lens and I think thats about the performance I would expect from it. Looks fine around f/8 where I would expect it to be sharpest. Its a wide angle lens, so Id bet most people shoot it near f/8-f/11 instead of f/2.8.

 

[Compaq]

Here's one taken at f/8. Raw file converted to jpeg using ARC, without anything done to it other than that. Focus was on the cabin, I believe. Unless I hyper focused. Don't remember. Either way, I'd describe this as pretty sharp! More than sharp enough for me. Even quite sharp in corners!! Check out original size at flickr.



test by Anders Myhre Brakestad, on Flickr

 

[mrelsewhere]

Thanks for your input, guys! After your comments and additional testing, I've decided to keep the Tokina.

I think everyone with a crop-sensor camera should have one.