19 replies to this topic

[lauri]

The Tokina 10-17FE seems to be (finally) in stores, check out AC foto. Any ideas about compatible Ike domes?

//LN

[mtbottle]

Woohoo There goes my next paycheck!

[Starbuck]

Here is the link from Tokina:

http://www.tokinalen...x107afdx-a.html

What would the advantages of this be over the fixed focal Nikon 10.5 or the Sigma 15mm FE ?

M.

[lauri]

What would the advantages of this be over the fixed focal Nikon 10.5 or the Sigma 15mm FE ?

Well, I guess Nikon shooters have that range covered pretty well with primes, but for Canon crop-sensor bodies this is the first true 180deg diagonal FE AFAIK. Unless you count in the Peleng and Sigma 8mm FEs, which vignette a bit. And I'd say 180 to 100 deg zoom range is mighty nice to have for shooting wreckscapes, more so here in murky Baltic waters.

The Tokina has shown pretty bad purple fringing in some of the test shots I've seen, but I guess the situations where that would be a problem underwater are quite rare?

//LN

[Rai]

I already have mine, but I still didn't had time to really check it. I barely just mounted it on the camera and I can say that it looks very nice.

I hope to test it next weekend and even UW!. As far as I don't know which one will be the right port for this lens, I'll give atry to the Ike's #5503 dome port. Lens length fits this dome (although there's no much room left with this one) and standard zoom gear also fits (a bit streched compared with the kit lens).

I suppose that the porper dome will be the 8" one but I don't the exact set-up (waiting response from Ike).

Rai

[Alex_Mustard]

Rai,

Does the barrel length of the lens change much during zooming, and also is the lens longest at the 10 end or the 17mm end. I hope it is at the 10mm end as this will make it easier to fit behind a port.

Lauri, fringing can be a problem in UW shots where you have fine and contrasty detail in the corners (such as a seafan, kelp fronds, small fish or railings on a wreck).

Alex

[Rai]

The barrel length changes slightly, I'd say less than 1 cm, but I'll measure tonight when I'll arrive home to be sure. I think that the bigger lens length is at 10, but I'm not sure.

I forgot to mention that in the Ike's #5503 dome it doesn't vignette if shade is properly aligned (and it does if it's misaligned) at land. I still haven't tested it underwater.

[Alex_Mustard]

The barrel length changes slightly, I'd say less than 1 cm, but I'll measure tonight when I'll arrive home to be sure. I think that the bigger lens length is at 10, but I'm not sure.

That sounds ideal.

Thanks

Alex

[rachid]

Hi Rai,

The barrel length changes slightly, I'd say less than 1 cm, but I'll measure tonight when I'll arrive home to be sure. I think that the bigger lens length is at 10, but I'm not sure.

could you please also measure the diameter of the zoom ring? I am interested in the Tokina 10-17, but i am not sure which focus gear i can use...

thanks a lot
Rachid

[Rai]

Ok. I'll measure that too. I think it's a couple of milimiters greater than 18-55 mm.

Rai

[Rai]

The barrel length changes slightly, less than 3 mm. I wasn't right about the bigger lens length, it's at 17 mm focal lentgth. The minimal is something around 12-13 and at 10 mm is a bit more long.

In some specs the zoom ring diameter is 71.1 mm. My measure (with a very small accuracy, I must say) confirms that and my suppossition about this diameter compared to the 18-55mm diameter.

Rai

[rachid]

In some specs the zoom ring diameter is 71.1 mm. My measure (with a very small accuracy, I must say) confirms that and my suppossition about this diameter compared to the 18-55mm diameter.

Hi Rai, thanks a lot!

Now I should only decide which lense :/ Should i buy the Sigma 10-20 oder the Tokina 10-17?!
I think, that the Tokina is very interesting for underwater but for over water it has a limited use, because of the Fisheye.
What do you think?

best regards
Rachid

[tkr]

What about filters?

Is there a filter holder on the rear of this lens - I presume there would be?

[rachid]

What about filters?

Nope, no filters. Thats what i had read...

[Rai]

IMO I prefer to the 10-17 mm than the 10-22.
But you must realise that focals are complementary and the only common area are the 17 mm at Tokina and 10 at Canon. But if you really wanna go wide the Tokina is the only option for Canon APS-C.
Many times I've feelt the need of a 180º fisheye lens, specially for the not so clear waters I use to dive in, so my choice is clear (I don't own the Canon 10-22).

My previous subsitute of the 10-22 as the Sigma 15 mm FE, and it was originally very influenced by price at the moment. But after a few dives my taste derived to the Sigma, mainly due to the field of depth and very close focusing.

Although, if you don't want to deal with the heavy geometric distorsions of the fisheye lenses and want more versatility (from wide-angle to almost standard lens for fishes) you'll probably love the 10-22.

Obviously, the fisheye lenses in land are never main lenses, but this zoom lens give it some flexibility to do more nice shots than a clasic fisheye.

I'm aware that in some places puts the filter as N/A but I think that they are referring only to the front filter diameter. I think that I've read something about rear filter holder in that lens but I'm not sure and didn't check it ( and I haven't read the lens docs yet ). I'll check it tonight.

Rai

[Rai]

There's no visible rear filter holder like in the Sigma 15 mm FE

[rachid]

There's no visible rear filter holder like in the Sigma 15 mm FE

s**t. it would be perfect for trying the magic filter

Could measure the diameter of the zoomring?

thanks
rachid

[Rai]

s**t. it would be perfect for trying the magic filter

Could measure the diameter of the zoomring?

Yes, a rear filter holder would be just great (for the same reasons as you). But I must say that there's room for it so maybe somthing can be made (haven't checked properly and still haven't read any paper that comes with it ).

I mesured it (look up in the thread) and my measurements (with very little accuray) shows the same as specifications (71.1).

Finally friday make a little test looking for purple finging issues and, unluckily, I must say that I found them. And they weren't difficult to find .

A more lucky test was performed the next day at Tarragona Harbor, in the "Dragonera" wreck.
This was a double test becuse I was making my first dive with the Canon 400D on my Ikelite 350D housing (with some adaptations and left buttons unavailable).

The sea condtions were not bad in a very sunny day (specially at the end of October), but viz were pretty bad (from 3 to 5 meters and in some zones even smaller), but that were no unusual in that place. So I decide to test the lens basically at 10 mm focal, because I wanted special to test the angle of view and the use in that murky conditions.

The port I used was the 5503 Ikelite port, with shade that fits the lens length. Zoom gear was the standard one. I used a DS125 and SS200 Ikelite strobes but as far as I forgot an arm clamp I was forced to use the SS200 with just one arm segment, that didn't allow me the proper placement of the big strobe . This, combined with poor viz and my inexperience with so wide lenses, make my test photos look more proper to christmas than to Halloween. But despite that I could get interesting results.

On land there was a little vignette visible (if the shade was not properly aligned). UW I get very little one, in the lower left corner and a little bigger int the lower right corner. I think this is dued to bad aligment of the shade and the camera (remember that was adapted for the 400D).

I didn't know if the port was properly located relative to the the lens, but the results don't show any blurrying or blooming in the corners. At least at first sight.

The final quality was very good and all I can say that for UW use, I love that lens .

I took almost 200 photos, my record in one dive (I was pretty excited ). As soon as I process some of them I'll post here so you can see and judge by yourselves.

Rai

[rachid]

thanks a lot, rai!
i am looking forward to see your pictures.

[segal3]

I'm interested in seeing the results Rai - although I doubt I'll cancel the one I have on order .