I agonized for quite some time about how to cover the wide angle end of my lens needs.  I am just returning to photography after a long layoff, and recently sold most of my MF equipment with the intent of upgrading to AF.  When I got to wide-angle lenses, the obvious solution (to me anyway...) was the Nikon 20-35/f 2.8 -- a great lens by reputation and a standard bearer in the Nikon line.  Unfortunately, it costs $1400-1600; considerably more than all of my old MF equipment combined!!

At that point, I began studying alternatives.  The Nikon 20/24/28/35 Primes added up to about the same money, so I thought about picking, say, the 20, 24, and 35.  Eventually, I decided to start with the $275 Nikon 24/f 2.8 and build from there.  Unfortunately, I love the compositional ability a zoom gives you, especially at the wide end.  I like landscapes, and at times it is very difficult to move the tripod around quickly enough to get the shot you want in the light you want.  So...I eventually decided to give the Tokina a try given its great user reviews and a $640 net price that was a fraction of the Nikon's.

My first thought was to test the Tokina and Nikon 20-35's side-by-side.   Unfortunately, I couldn't locate a Nikon in my area.  So, I thought I would do a series of tests with my Nikon 24 Prime and the Tokina Zoom.  Admittedly, this is probably not entirely fair to the Tokina, but I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised by the first test slides I have developed! 

I plan do do a series of comparison shots over times, under different conditions, with a range of contrast, color, distance and f stops.  My first two test shots do not have a lot of color, but I chose them because they have a lot of tree branches, bark, and contrast.  Check back regularly for new comparisons -- I will post notices to rec.photo.equipment.35mm as well.

The  test page is almost 500 kb in total, so be patient!!      Go to the Test Page .