Tokina ATX AF 16.5-135mm f/3.5-5.6

This high zoom ratio lens from Tokina is available to fit Canon and Nikon cameras with an APS-C sized sensor and costs around £570. The wide angle of 16.5mm provides an angle of view equivalent to a 25mm lens on a 35mm camera and the 8x zoom range provides plenty of flexibility in a compact package.

Canon's closest equivalent is the EF-S 18-135mm IS lens, which costs around £340 and sports a fast, silent focusing motor and image stabilisation, but lacks the wide angle of the Tokina optic.

Nikon's closest equivalent from their current range is the AF-S 18-105mm DX VR lens, which costs around £225 and also has a fast, silent focusing motor plus vibration reduction, but loses out to the Tokina at both the wide and telephoto ends of the zoom range.

In this review we'll take a close look at how this lens performs and whether the extra cost over the manufacturer's own lenses is justified.

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