On this post, I’ll be reviewing the Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye lens.
If you’re new, you might be wondering: What is a fisheye lens?
Well, a fisheye lens is a lens with EXTREME amount of barrel distortion. And by the way, this is NOT a lens defect.
Skyscraper fisheye effect. Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye and Canon 7D.
The optical designer deliberately put huge amount of barrel distortion so photographers can play around with their creativity.
I often use this lens when I feel I’m running low on creative juice. I have the Canon mount
As far as I know, this is the only fisheye lens with zoom feature on the market.
Should you buy this lens?
If you’re just starting out in photography, my answer will be no.
This is a fine lens to get when you’ve mastered the basic of photography and want to extend your creativity.
If you’re a photographer seeking a new challenge, then by all means get this lens.
For beginners: save your money and get a normal lens.
Read my full Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye review below.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye – Specs
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Official Name:
Tokina AT-X 107 AF DX Fisheye 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5
Focal Length Markings:
10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17mm
Features:
AT-X – Advanced technology that Tokina use to design and fabricate for the most advanced lens (this one is a marketing jargon, don’t pay too much attention)
AF – Allows the lens to focus automatically on your subject.
DX – You can only use this lens with cropped sensor DSLR. You shouldn’t use it with a full frame DSLR camera.
Fisheye – The lens has enormous barrel distortion for creative purpose.
Full Technical Specs (from Tokina’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 8 / 10 |
| Angle of View | 180° – 100° |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 6 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/22 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 5.5in. (0.14m) |
| Filter Thread | N/A |
| Weight | 350g (12.3oz.) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | ø2.75 x 2.79in. (70 x 71.1mm) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 1:2.56 |
| Available for | Canon and Nikon |
Optical Performance
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye – Sharpness
This lens exhibit a good sharpness figure on the center. However, being a special effect lens, the border sharpness is comparably less sharp than the center (due to the enormous distortion).
The sharpest aperture on this lens is f/8.
See the full sharpness test of this Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye lens below.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5-4.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 10mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 17mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Great |
Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5-4.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 10mm | Great | Great | Great | Great |
| 17mm | Good | Great | Great | Great |
Distortion
Being a Fisheye lens, barrel distortion is huge. Note that this is not a lens defect. The optical designer deliberately put an extremely large amount of distortion for creative purpose.
See the distortion test chart below for both 10mm and 17mm.
Vignetting
Vignetting is impossible to test on this lens because it gives full 180 degrees angle of view. But then again, this is a special effect lens so not all things can be tested 
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is an issue on this lens (hence the low optical quality score). Compared to other fisheye lenses, the Tokina’s chromatic aberration control can be considered weak.
At 10mm the chromatic aberration is very high at almost every aperture. At 17mm, the chromatic aberration control gets better, but still average.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5-4.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 10mm | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High |
| 17mm | Low | High | High | Low |
Build Quality
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials
This is not a PRO lens, but the build quality is pretty decent. Tokina uses a good finish that makes the lens feels solid. Made in Japan.
Zoom Ring
The zooming mechanism is smooth and feels solid.
Focusing
The autofocus speed is pretty fast and accurate (although I think it’s unnecessary for an ultra wide, fisheye lens).
During autofocus, the lens will generate a slight noise since it does not have internal focusing motor.
In this lens, Tokina does not feature a focus clutch mechanism. So, in order to change from autofocus to manual focus, you need to do it via the switch on your DSLR.
For Nikon user: This lens does NOT have a built in Motor, which means it will NOT autofocus when used with cameras with no internal focusing such as Nikon D40
Compatibility
This is a DX lens. You can ONLY use it with cropped sensor DSLR camera. You cannot use this lens with a full frame DSLR such as the Nikon D3
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some fun pictures that I took using this lens:
Get the best price online from Amazon: For Canon
Conclusions
Back to: Menu • Introduction
This was a fun lens to test and use. I use this lens whenever I feel low on creativity.
In term of sharpness, this lens is excellent, just like other Tokina lenses. The only exception being on the border since this is a fisheye lens.
The issue with this lens is on the chromatic aberration control. It is very high at all apertures at 10mm. At 17mm it is acceptable.
Below are the conclusions for this lens:
Drawbacks
- Chromatic aberration is very high at 10mm
- Autofocus generate a moderate amount of noise
Positives
- Very sharp on the center at any aperture and focal length
- Good build quality for a non-PRO lens
Good For
Photographers who want to expand their creativity. You’ll enjoy using this lens once in a while.
Not So Good For
Daily photography use. Fisheye lens is a special tool and I really don’t think you will use this lens everyday.
What Others Are Saying…
by “Matthew Thompson”
I bought this lens on a whim after wanting an extreme wide angle lens. It was either this lens or the Sigma 10-20mm. In the end, I bought the Tokina 10-17 due to my enjoyment with fisheye photos and the fact that it looked much easier to convert fisheye photos into good looking rectilinear images than vice versa…
Click here to read the full review
by “N.K.”
I will keep it quick and simple. This lens is amazing! I use it as my UWA lens for my 40d/7d and it does a VERY nice job. At its widest angle is when it has the most “fisheye” effect so when you use it at 17 mm, it is less noticeable…
Click here to read the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 DX Fisheye Lens from Amazon (cheapest price online):
If Amazon doesn’t have it in stock, try B&H Photo (Canon, Nikon) or Adorama (Canon, Nikon).
See the related lens review below as well.
If you’re looking for a fun lens to use that will stir your creativity, I’d highly recommend this Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye lens.
On this post, I’ll be reviewing the Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye lens.
If you’re new, you might be wondering: What is a fisheye lens?
Well, a …
On this post, I’ll be reviewing the Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye lens.
If you’re new, you might be wondering: What is a fisheye lens?
Well, a …
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
Help Me Help You
Like this site? Want to keep reading for free? Want to see more good reviews and helpful articles coming? You can help me for FREE!
It's extremely fast and easy. Here's how - Start your online shopping by clicking any of these links: Amazon
How will this help me? When you buy your lenses or anything else from them, I got a tiny fraction of the sales which I will use for paying the maintenance cost of this site. They will also lend me more lenses to review if I hit a certain sales target. The price you pay for any item from those sites is always the same whether you use the above links or not. The only difference when you use the links is that you help me keep this site fresh, alive and FREE for you and for all readers. So, it's a win-win situation for all of us. You, me, everyone.
Please note that I always put you, my readers, as a first priority. Although I sometimes those vendors lend me lenses to review, I am always unbiased in my review. "I will be brutally honest with every review. Don't expect me to always write good stuff about the lens." That's what I told my vendors. And thankfully, they're fine with it.
Finally, you're not planning to shop, but have some extra cash to give out, consider making a small, $5 donation by clicking the "Donate" button below. This can also help paying off the maintenance cost of this site.
I hope to keep serving and helping you with your photography needs.
Many thanks for your support and thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Luke Darma
P.S: Stay in touch with me on Facebook and Twitter (you can add me as a friend):
Luke Darma | Create Your Badge
|
