Tokina 11-16mm lens – first thoughts

Since acquiring my Nikon D5200 camera, I’ve been steadily growing my photography skills with great results. I decided a new piece of glass was needed to supplement my 18-55mm kit lens…

… and going wide would help me hone photographic skills in my favourite subject – landscapes and cityscapes.

After much research, I settled on the Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II lens. And what a lens it is! 

This is wide, really wide, without having any ‘fisheye’ distortion. Thanks to its low 2.8F aperture, it’s fantastic in low light which gives it lightening speed, making it the world’s fastest ultrawide lens for my sort of camera.

I’m lucky enough to be working in the heart of London, blessed with breathtaking views. After work recently, I camped out on the roof to catch the sunset. It worked like a charm.

At the 11mm end, it really does capture a vast amount unthinkable on the 18-55mm kit lens. It’s built extremely well and quite weighty (which adds to stability on a tripod if you’re into your long exposure photography like I am – but can also be a pain in the neck if wearing it).

So, what does the focal difference look like?

18-55mm kit lens

Tokina 11-16mm

As you can see, you can fit in much more with the Tokina – the difference is vast!

This lens has already been reviewed to death – so there’s little point in me adding to what’s already available in abundance online when I’ve only had it a few weeks (Ken Rockwell has a really good review). But I will say, it’s widely considered the sharpest and best ultrawide angle for a reason. And I can see why – I just love it! Every camera bag should contain it.

Want the best price? Here’s my little tip –  sign up for Pricespy, free! Add an alert and you’ll get an email when the price drops. Luck would have it the price dropped by £25 days after I purchased it, but c’est la vie!

Enjoy the snaps…