14 DAY TRIAL // Tokina Japan has just announced that the Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II for the Sony A-mount will be available in Japan starting November 21.
Back in November 2007, Tokina released the fastest ultra-wide-angle lens on the market, the Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX AF 11–16 mm f/2.8 which was available for Canon, Nikon and Sony digital SLR cameras.
The lens was very well received by DSLR enthusiasts, but it seems it had a few problems regarding chromatic aberrations and work against bright light, two issues that are often encountered on almost every wide-angle Tokina lens.
Last year Tokina revealed the successor of this lens, the Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II, which comes with a few improvements over its predecessor including SD-M autofocus motor and GMR sensor for Nikon Digital SLRs, as well as improved multilayer coatings.
The lens features 13 elements in 11 groups, a 0.3m / 1ft minimum focus distance and weighs only 542g / 1.2lb. Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II also features an internal silent focusing motor allowing it to AF on Nikon bodies that don't have an autofocus motor.
Two Aspheric glass elements along with two Super-Low Dispersion glass minimizes chromatic aberrations and improves overall contrast and sharpness, while Tokina's One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism allows you to quickly switch between AF and MF with ease.
Unlike its predecessor, the new lens was made available only for Canon and Nikon mounts, although it was very well received by Sony A-mount camera users.
For now, no further details were given regarding the availability of this lens on other territories (US, Europe), but taking in consideration the popularity of the first model among Sony users, it won't be long until we see the new Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II on store shelves across the world.