Tokina 35-200 f3.5-4.5 manual focus zoom lens any Good?

[dtomasula]

I just picked up a Tokina 35-200 f3.5-4.5 manual focus zoom lens on eBay for $5.50 (that's right 5 dollars and 50 cents!). I was wondering if anyone has had any experinece with this lens.

I figure even if it sucks, I didn't spend too much on it so it should be fun to play with. I'll be using it on my Nikon FM2N and FM3A.

Thanks.

 

[Scott Edwards]

Good luck with this one. You might save it for those times when you don't want to endanger your other lenses. I had two Tokina zoom lenses, and they both sucked pretty badly. One had fungus (70-210 zoom) and my friend had an identical copy that also had fungus. The other (35-70 zoom) came out of focus as I tripped the shutter. The aperture lever somehow knocked the focus ring enough to give me crappy pictures. It was a brand new lens also. Oh, and I had yet another Tokina, a 28mm 2.8 that had horrific diffraction at all apertures. You get what you pay for I guess.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

Perfect, sounds like you just got a great lens to use in hazardous conditions. I am not generally a fan of wide angle to tele zooms. They seem to barrel distort badly at wide and pincushion badly at tele. That said, I don't know this particular lens and have to believe that it is worth what you paid for it, probably more!

 

[gnashings]

My experience with this kind of zoom has been best described by using a Swiss Army knife as an example - it can do all these different things - but none of them well. On the other hand - $5.50!!! Who cares!!! It will make a neat paperweight if nothing more.. and you know, I have a horrible wide angle lens - it does nothing well, but I found that I actually had a few picture ideas that were quite well served by its quirky shortcomings - and I paid $12 CDN for it. I say again:

$5.50!

Its defintely better than what you paid for it!

Have fun,

Peter.

 

[laz]

I just picked up a Tokina 35-200 f3.5-4.5 manual focus zoom lens on eBay for $5.50 (that's right 5 dollars and 50 cents!).

I doubt this is news to anyone here, but, "vintage" lenses from the '70s and early '80s are very often available dirt cheap on e-bay. I have picked up quite a few for my Nikkormat FT2. Of course the non-AIS lenses are old technology, but their glass remains great Nikor quality (subject to the usual cautions of course)

I remember a Nikon ad I used to drool over featuring their whole line of lenses laid out and gleaming like jewels; well those jewels are out there now, maybe a little dusty, but finally affordable for me!

-Bob