(2nd) Duff lens

Darthchaffinch

Darthchaffinch

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Have had a 2nd tokina 11-16 delivered and it has the same autofocus problem (way out), the retailer now only offers a refund but can I send the lens back to Tokina to be fixed?? I've emailed them but had reply as yet.
Really want the lens but seems to have limited availability.

Am thinking that will not really be using autofocus that much, so could just do without it- but my eyes aren't great for focusing manually...
 
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Tokina won't repair it, they'll expect you to send it back to where you got it. (That's what they told me with my issues).
 
Thanks Alan. Not sure whether or not to order one from Onestopdigital (as was similar price) but to return a duff lens from here to Hong Kong would be really expensive.
 
I wonder if this could be not the lens, but the fact that AF often gets increasingly difficult as lenses get wider in angle? It seems to depend partly on lens design, i.e. some designs seem more troublesome than others, and partly on camera, some implementations of AF having more difficulty than others. For example my Sigma 10-20mm was often hugely off in AF, so much so that I never used AF with it. I replaced it with a Sigma 8-16mm, which AF handled much better, but not quite good enough for best high res shots. I noticed too that AF was always a bit on the 18mm end of my 18-250mm.

Then I got a new camera which focused my WA shots much better, and only needs manual focus from about 15mm and less when I'm being really fussy about sharpest detail.

But there are still some people who apparently have the same apparently unavoidable problems with some WA lenses and certain camera models who sent the lens back and got it fixed to perfection. And others who could never get it fixed. One of those awkward much disputed areas.
 
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Icee said:
If it's a Tamron then Tokina won't fix it but Tamron might.:)
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:D It's a tokina

chris malcolm said:
I wonder if this could be not the lens, but the fact that AF often gets increasingly difficult as lenses get wider in angle? It seems to depend partly on lens design, i.e. some designs seem more troublesome than others, and partly on camera, some implementations of AF having more difficulty than others. For example my Sigma 10-20mm was often hugely off in AF, so much so that I never used AF with it. I replaced it with a Sigma 8-16mm, which AF handled much better, but not quite good enough for best high res shots. I noticed too that AF was always a bit on the 18mm end of my 18-250mm.

Then I got a new camera which focused my WA shots much better, and only needs manual focus from about 15mm and less when I'm being really fussy about sharpest detail.

But there are still some people who apparently have the same apparently unavoidable problems with some WA lenses and certain camera models who sent the lens back and got it fixed to perfection. And others who could never get it fixed. One of those awkward much disputed areas.
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I read some blogs etc aluding to this. I might just stick with it- I guess the fact that the autofocus is off won't affect any aspect of manual focus?
 
Darthchaffinch said:
Have had a 2nd tokina 11-16 delivered and it has the same autofocus problem (way out), the retailer now only offers a refund but can I send the lens back to Tokina to be fixed?? I've emailed them but had reply as yet.
Really want the lens but seems to have limited availability.

Am thinking that will not really be using autofocus that much, so could just do without it- but my eyes aren't great for focusing manually...
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Have you been able to try the lens on another body - just to confirm it is the lens that's playing up ?

Do you have the facility to micro-adjust your camera ?
 
Darthchaffinch said:
I read some blogs etc aluding to this. I might just stick with it- I guess the fact that the autofocus is off won't affect any aspect of manual focus?
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Personally, if it's way out as you initially said and it is the lens that's at fault, I wouldn't put up with it...
 
I'm only reticent as the availability of the lens seems to be fairly limited and will likely need to pay almost £500 elsewhere for it! (Paid just over £300 for the one I have!)
 
The one which was shot at f8 & 1/50th looks sharper than the one shot at f11 and 1/13th. But whenever I've compared f8 and f11 on any of my lenses, f8 has always come out sharper anyway -- on the same lens.
 
I think you need to test them under the same conditions (i.e same shutter speed, iso etc) and on a tripod, I presume from the use of iso 800 that these have been handheld? So the one shot at 1/13th could be soft due to it being handheld?
 
Damnit I thought the settings would stay the same wen changing lenses!?!

Agree stumech, will do it in the morning (both were handheld)
 
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stumeech said:
I think you need to test them under the same conditions (i.e same shutter speed, iso etc) and on a tripod, I presume from the use of iso 800 that these have been handheld? So the one shot at 1/13th could be soft due to it being handheld?
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And I'd also add make sure you focus on exactly the same point as well - in the example of your photo above, maybe rest a sign or something on the front wheel and focus on this ?
 
Darthchaffinch said:
I'm only reticent as the availability of the lens seems to be fairly limited and will likely need to pay almost £500 elsewhere for it! (Paid just over £300 for the one I have!)
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Yes can certainly understand this and agree with your reluctance - but, you have to be happy with it in the end !!!
 
Tripod and same settings, focus on the bin house in the middle:

Test 1a

Test1b

Also, Tokina europe in Holland have said they'll fix it under warranty! Will send to them even if these shots are near-enough!
 
The 11-16 looks ok to me? It's much sharper than the comparison shot from the 18-55...
 
There looks to be better microcontrast on the Tokina, but it would be easier to tell if both had been shot at (nearly) the same focal length, and at ISO 100. There was no need to shoot at 1/200th if you were on a tripod!
 
With your second shots, sometimes with a large object it's hard to see any significant difference in IQ. The 18-55mm is good little lens also.

For me the first shot with the lettering on the back door of the car would be a good subject as you can possibly pixel peep more, than possibly on a small building like the bin shed, unless there is a lot of vegetation to look at around shed. I'm suggesting similar to what andyred mentioned above in post #14. Also, the lens designs are different and are ment for different applications, so it will be hard to carryout an exact test.

If it's a new lens and the AF isn't working, I think you have no option other than to send it back and ask your dealer to get another one in.
 
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Try using CDAF in live view. Often the greater DOF of UWA's makes PDAF less accurate (camera dependent).

AF issues are camera based. The camera drives the AF motor and determines when an image is "in focus." The lens has no say in that. Other than a design/QC flaw (inability to reach focus point travel or excessive gear lash/coarseness) the problem isn't the lens. It's just that the camera doesn't PDAF well with that lens... (AFMA might help).
 
Have just back from the Tokina dealer:

"From the day you lens is in we made many testing sessions with this lens. As a result no autofocus malfunction appear.

Unfortunately there is no other possibility to send back this lens. In our opinion this lens meets all factory standards."

Now I'm confused- at the wide end the autofocus was/is sure as hell out! Is there any way that the calibration(?) between the lens and the camera could be 'off'??
 
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Some camera bodies can't AF some wide angle lenses reliably, not because they're faulty, simply because their AF system isn't sophisticated enough. Check out a forum where users of your camera discuss wide angle focus problems to see how your camera does.
 
chris malcolm said:
Some camera bodies can't AF some wide angle lenses reliably, not because they're faulty, simply because their AF system isn't sophisticated enough. Check out a forum where users of your camera discuss wide angle focus problems to see how your camera does.
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Thanks Chris, googled a lot and is not much to find.

Interestingly (in terms of a D90 issue) I got this from the dealer:

"Please check your D90 for proper adjustment of the lens contacts. D90 has a reputation on this!"

Anyone else aware of this, or how to check/fix it?!?
 
This lens should autofocus fine with the Nikon D90. If you put the camera body in centre point autofocus and redo the test as above but in Autofocus mode show us the results
 
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