CP+ 2019: Hands-on with Tokina Opera 16-28mm F2.8 FF
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The second lens in Tokina’s new ‘Opera’ range is the 16-28mm F2.8 FF for full-frame Nikon and Canon DSLRs. We saw a mockup of this lens in late 2019, but we just got our hands on a working sample at the CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan. Click through for a closer look.
High-quality wideangle zoom
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Described by Tokina as ‘next generation, premium full-frame lenses’, the Opera range is designed to deliver optimal results on modern high-resolution Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Optical construction comprises 15 elements in 13 groups, three of which are of aspherical, and three are made of Low Dispersion glass.
Automatic / manual focus switch
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A long-standing feature of Tokina lenses is a direct manual/automatic focus switch. To select manual focus, simply pull the entire focus ring towards the camera. This shot also shows off the large focus distance scale, marked in feet and inches.
Fast continuous maximum aperture
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As one of two premium Opera lenses in Tokina’s lineup, the 16-28mm F2.8 is an appropriately solid lens, and balances nicely on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III that we tried it on in Yokohama. The zoom and focus rings operate smoothly, with no play, and the overall impression we got was of a very well-constructed lens.
The petal-shaped lens hood is integral to the lens, which unfortunately means that screw-in filters cannot be used.
No rear-mounted filter support
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While some wideangle zoom lenses of this type offer support for rear-mounted drop-in filters, unfortunately that’s not an option on the Tokina Opera 16-28mm F2.8, either. While some photographers won’t care, dedicated landscape shooters might find this limiting.
On the plus side, the 16-28mm does feature sealing against dust and moisture incursion. You can just make out the black rubber gasket around the lens mount in this image.
Upgraded AF system
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The Tokina Opera 16-28mm F2.8 weighs 940g (~2lb) and measures 89 x 133.5mm. It offers a nine-bladed iris for improved rendering of out-of-focus highlights and an upgraded AF system that is claimed to be both faster and more accurate than the original AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 PRO FX. Although we only had a few minutes with the lens at CP+, automatic focus on a Canon EOS 5D III seemed reasonably fast for a lens of this type, albeit not entirely silent.
The Tokina Opera 16-28mm F2.8 is shipping this month, for a very reasonable $ 699.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)