Few days ago I wanted to buy the excellent Tokina 11-16/2.8 lens.  I’ve discovered (with great help from guys both in Megapixel and Fotoškoda) it doesn’t correctly auto-focus at 11mm with my Canon EOS 30D (1.0.6) body.

At 11mm the lens produces a large front focus (even 15cm) on every shot taken.  Since I’ve checked 8 (yes, by words: “eight”) pieces of this lens and all behave the same way, it seems to be a problem in the body it self.  In general I assume, for any 30D, not just the one piece I own.  I’ve tested the camera with other lenses such as Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, works perfectly.  The camera is actually in a perfect shape.  Also, one of the tested Tokinas apparently worked perfectly with e.g. Canon EOS 550D as I had a chance to check.

At 16mm, auto-focus with the Tokina works perfectly, so the problem (surprisingly) is only at the wide end.

After talking to AWH Canon service I have turned to Tokina dealer in CZ.  After a phone call – they were quit surprised and really willing to accept and solve the issue – I’ve sent them some sample shots.  I’ll see what the results will be.  I really don’t want to buy a new camera just because I want this particular lens so much…

Here is the test image, single point focusing at the center (at the yellow Fotoškoda logo), 11mm, f/2.8, you can clearly see the large front focus:

I’ll post updates on this with Tokina dealer response.

Edit:

I’m going to buy a new body.

Tokina dealer let me test some 5 other pieces of this lens, and also some other types of lenses they sell.  They all had the same problem.  It makes me feel the body has a problem more then Tokina’s lenses.

The guy from Tokina, by the way – thanks for his time, told me that reports of issues like this are not that uncommon.  Problem is that both sides always claim flaw is not on their side.  Cameras and lenses are simply too complicated to work always perfectly…

However, it might be just problem of the revision of the Canon body I’ve got and not of all 30D’s around the world.  I’ve found articles, actually reviews, of Canon 30D and Tokina 116 where all worked perfectly.  According that Canon and Sigma lenses work well on the body, the issue really is just Canon+Tokina.

I decided to rather buy a new body.  It’s hard, but I have to say I also have other reasons – for astrophotography currently available 60D seems better then 30D according opinions I’ve read.  But you will see your self ;)