Tokina 20 - 35mm f/3.5-4.5 Gets it all and gets my approval

Of the four lenses that make up my outdoor and travel kit, the wide angle zoom gets the most use. My Tokina AF 20 - 35mm f/3.5 - 4.5 is used more than the other three combined. I've grown to rely on this useful and dependable optic for many shots that would have been impossible without it.

While fellow photogs began lusting for longer lenses in our nascent years as budding photographers, I sought out wide-angle primes. I've always liked the sweeping effect of short focal length lenses especially when a subject was emphasized when placed in the foreground. My early attempts with my first lens (besides my "normal" 50mm), a Vivitar Series 1 28mm f/1.9, were quickly rewarded. Compared with my buddies' telephoto shots and their compressed perspectives, my shots immediately drew attention to a subject while still giving it a sense of place with a subjugated background.

When I switched to the Nikon system in the early '90s, I was happy to see a variety of lens makers beginning to offer zooms in the 20 - 35mm focal length. This popular and nifty range covers the four prime focal lengths of 20mm, 24mm, 28mm and 35mm. One of the most affordable was Tokina's model. I bought it based on price as well as lens tests and reviews in the photographic magazines of those days. I figured I would eventually switch to Nikon's pro-level zoom in the same range but with a constant f/2.8 aperture. Nearly ten years later, I've found little reason to make the switch. The lens has been that good.

I won't say that the lens has the light gathering ability of the f/2.8 nor the degree of correction as the Nikon model, but for my needs and budget, the lens is more than adequate. Some of my favorite shots use a technique described above. I move in close to my subject nearly filling the frame. I also consider the background by composing and zooming until it coordinates well with the subject. For instance an indigenous species of flower and a snow-covered mountain peak in the background tells the story of an alpine bloom in spring. Other uses are simple wide angle shots when I want to show a panoramic vista or simply want to include everyone in a group shot but can't back up further because of a room's small size. Another application for such a lens is architectural photography. I won't suggest that the lens will qualify for serious architectural photography but for personal shots, it is quite acceptable. Careful use of a bubble level on the tripod and scrutinizing the viewfinder can keep walls appearing straight up and down rather than leaning backwards as in the case of poorly composed architectural shots.

In the latter case, a wide-angle lens's "rectilinear" properties are important. Unlike a "fish-eye" lens where lines bow away from the center, rectilinear lenses are designed to keep lines straight. A common feature in many wide-angle primes and zooms is "barrel distortion" or lines that bend away from the center. The Tokina model does amazingly well for its price. In my tests, barrel distortion at the 35mm end is undetectable and only slight at 20mm. Casual observers would not notice this in prints.

Optical performance is quite good at all ranges. Additionally, since depth of field is so great at the lens's short end, I can get away with using middle apertures, around f/8, for the best optical performance possible. Resulting slides are sharp and contrasty. The lens uses Tokina's HLD, High Definition, Low Dispersion, glass in at least one of its 13 elements in 11 groups which indicates a great deal of correction. Minimum focus is a useful 18 inches. Light fall off at the corners is noticeable at all f-stops. However, this would only be objectionable in copy work which this lens never sees.

In the field, the lens handles nicely. Controls are placed so they can be worked without much effort. The forward ring controls focus and the rearward ring controls the zooming. Both are rubberized and nicely knurled for positive control. Unfortunately, the lens rotates as it is focused which means a polarizing filter or split neutral density filter would also have to be adjusted with each focus. The 72mm filter size falls into the common 52mm, 62mm, 72mm filter suite sizing so Nikon users will not have to spend money on more filters or adapters. My experience with a Tiffen circular polarizing filter and 81B warming filter is such that they do not cause vignetting - a concern for wide-angle lens users. As with most Nikon lens aperture controls, the Tokina's sit against the camera body and experienced users will find it familiar in use.

The lens is supplied with caps but no hood. The lack of a hood with a wide-angle lens is not a bother for me. I tend to shield the front element from direct sunlight with my hand even when shooting off-hand to minimize flare. In cases where the sun is in my frame as with sunrise and sunset shots, the element coatings and internal baffling control flare quite well. Users should never view the sun that is above the horizon through any lens.

This is a lens to consider for all photographers who yearn for the drama and usefulness a wide-angle zoom can provide. At a price around $300, there's no excuse not to own it.