I just bought the lens and disappointed :( [TOKINA 116 DX PRO II)

Hello. This is my very first post on this site. I am very excited to get in touch with you guys!

I am a very noob photographer from Turkey. (No my american friends, it is not a state of saudi arabia...)

I use Nikon D7100, i wanted to take landscape photographs. So i decided to buy highly recommended slightly budget lens, at-x 116 pro dx ii. I use this lens with 77mm HOYA Polarize filter. As you can guess, i put that lens on my d7100 body and started to take photos.

I've listed my problems with this lens below:

1) At "automatic mode", the camera produces very very overexposed photos. I just dont get it... why does it do that? [everything is on default]

2) The lens is not sharp. Not even close... Everybody is talking about how sharp it is, mine is soft as a cat...

3) In manual mode you know there is a light meter in the viewfinder. It is like -|||0|||+ when i manage to take photo while it is "0", the image is still too overexposed. Why is that happening?



Please check out samples. Help me please. I am about to cry...

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

First thought is that perhaps your exposure compensation is cranked up?
If everything is indeed on AUTO, that...shouldn't be happening.
Another possibility is that the aperture blades of the Tokina are sticking, leading to longer exposure times than have been set. It's happened to me on older lenses and also on manual ones, it's not out of the realm of possibility.


Try wiping that camera out fully and starting fresh. Just perform a reset of the entire thing and take it back to it's roots. Shoot in FULL AUTO and see if that happens. Have you tried a different lens yet to see if the lens is the issue?

You mentioned installing a polarizer. Have you tried it without the polarizer? If things are good without the polarizer, make sure its a circular polarizer (not the shape). It should say something like Cir-pl on it. A linear polarizer will give exposure and autofocus problems. I was just playing with a cheap polarizer last week. It ruined focus and exposure was off. It was marked circular, but it was linear. Hoya is good, but make sure it is marked circular.

We really need to see the photos uploaded here so we can see the EXIF data. Also never shoot on Automatic. Make sure the exposure compensation is turned OFF (set to 0) Here is how to post a photo here so we see the EXIF data
Guidelines to adding a photo to your post.

1. Resize photo to 1000px on the long side.
2. Resolution set to 72ppi (Pixels Per Inch)

These guidelines will be good for viewing on a computer but will not be good for printing. This will help safeguard your copyright.