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FILTERS
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Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II
l Guide price £190-270
The most expensive lens in this round-up is also the most
exotic, but it can still be found second-hand for less than
£200 if you’re lucky. Tokina is the only company to date
to have made a wideangle zoom with a constant f/2.8
aperture specifically for APS-C DSLRs, with its 11-16mm
optic being available in Canon, Nikon and Sony Alpha
mounts. Like most fast zooms, this lens has a reputation
for excellent optics, as well as robust built quality. The
design includes a handy focus clutch mechanism, whereby
pulling the focus ring towards the camera engages
manual focus. Most Nikon users will need to make a
point of hunting down the
later ‘II’ version, which
includes a built-in
autofocus motor
along with updated
coatings that promise
slightly improved
optical performance.
However both versions
will focus equally well
on Canon DSLRs, while
all Sony-fit models
are type II.
Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8
XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF)
l Guide price £120-165
Tamron’s classic fast normal zoom has now been replaced by an
image-stabilised version (at least in Canon and Nikon mounts),
but it’s still a great choice for APS-C SLR shooters looking for
high-quality optics. It provides a 26-75mm equivalent zoom range,
coupled with a fast maximum aperture that makes it especially
useful for shooting indoors or in low-light situations. The 17-50mm
f/2.8 was always a popular lens among enthusiast DSLR users,
and this means it’s in plentiful supply on the second-hand market,
which in turn helps to keep prices low. Nikon users should note that
in its original incarnation, the lens didn’t have a built-in autofocus
motor, which was added only in the 2008 update (model A16NII).
This means that the older version can only be focused manually on
most Nikon DSLRs. It’s also available in Sony and Pentax mounts.