Possible to use a Tokina 12-24 lens with a Nikon D4S?

Flyfishergirl

Flyfishergirl

New member
I am wondering if there is an adapter to use this lens with my Nikon D4S? I am completely new to this Nikon camera, and a bit overwhelmed. I have been looking online and although have found some info, am confused. I wanted to ask here to see if I am way off base so that I don't make an ordering mistake or spend tons of time going down a rabbit hole. Thank you in advance!


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Woodyg3

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
This lens was intended for DX (crop sensor) cameras. You may get vignetting on the sides of the picture when using it with a full frame camera like the D4S.
 
Clovishound

Clovishound

Senior Member
Not sure if the D4s does this, but all of the newer Nikon's "force" crop frame when a DX lens is mounted. IOW, the camera will only use about half of the sensor, since a DX lens does not normally cover all of a full frame sensor. And, it won't let you choose using the full frame, knowing you'll get vignetting. That means you will only get about 8 MP as opposed to the normal 16 MP your sensor is capable of. 8 MP is fine for posting online, as long as you don't crop much. It's likely not enough for either heavy cropping, or large prints.
 
Needa

Needa

Senior Member
Challenge Team
You will be most likely be happier if you find a FX lens for your camera. Using the search terms wide angle, F mount and FX lens will turn up some options, like a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED. As FX lens can be quite expense if what you want is still available new, you may want to check for used at local shops or online stores like MPB and KEH.

Happy hunting.
 
BF Hammer

BF Hammer

Senior Member
The technical answer is yes, the lens can be attached to the camera and you can take photos. But it is a compromise in so many ways.

The easy rule of thumb with FX and DX formats (Full frame compared to APS-C frame) is that the lenses are the same mount. But they project a different size image on the sensor. FX lens will project the large image for a full-frame sensor. It will also project that same image onto a crop-sensor (DX). The result is a smaller portion of the image is recorded on the sensor. This works fine and sometimes gets better performance from a lens because the photo is recorded by only using the best part of the glass in the center. But attempting the reverse with a DX lens on a full-frame sensor means that the camera must do a digital crop and only use the center part of the sensor to record the photo. The image below I borrowed online shows this relationship.

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Added into this equation is your camera viewfinder. That view won't change, you still see the full-frame size image there, with an illuminated rectangle frame that represents what the image recorded will be. At least my D750 works this way, I expect your D4S to be the same as it is a contemporary of the D750.

So the DX lens on your D4S is going to result in a smaller size photo, a cropped-in size, and much lower resolution. I cannot recommend doing this. I have done the experiments already.

Further let's examine your goal with the 12-24mm lens, the expected results, and why it might be a waste. DX cameras are not the right tool for ultra-wide work. Kind of why there are so few ulta-wide angle lenses for DX format. The Tokina lens is 12mm-24mm zoom range, which translates to 18mm-36mm full-frame field of view with the cropping of the image. Your typical 24-70mm full-frame lens is going to cover half of this range as it is with full resolution. You can buy a manual focus 14mm prime lens to take the ultra-wide photos and it would not cost too much at all. There are also autofocus 14mm primes for some more cost if it is required. At the ultra-wide end, that autofocus is not as much of a benefit.

That is my assessment. I do this for benefit of future readers seeking an answer with a similar camera-lens combination.
 
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