Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent, versatile wide-angle for crop sensors
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2017
The Tokina 12-28 f/4.0 is a great wide-angle DX lens, and really stands out for its combination of versatility paired with excellent image quality. While Tokina makes other lens that are somewhat similar to this one (such as the 11-16 and 11-20 that go to f/2.8 and the older/cheaper 12-24 that is also f/4.0), I think that the wide range of focal lengths help make this one stand out above the others.
PROS:
/+/ Image quality is really great - the images are sharp and I've had no issue with dull or inaccurate colors. I also have not noticed any significant vignetting.
/+/ The extra reach provided by going up to 28 mm means that it is able to approach a standard focal length. I found this to be particularly helpful when taking group photos on vacation - I'm able to keep this on my camera as my primary lens for landscape photos, but I can also just set it to 28mm and pop it on my tripod with a remote trigger whenever the group wanted to take a photo in a nice spot.
/+/ The build quality is solid. I've had the lens be knocked around a bit against rock walls as I was traversing a narrow mountainside path, and there are no signs of any damage whatsoever.
/+/ The zoom and focus rings have a reasonable balance between smooth, easy turning and resistance to accidental movement.
/+/ Any distortion present is relatively minimal throughout the focal range and easily corrected in post-processing if you have Lightroom.
CONS:
/-/ The 77m filter thread size means that any filters that you get will likely be relatively expensive if they're of decent quality.
/-/ The clutch that lets you switch from autofocus to manual focus is a bit clunky, and I often found it switching without me noticing (particularly from manual to auto). It also makes it really difficult to autofocus and then manually adjust focus - there is no manual override in autofocus, and in the process of switching between the two it is extremely easy to accidentally turn the focus ring as you're pulling the clutch towards you.
/-/ The lens is relatively slow (going only to f/4.0). For landscape photography, this isn't really an issue at all as you'll generally be shooting at higher f-stops. However, it's not going to be great for astro photography (where allowing in the extra light will really be important). Additionally, you won't be able to get much bokeh at all That's obvious and again isn't really an issue for the main purposes of a wide-angle lens, however if you try to turn it all the way to 28 mm and use it as a "pseudo-standard" lens like I mentioned earlier you'll be limited in what you can do. Again, good enough in a pinch to take pics of friends/family, but if you're used to also having a fast, standard lens (like a 35mm prime) you'll notice the difference enough that you will want to bring both along.
Overall, I think this is the ideal lens for enthusiasts with a crop sensor who want a wide-angle lens for landscapes and other (non-astro) uses. I've attached some of the pictures I've taken with it here - all of the photos were taken on my Nikon D5500. For most of them, I had a B+W 77mm XS Pro HTC Kaesemann CPL attached as well, which I would also recommend if you are planning on getting a CPL for this lens as I have no issues with degradation in image quality. All photos have also been post-processed in Lightroom as well.