Tamron 17-50 vs Tokina 11-16

west-coast

west-coast

Member
Hey NS,

Right now I'm deciding which lense to buy, the Tamron 17-50 or the Tokina 11-16. I use a Canon 60D and I'm currently working with the 18-135, however need a wider lense for follow byes. I have the budget to buy either one, but I'm not convinced that the Tokina is worth the extra money. That being said, I barely know anything about lenses, which ones are better and why, etc. What's your advice?

+k for advice

-k for hate

I just need some good info so I can make my decision soon. Thanks
 
As a rule of thumb, the optical quality of a lens decreases as the amount of range increases. This is why prime lenses are optically superior than zoom lenses.

Also, I can vouch that the 11-16 is effing amazing.
 
11-16 is such a great lens for wide angle stuff. If you're currently satisfied with your 18-135, get the 11-16.

 
As a matter or principle: kits are designed to give the illusion of value by charging a premium for a product and throwing in a bunch of shitty extras. i.e. overcharging for the Tokina and throwing in maybe $10 worth of crap to make it look like you're getting a deal when really, you're being overcharged for a lens and getting stuck with a bunch of crap.
 
Just shot my first videoclip using the tokina 11-16, had a blast, its just so damm wide and I gave me a lot of light to work with and still was amazingly sharp
 
Even thought the 18-135 isn't the best lens, ive seen it produce decent stuff and it probably good for what you're using it for. But, that lens isnt wide enough for follows so the tokina 11-16 would be a great lens to add to your collection. In the future, you might consider getting a 17-50 or a 70-200 to increase the quality of your tele shots. Even a 50mm 1.8 or 85mm 1.8 would be a great, cheaper addition to your 18-135
 
For the first time ever, I dropped a lens today. It actually fell out of a camera bag that had been poorly placed in my car, but anyways, my Tokina 11-16 hit the parking lot front element first (lens cap on) from about 4 feet off the ground.

I feared the worse, but there's literally no visible damage besides scuffing on the lens cap and hood, and it still works like the day I got it.

If you have any worries about the Tokina's build quality - don't.

It's a great lens. It really comes down to whether you want more range or not.
 
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