The Many Tokina 28-70 Lenses and How to Identify Them (With Pictures)

What version of the Tokina 28-70 is this? Read on to find out!

From the late 1980s to the mid 2000s, Tokina made a total of 4 constant f2.8 lenses with the 28-70mm focal range. Unfortunately, it can be hard for a would-be buyer to identify each version because many original sources were on paper (think photography magazines before the Internet) and are long gone and, being out of production for roughly 15 years, most contemporary online documentation has also disappeared.

That, plus adding online buy/sell websites like Ebay and Craigslist and now social media platforms, only adds to the confusion as many people do not know the variations of these lenses and will merely sell the lens along the lines of something like 'Tokina 28-70 f2.8.'

So, what are the variations and how to identify them?

1. Smooth finish. 2. Distance scale window. 3. Zoom ring wider than focus ring.

1^st Generation: Tokina 28-70 f2.8 AT-X (1988-1994)
The first generation of Tokina 28-70 f2.8 is the easiest to identify as it is the only one that features a recessed distance scale window rather than painted on markings. Another easy identifier is that this is also the only version that does not feature the now-standard Tokina AF/MF clutch mechanism that involves moving the focus ring back and forth, so there will be no AF/MF markings anywhere on the barrel. To switch mode, flip a switch on the lens (for versions with built-in motors) or flip the switch on your camera (versions with a mechanical drive linkage). On top of that, this is the only version that features a zoom ring that is wider than the focus ring and the only version that accepts a 72mm filter. Finish is smooth.

1. Zoom ring now wider than focus ring. 2. AF/MF on barrel. 3. Smooth finish.

2^nd Generation: Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX-PRO (1994-1997)
The second generation was the first based off the optical design Tokina bought from the French company Angenieux that would serve as the basis for the rest of the 28-70 line. This was the first 28-70 version to feature the AF/MF clutch, so look for AF/MF markings on the barrel. Unfortunately, in its early incarnation, switching focus mode meant rotating the ring while pulling/pushing on it in order to find the window where the clutch engaged and the ring moved. On top of that, one needed to flip the AF/MF switch on either the camera or the lens itself (depending on whether the lens has a built-in motor or is focused via mechanical linkage powered by the camera), depending on your manufacturer. Also new was the flip in width of the focus/zoom ring as the focus ring is now the larger of the two as it would remain through the remainder of the run. This version (as do the later ones) uses 77mm filters. On the front of the lens by the filter threads, there also appears the word 'Tokina.' Finish is smooth. To make things difficult, thank Tokina's marketing department. This lens was marketed in some places as being f2.6-2.8 (even though no camera will recognize f2.6) and others as a constant f2.8. No matter, the lenses are the same no matter what the markings say.

See also: My Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX-PRO I Review

The quickest way to tell a Tokina ATX-PRO "II" (left) from a PRO "I" (right) is the newer "II" lens' crinkle finish. The aperture ring is exclusive to Nikon versions.

Another way to tell the difference: the "II" (left) doesn't say 'Tokina' while the "I" (right) does.

3^rd Generation: Tokina 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX-PRO II (1997-1999)
The third generation is optically unchanged from the previous 'PRO' version except for that the “II” got a 'high refraction low dispersion' (HLD) element designed to combat chromatic aberration. All other changes were cosmetic. The easiest way to spot the “II” from a “I” version is that the “II” now has a crinkle finish instead of the smooth one seen on the previous version. Another easy way to distinguish a “I” from a “II” is that that “II” version now features a bayonet mount for the hood (versus the screw-on versions for earlier lenses). As for markings, 'Tokina' has now disappeared from by where the filter threads on but, irritatingly, there is no mention of “II” anywhere on the lens even though it was marketed as such. Like the “I” version, the “II” was marketed in some places as being f2.6-2.8 and in others as a constant f2.8. No matter, the lenses are the same no matter what the markings say. The clunky 2-step mode to change AF/MF was, unfortunately, also unchanged.

Oh yes, the lens at the top of the page is the ATX-PRO II thanks to the crinkle finish.

The Tokina 28-80 f2.8 ATX-PRO.

The 28-80's internal configuration.

End of the Line

In 2000, Tokina launched its direct successor to the “II” version above in the form of a 28-80 f2.8 ATX-PRO. Keeping the low dispersion element, which it now marketed as a 'super low dispersion' (SD) element, Tokina now added a pair of aspherical elements to the new design, which remained in production into 2006. This lens also saw the return of a distance scale window rather than the cheap looking painted markings. As an innovation sure to be appreciated by many, Tokina reworked its system for switching focus mode. This lens now features the “One Touch” focus clutch, which allows for switching from AF/MF simply by pulling/pushing the ring anywhere while eliminating the need to flip any switches on the camera. It is for this ease of focus mode transition that this lens typically sells for more than the 28-70s on the used market.

Aperture ring (Nikon models only) aside, the Tokina 28-70 f2.8 ATX-PRO SV (left) is virtually identical to the 28-70 f2.6-2.8 ATX-PRO "I" (right).

 

Visually, the only way to tell these two lenses apart is to look at the lettering by the filter threads as the SV version will always identify itself as such.

 

The 28-70 f2.8 ATX-PRO internal configuration.

4^th Generation: Tokina 28-70 f2.8 PRO SV (2002-2006)
Looking to tap into a lower price-point market, Tokina resurrected its 28-70 offering in 2002 as the Tokina 28-70 f2.8 ATX-PRO SV, with the 'SV' designating 'Special/Super Value' (I've seen it referred to as both). In appearance, this is most like the ATX-PRO “I” version as it abandons the crinkle finish of the “II” (and 28-80 f2.8 for that matter) in favor of the smooth used from 1988-1997. The easiest way to identify this one? The lettering by the filter threads will note the “SV” designation. As for what constituted a “special value,” it involved cost cutting. The SD and aspherical elements seen on the contemporary 28-80 f2.8 version were gone as was the “one touch” clutch as Tokina opted to resurrect its clunky 2-step version seen on the older 28-70 “I” and “II” PRO versions. Build quality also took a hit, with Tokina incorporating more composites (a fancy word for plastic) into the lens. Hey, you usually get what you pay for! Of the 4 versions of the 28-70, this is the least desirable.



Well, there you have it: how to identify the 4 versions of Tokina's 28-70 f2.8 lenses. Hopefully, this article can help guide potential buyers through the often muddled waters of the second hand market that have now been made even muddier thanks to online classified ads that can often be anything but clear in exactly what's for sale. 


Tokina Fan? Check Out These Reviews!
Tokina 100 f2.8 ATX-PRO Macro
Tokina 80-200 f2.8 AT-X
Tokina 80-400 f4-5.6 AT-X
Tokina 17 f3.5 ATX-PRO

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