A review and sample photos of the TOKINA AT-X Pro 17mm F3.5 used with the 35mm full-frame digital SLR camera SONY α900.
- Please see the disclaimer regarding advertising here.
- Italicized links in the text are advertisement links that take you to other sites.
- If you find any images used on this site problematic, please contact us via the comments or inquiry form, either as the rights holder or their representative. We will review the matter and take appropriate action.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The sample photos were taken using the SONY α900.
Review
1．Overview
The TOKINA AT-X Pro 17mm F3.5 is a 17mm prime ultra-wide-angle autofocus lens made by Tokina for 35mm film cameras, released in 1999.
- Aperture is f/3.5.
- Lens construction: 10 elements in 9 groups, including 2 aspherical lenses (4 surfaces).
- Minimum focusing distance is 0.18m, and the lens extends slightly when focusing.
- Includes a case and a petal-shaped hood (LH-825-03).
- List price: ¥60,000 (excluding tax).
- Compatible mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, and Minolta α (Sony α).
2．Usability
The TOKINA AT-X Pro 17mm f/3.5 is an autofocus prime lens, so the MINOLTA α (SONY α) version I used has a simple lens barrel with only a focus ring and AF/MF switch.
The same is true for the electronic mount Canon-EF, and since the Nikon-F lens predates the widespread use of electronic contacts, it is equipped with an aperture ring.
The exterior also has a luxurious matte finish, and the lens barrel, which tapers from the front of the lens to the mount with a large 77mm filter diameter, gives it the appearance of an ultra-wide-angle lens.
When used with the α900, which has a 35mm full-frame sensor, the central resolution is sufficient even near the widest aperture, and the good parts seem to expand when stopped down to f/8. However, with an ultra-wide-angle lens, there is some peripheral blur even when stopped down, which is unavoidable, and widening the aperture can also result in false colors in the peripheral areas if there are trees in the subject. This can be seen in the second and fifth sample images.
There is barrel distortion, but it is not noticeable when photographing landscapes, and if it becomes noticeable with straight-line subjects, it can be corrected with image editing software.
Since blurring, false colors, and distortion are noticeable at the edges of the image, when using a camera with an APS-C sensor, the focal length is equivalent to 26mm on 35mm film, and the edges of the image are cropped and not recorded. This means that it is no longer an ultra-wide-angle lens, but photographers do not need to be aware of these negative aspects.
When used with the α900, the focus speed is sufficient for normal use. Focus accuracy depends largely on the camera, but at around F5.6, it should be accurate except for subjects that are difficult for autofocus to achieve.
The lens comes with a large hood as standard, which makes the lens appear quite large when attached. The hood can also be attached in reverse, making it slightly more compact for transport.
3．Summary
To summarize the TOKINA AT-X Pro 17mm F3.5, its minimum focusing distance of 25cm is standard for an ultra-wide-angle lens, and although its design dates back to the film era, there are no major issues with its image quality when used with digital cameras equipped with 35mm full-frame sensors.
One thing to note is that when used with an APS-C size sensor, the focal length drops to approximately 24mm, losing the feel of an ultra-wide-angle lens and resulting in a shooting range similar to that of a regular wide-angle lens.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
TOKINA has a long history of 17mm lenses, with the following four releases.
- Tokina Wide-Auto 17mm F/3.5 RMC Type 1(MF・?・11 elements in 8 groups)
- Tokina 17mm F/3.5 RMC Type 2 (MF, 1980, 11 elements in 9 groups)
- Tokina AT-X AF 17mm F/3.5 Aspherical (AF・1993・11 elements in 9 groups)
- Tokina AT-X Pro AF 17mm F/3.5 Aspherical (AF・1999・11 elements in 9 groups)
The first two are manual focus lenses, and the last two are autofocus lenses.
The lens construction has changed slightly, but the 11-element structure remains unchanged, and the design appears to have been fairly complete at the time of the initial release. Lens construction diagrams are available on LENS.DB for the autofocus lenses, but no diagrams can be found for the lenses from the manual focus era. I searched the Japan Patent Office website, but could not find any patents from Tokina Corporation for wide-angle prime lenses, including 17mm.
The two manual focus lenses are multi-mount lenses, compatible with many manual focus cameras, including Canon FD [42mm], Contax/Yashica [45.5mm], Konica AR [40.5mm], M42 [45.5mm], Minolta SR [43.5mm], Nikon F [46.5mm], Olympus OM [46mm], and Pentax K [45.5mm]. Mount adapters for most lenses can be found for modern mirrorless cameras. You can also find mount adapters for Canon SLR cameras for mounts such as Nikon-F, Pentax-K, and M42.
Looking at the state of ultra-wide-angle lenses from third-party lens manufacturers, Tamron released manual-focus 17mm lenses in 1979 and 1984 during the Adaptall 2 era.
Sigma released an 18mm lens in 1972 during the manual-focus era, and later released an autofocus version. Sigma also released an even wider-angle 14mm lens in 1990 with both autofocus and manual focus, and has continued to improve since then, with the latest 14mm prime lens still in the lineup as of 2026.
From 1980 to 1990, both camera manufacturers and third-party lens manufacturers focused on prime lenses, rather than zoom lenses, when it came to ultra-wide-angle lenses. Sigma and Sony offer the latest 14mm ultra-wide-angle prime lenses for mirrorless cameras, while Nikon, Canon, and Pentax continue to supply lenses for 14mm ultra-wide-angle SLR cameras.
While there are some subtle differences in lens performance, it can be fun to compare the results of these classic wide-angle lenses.
Comparing the Tokina and Tamron 17mm lenses, the biggest difference is that the Tokina is autofocus compatible, while the Tamron is manual focus. The Tamron’s lens construction has one more element than the Tokina, but this is probably within the margin of error.
The Tokina 17mm lens has a larger front element, which is advantageous in terms of peripheral illumination, and even in actual photos, the Tokina has less peripheral light falloff than the Tamron. As for distortion, both lenses exhibit barrel distortion, which isn’t noticeable when photographing landscapes, but can be noticeable when photographing buildings and other linear objects.
Both wide-angle lenses are old, but they offer better image quality than zoom lenses from the late 1990s to early 2000s, and they’re also small in size, so if you’re carrying around a large wide-angle zoom lens and two standard zoom lenses, a combination of a standard zoom lens and a wide-angle prime lens will result in a lighter equipment set, and it makes sense to use the standard zoom lens primarily and only use the ultra-wide-angle prime lens when you need more space.
Old prime ultra-wide-angle lenses can be found at relatively low prices second-hand, so if your budget allows, they might be worth considering. However, because they are old lens designs, you shouldn’t have excessive expectations in terms of backlight resistance, distortion, and other image qualities.
| Item | AT-X Pro 17mm | 51B | 151B |
| focal length(mm) | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Maximum aperture | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Minimum aperture | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Lens configuration | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Leaf blade | 11 elements in 9 groups | 12 elements in 10 groups | 12 elements in 10 groups |
| Minimum distance(m) | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Lens length(mm) | 65 NIKON-F | 41.7 Distance from the Leica R mount surface | 41.7 Distance from the Leica R mount surface |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 88 | 70 | 71 |
| Filter type | 65 | 82 | 82 |
| Weight(g) | BH-773 | 20FH | B6FH |
| Hood | 440 CANON-EF | 347 Leica R mount | 325 Leica R mount |
| Lens mount | CANON-EF NIKON-F MINOLTA_A | Nikon F Canon EF Sony α Olympus OM Canon FD M42 Leica R etc. | Nikon F Canon EF Sony α Olympus OM Canon FD M42 Leica R etc. |
| Release date | 1999〜 | 1979〜1984 | 1989〜2000 |
Reference links
- Tokina Wide-Auto 17mm F/3.5 RMC Type 1・Lens.DB
- Tokina 17mm F/3.5 RMC Type 2・Lens.DB
- Tokina AT-X AF 17mm F/3.5 Aspherical・Lens.DB
- Tokina AT-X Pro AF 17mm F/3.5 Aspherical・Lens.DB
- SIGMA 18mm series・Lens.DB
- TAMRON 17mm series・Lens.DB
- Tokina AF 17mm f/3.5 AT-X Pro – Review / Lab Test Report・opticallimits.com
- TAMRON MF 17mm 51B/151B・Shige’s hobby
Affiliate links
Update history
- 2026.1.21
Be First to Comment