Lens review

Tokina AF 193 19-35 mm f/3.5-4.5

4. Image resolution

We can’t say one bad word about the image resolution in the frame centre. Perhaps these results are not outstanding, because, while testing this lens on the strength of RAW files from a 10-megapixel sensor of the Nikon D200 you could have expected maximum values reaching 42-44 lpmm. Instead, the Tokina had them near 40 lpmm for most of settings. It is not much lower, though, so the lens should be praised for very even performance at all focal lengths.

At the edge the situation is similar in a sense. The Tokina fares here better than the Tamron 17-35 mm, which had a serious slip-up in the category of frame edge resolution, but worse than the Sigma 17-35 mm, which on a smaller sensor of the Canon 20D reached similar or a tad better results. The value of the Tokina in this category is the most obvious when you compare it to the fixed-focal Nikkor 2.8/20. At 19 mm and most of apertures the Tokina is able to produce better frame edge results than that Nikkor prime…The resolution can be summarized by two big plus signs, then – a big one for the frame centre performance and a small one for the frame edge performance.