The Tokina AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX (14-20mm f/2) is the fastest aperture super-wide angle zoom lens based on the new Tokina concept of a "zoomable prime lens". This idea fuses the quality of a prime lens, the convenience of a short zoom and a fast aperture.
The AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX accommodates all types of wide-angle needs from a dynamic, 21mm (35mm equivalent) wide angle of view with excellent depth of field to a 30mm angle of view ideal for quick snapshots. The AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX is designed to provide exceptional optical performance equal to three prime lenses: 21mm, 24mm and 28mm (35mm equivalent) in just one single zoom lens.
The AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX is the realization of photographers' wish for the combination of the excellent optical quality of a prime lens with the convenience of a fast zoom lens.
Designed to fully match the performance of high-end 24-30MP class APS-C crop sensor DSLR cameras, the super-bright f/2 aperture feels natural and confident in landscape, astrophotography, low light journalism, architecture, interior, documentary and street photography genres and even videography.
"This is my favourite lens specially for astro photography with cameras that have APS-C sensors. It is very sharp wide open at f/2 and having that extra full stop of light gathering over an f/2.8 zoom lens means the light dimmer, more distance stars will still be recorded on the image giving you much more to work with in post processing. The 14mm is equivalent to a 21mm in full frame which gives me plenty of room to frame foreground subjects against the starlit night sky. It is also a fun lens to use for multi-shot panoramic of the Milky Way Galaxy." Michael Burnham |
|
"My go-to lens for architectural and interior project, fast and zero-distortion. It's wonderful lens for events and documentary as well, very sharp even at wide open. As always it is built like a tank." Chris Querobines |
The AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX is the fastest zoom lens ever made by Tokina. It's also the fastest aperture super wide angle AF zoom lens available for APS-C crop sensor DSLR cameras. The f/2 aperture is constant over the entire zoom range.
This faster f/2 aperture gives you advantages in many aspects such as being able to auto-focus in lower light situations or use faster shutter speeds and lower ISO settings when shooting the night sky. Imagine using this lens to shoot the beautiful colored bands of the Aurora at night. With a fast aperture you can snap some of these photos and move around without a tripod.
For long exposures at night, the wider aperture allows more light, almost twice as much as an f/2.8 lens, to reach the sensor. The light from each star will certainly reach every pixel of the camera sensor improving astrophotography.
While providing impressive sharpness and contrast equal to the quality of a prime lens, the AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX is capable of zooming between the focal length of 14mm and 20mm. This convenience comes in particularly handy while framing to achieve the desired composition. AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX is the solution when you want the optical advantages of the prime lens but the flexibility of a zoom.
Being a fast aperture ultra-wide angle zoom lens, the AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX yields high image quality that is comparable to a prime lens. To achieve this, the AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX incorporates two Super-Low dispersion (SD) aspherical elements in the rear group, one large molded aspherical element in front group to correct spherical aberrations and two Super-Low dispersion molded elements that effectively correct distortion, chromatic aberrations and astigmatism.
The combination of large, bright f/2 aperture and high resolution were achieved by introducing the latest tolerance analysis methods to create the precision required from optical elements, and strictly controlling the dimensions of each part.
Ghosting and flare-resistance was enhanced by repeatedly running computer aided ghosting simulations and analyzing the data. This meticulous testing led to precisely reshaping and optimizing the surface of the G02 front aspherical element to reduce reflections to an absolute minimum.
Thanks to its fast f/2 aperture the AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX creates strong background blur even at 14mm. 9 rounded and extremely thin, 40μm, metallic blades are used for the circular diaphragm that has a significant effect on bokeh quality. Special processing is applied to the surface of the diaphragm blades to prevent optical reflections and to reduce the sliding friction between blades.
The AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX uses all-metal lens barrels designed for optical performance and reliability. Tokina understands that the precise position and orientation of each lens element relative to the light axis is directly related to optical performance. Metal materials with sufficient thickness and strength are used for all load-bearing components and each part is produced using high-precision machining. This allows Tokina to maintain high optical performance, unaffected by harsh environmental changes and long-term use. The lens is weather-sealed by rubber gasket around the mount base.
The AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX uses a newly developed Silent Drive module that allows the lens to focus faster and more quietly than previous generations. This DC motor coupled with a new GMR magnetic AF sensor work together to increase AF speed and accuracy.
The lens uses common sized 82mm size filters. These filters can be used with lenses that take smaller filter sizes by using a step up ring.
Tokina's exclusive One-Touch Focus Clutch Mechanism allows the photographer to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward for AF and back toward the lens mount for manual focusing.