Is Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens worth it? TEARDOWN & Review

Is Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens worth it?
www.fixyourcamera.org/tokina-m100
This Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens, while optically excellent, costs about 50% less compared to similar Nikon and Canon lenses...
Question is: Is it worth the money?
I kept figuring out some things here and also thinking about which camera lens I should start with for the 1st teardown and review. Meanwhile, I bought this macro lens and after just a couple days of use, it started making some weird noises. So instead of shipping it out I decided to fix it myself and make a teardown and review at the same time. So Tokina m100 is the first one, problem solved. Of course this will void my warranty, but I personally don't care about it that much. If your lens is still under the warranty - don't disassemble it. Ok, so a very quick overview of this thing. There is a manual aperture ring, there is also focus limiting switch and this is a very useful feature. Macro lenses are usually slow as a turtle when it comes to focusing speed and this one makes no exception.
This switch is mechanically dividing the full range of focusing mechanism into 2 parts, so you can use this lens either as a regular prime lens or as a typical close up macro lens. And in both cases it can make it focusing about 50% faster which is not bad. 9 blades diaphragm which is very nice, almost perfectly round and it's mechanically controlled by this lever since it's and Nikon mount. Optics are super clean which is usually, but not always the case with brand-new lenses. Also this is an externally focusing lens which means, that the front part moves in and out while focusing. It's not great but as long as it doesn't rotate while doing this, it's good enough. And of course there are also MTF charts to compare and some other things, specifications and stuff like that, but since I don't care about this - I'm not going to talk about it here. Let's get to the problem. If I remember correctly there is a nice, thin ball bearing that goes all the way around the clutch mechanism. But probably that's not where the problem is. It's most likely somewhere here. My guess is that there is some grease missing inside this lens. Someone at the factory either got lazy or made a mistake. And even if they do have a great quality control at the factory, this type of problem is very hard to detect. That's because most of those parts inside have some kind of paint on them or there is some residual grease that will make this lens work perfectly fine for some - usually short - period of time. Or maybe something else - let's see. Now, as with most Tokina lenses I've seen so far. This is a very simple and solid construction. That's why it's so heavy. It's a very simple construction when it comes to electronics also. Just a handful of SMD parts, an oscillator and an 8-bit microcontroller. There is also a manual focus switch and position encoder which I’ll show you later. This gear is getting engaged or disengaged, depending on the position of the focusing clutch mechanism. Let's remove it now. Just a thin plastic shelll covering some solid metal alloy parts. Even though this clutch mechanism doesn't feel right while I am rotating it, it's most likely not directly related to my squeaky problem. So I’ll take care of it in a couple of minutes. Let's see what we got so far. One of the nicest looking lens mounts ever. Is is very important? No! But still it looks so good that I just couldn't resist mentioning it. It's solid and quite heavy too. Plastic manual aperture ring - not much to it. Another plastic ring that goes under the lens mount. A thin plastic shell that goes over the clutch mechanism and the clutch mechanism itself. This is how it looks like when removed from the lens. And here's the rest of this lens.
TEARDOWN GALLERIES:
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• Is Tokina 100mm f2.8 m... - What's inside a Macro Lens - Tokina m100 Teardown & Review - Very Good, but not greasy enough :)

[@kathodosdotcom]

Im sending my subscribers to your great channel to see your videos. ***** winks* I must have "sold" 5,000+ Tokina 100mm macro lenses on recommendation over the past year

[@EDHBlvd]

👍

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Theoria Apophasis THANKS KEN! Number of subscribers on my channel just quadrupled overnight. That's power! More teardowns and reviews comming soon. Just finished watching several of your videos. And while I disagree with you on some minor things, you are making some very valid points, very uncommon among "regular youtube reviewers", with their camera specs, MTF charts and buttons location craziness. I'll explain more in a couple of days, in the next vid. P.S. Will you get offended if I call you "weird... in a positive way..."?:)))) heh hopefully not, because I already recorder this part:)

[@kathodosdotcom]

yeaaahhh boiiiii !!!!!! Hey.....my PEEPS wanna see the D7100 TEARDOWN FIRST!!!!!!!! i call myself weird, so thats FINE call me UNCLE FESTER of Photography

[@TheYFlyer]

+Theoria Apophasis I am considering purchasing one based on your recommendation.

[@karenc2467]

+Michael Sullivan You won't regret it - I did and love it. Worth every penny and then some. Save $ great results.

[@arranwhite5343]

This video is a real gem! I really hope you keep doing this kind of thing. I'd be really interested to see what's inside the main manufacturer kit lenses

[@bargenatorharding1499]

Fantastic video, great narration and I'm a tad envy of your skills, it seems to be a very rewarding vocation. Keep up the great work, it's fascinating to see the working internals of camera equipment.

[@kawikalo]

I was looking for a review on this lens and found your channel. WOW! You are awesome. You have one new subscriber, just because I love unassembling things, I just don't have the skills to put them back together hehe. With that being said, know I won't be doing this to any of my lenses anytime soon. I will be checking out your other videos later.

[@richdt]

You're a very talented technician and your narration in the video was excellent.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+richdt Thanks a lot:)

[@jaimearturorg]

Spectacular video, narration, image quality, and explanation, you are a master of reviewing and analyzing lenses, you got my like, subscription and admiration. Go on uploading videos. You are the best.

[@razer057]

Great video, your explanations are easy to understand and the quality of your presentation is excellent. Subscribed!

[@a.s.6505]

I just found your channel and oh god how come you dont have a million subscribers? Great quality of videos, very helpful.

[@Mitch.Wasserman]

Great videos. Sorry to see you're not creating them anymore. Really makes me appreciate the high prices on DSLR"s. I just bought this lens. Fantastically sharp.

[@aerascy]

Impressive presentation !! got hooked from the first second !! Great audio , video , technique and information !!! Please keep this going !!!!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Charis Charalambous Thank you! Working on next ones currently!:)

[@kunaak]

I use to fix cameras and lenses, back in the mid 90's when film was still a thing, and honestly sometimes I miss those days, working on cameras that sometimes had 20-30 year life spans, like the Nikon F2, and the Leica M4. But once digital cameras became a thing, I abandoned it entirely, but I do miss it sometimes. So stumbling across this, was totally fun. I haven't seen a completely broken down lense in decades, and most certainly never seen a digital one fully torn down, so this was really interesting to see.

[@lladnarpro]

There are many youtube photography channels I visit on a regular basis, but you are the first I've decided to subscribe to, after watching just this one video. I've been taking things apart since childhood (toys, mechanical banks, etc.), pissing off my dad since about age 5. Eventually I learned how to put them back together and even fix things in the process, moving into deeper waters (cars, home appliances, musical keyboards, computers...), but hadn't ventured into DSLRs or lenses. Because of you that will change. Mad props.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Haha:) you are exactly like me, I did all those things, including pissing off my parents/destroying and disassembling everything as a kid:) Welcome aboard!

[@oc2phish07]

What an excellent video. Interesting, informative and extremely well filmed. Thanks. I look forward to watching more of your stuff.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Thanks!

[@Georg248HD]

This is amazing!!! Technical, detailed and well put together. Keep up!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Georg Arju. Thank you!

[@MrPutrifyingEagor]

I started with your website,and thoroughly enjoyed your impressive articles! and now I'm enjoying your video.Thank You for this very informative channel! I even enjoy articles not related to my brand (Canon & Tokina).A Big thanks again!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Putrifying Eagor Thanks a lot!

[@subrotomitra]

Very good! Being an engineer of large machines, this was fascinating to watch!

[@Argyll9846]

Great detailed teardown of the Tokina 100mm - most impressive channel.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Nicholas Fox Thanks!

[@ronspi]

I love this lens. It is sharp and easy to work with, in manual mode. Great video. Detailed, technical, flowing. Thank you very much. Subscribed.

[@kavi14in]

Excellent. Truly professional illustration. Please do come out with more videos

[@Kmacnm]

That was great! I had never seen a lens torn down like that. Very interesting and informative! Looking forward to seeing more!!! Thank you for the insight! 8)

[@brysonmartin5405]

Fantastic video, thanks for posting this. I own this lens, it's not the highest build quality but it's optically better than my Nikon 105 micro. I look forward to more videos, keep up the great work.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Bryson Martin Thank you!

[@thegoblin3629]

I don't have any lenses that need fixing, but I love what you're doing. You get a sub!

[@AntPDC]

A beautifully filmed and narrated video - top notch! Thank you.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Thanks!

[@MrModerate_kane]

Great review, came here from angry. Cemented what I found, buying this Monday. Was going to get the 105 VR, but only need it for small details, what bothered me was construction but you explained workings, now I understand what I got off angrys page, then Darren mills, then yours. You saved me money subbed. Checked amazon reviews, then off to eBay ;-) cheers.

[@jonobaker]

Great video, really clear and everything was meaningful and considered, it's going to be really handy to know potential weak points on my new lens so thankyou!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Jono Baker Thanks! I hope yours will work just fine from the very beginning:)

[@kontrolla1]

Fantastic video. Very informative and superbly presented. I have just ordered this lens so to see exactly how it is constructed with your expert and considered opinions of the construction was great. Thanks a lot and keep up the great work. I have subscribed and I shall definitely be watching more of your videos.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Paul Collins Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your comment and other great comments here. Very motivating to create next videos. How is your lens working? Do you like it?

[@kontrolla1]

+FixYourCameraORG So far I have mainly used it for water collisions and I am very impressed. The manual focusing is very nice to use and the quality of the images is excellent. For the price it is a surprisingly good lens.

[@D800Lover]

Exceptional video, 10/10. Several of us have this lens, so this video was truly interesting. Thank you and yes, I have subscribed.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+D800Lover Thank you!

[@stephenterrones3561]

I'm impressed with your mechanical skills and knowledge of said parts. Thank you for sharing.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Stephen Terrones Thank You!

[@fxprocc]

AMAZING TEARDOWN. best I have seen in a while. Great Tips

[@ishootinraw1]

Would be very nice if you'd do a detailed video on how to clean a camera sensor. thanks. And, thank you for this video Mike.

[@Gemthermakleingk]

This video makes me want to buy the lens and send it to you for a proper adjust, awesome video and talent!

[@MRBraveheartscot]

I bought this lens based on the Angry Photographer recommendation. And by the way, I don't agree with all his reviews but I will say he was spot on with this lens. It is TACK sharp and for your ££ it's money well spent. Used it on my D90 and was excellent but it came to life on my D750, the results I get with Portrait and Macro are really outstanding. Solid and heavy , not the fastest at focus but worth the extra wait ! :)

[@LeoBasuki]

Me too, Bro.

[@iShaneel]

Awesome video! So informative! Can you please make a teardown for the Canon 100mm Macro USM? That would be so great. No information available on this lens of mine so far.

[@pianoman6639]

Amazing video and I would never dream of attempting this but so informative many thanks

[@chrimay]

Decided to subscribe to your channel within the first minute of the video. Keep the good working!

[@TheYFlyer]

Excellent video! I'm looking forward to your future videos.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Michael Sullivan Thank you:)

[@mann24j]

Very Nicely described. I appreciate your technical knowledge about this lens. Very very informative video. I am using this lens so this information is very important for me.Thank you for this video.

[@MadCat-75]

thanks for the teardown - mine with canon-mount shows "Err 1" in some situations. I think, its the positionencoder, because it happens only in a small focus-range. I hope, i can fix it myself. If not, i will buy a new one. Its now ~9 years old and served me well.

[@VasilWho]

Your channel is indeed unique. I would very much like to see it back in action.

[@kingdom777866]

Fantastic !!! i really like this video, and its nice to hear what he say's (opinion) as he's taking it to bits.. at last someone knows what there talking about when it comes to lenes... Thanks a lot buddy, great filming you did too..

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+kingdom777866 Thanks!!

[@jacekeeton9020]

I came here because of Ken... .As Crazzzzy as he is... I totally enjoyed your Vid on this Tokina... I am looking forward to watching a lot more of your work and knowledge :)

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+jace keeton Thank You!

[@ScoTreVan]

Yes I agree, Exceptional video, 10/10. I will have this lens, soon so the video was very interesting, I hope mine is ok when it arrives. Thank you and subscribed also.

[@nemac23]

Yea, please tear down a D7100. I'd love to see that. I dropped my one and the exp-comp button no longer works, so it would be awesome to get an idea of what it would take to fix it if I ever muster the courage to try and do that.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+nemac23 Coming, be careful about the flash capacitor!

[@David-uk7qv]

Nice video! Keep up the good work.

[@wallyurbanski8096]

Fantastic video work and detailed discussions regarding all your "Fixyourcamera" videos Mike. I have just purchased a Tokina AT-X AF 80-200mm lens and it has fungus and dust down deep in the lens elements. I would like to know how I could remove the parts, to get down to clean these components. Cheers Wally.

[@Janet_Airlines802]

I just ordered one yesterday. From what I have been hearing it's quite a value compared to other Macro lenses. People are very impressed with image quality. Great video thanks.

[@raymondchan3587]

Not just macro, good for portrait.

[@maxxsmaxx1901]

Really appreciate this wonderful video/demo . Thank you very much .

[@baronbarbaron]

About the microscope i use a webcam removed from old laptop. It is not quite light sensitive, but works ok and give me good DOF. Nice video! :)

[@cloudstepper11]

Outstanding video, man!

[@exathaphotoanddesign4596]

thanx so much for making this channel :) its helps me to know every weaknes of the lens, so i can use it properly and its also helping me to decide to buy these lenses or not (and for this case, yes i will take this 100mm tokina lenses :)

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Thanks!

[@jmrjmr3446]

Unfortunately for me, they do not make this lens in Pentax mount. Having seen you excellent video only now, and one were available, I would spring for this lens. Thanks for the great video. Just saw two more. Excellent videos! JMR

[@Salvadorsalais]

wow, great job and great video. thank you

[@moealyasini2784]

Wow ! Just wow ! So organized 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@stevofoo]

Everthing is nice and tidy on the table, absolutely a perfessional !!!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Steve Steve Thanks!

[@luyangche8278]

Fantastic Video!You got recommended btw.

[@rydaug79]

Mike, I have a Nikon 55-300mm G and the lever on the rear mount doesn't open the aperture blades. It must have became detached from them somehow. Nikon wants $161.00 to fix it. Any suggestions on how to fix it or another trusted repair shop?

[@rapalma38]

Very high professional level you have in this video, im a owner of this lens, and this lens are made like the old school, in design and material, less plastic more metal, very good optics, thanks for sharing you knowledge

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Raúl Palma Thanks, that's motivating! Yes, this lens is primitive... and good!

[@tonyp1119]

Abso amazing video! Thank you very much for the info. Wonderful....

[@colosistvan]

Thank you so much for your video, your efforts! But really! This is PRICELESS that you cannot get from anywhere else! I was decided to buy this Tokina 100m f2.8 after days of searching for a macro for my new dslr, but after watching your video and reading one of the below comment I am definitely not going to buy this lens. Such QC issues are like in low end China factories.

[@alejandrozunino5428]

thanks for the video, I am encouraged to disassemble mine and I am repairing it, I still see that many intermediate steps are missing, for example the limit and full button, it has a small spring and a ball, it is very complicated to place, I see that those steps are not put in the video, the same when you remove the tube after desoldering, several pieces have been removed before.

[@AliASalih]

Thanks for the detailed video.. Can you tell me what type of grease you used and if possible guide me where to buy it. I have Nikon 55mm f3.5 AIS with very stiff focusing ring and I want to clean the old one and then apply a new one, hopefully this will loosen the ring again... Thanks in advance.

[@karenc2467]

Enjoyed the video and I have that lens - bought it after watching TAP. Great lens.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Hub Towner Thanks! Yes for the price -> excellent value. Mine is also working great, all pictures on fixyourcamera.org were taken with this Tokina:)

[@timdilnutt6983]

Great channel. Great to see a pro' at work.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Timothy Dillnutt Thanks a lot!

[@planthi80]

Excellent posting..........I hope to see more soon!!!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+planthi80 Thanks! More is coming!:)

[@mendex2006]

Great vid! just awesome Sr. Ty.

[@KElson992]

that was so interesting to watch great video!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+KElson992 Thank you!

[@bujin5455]

VERY nice! Keep up the good work!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Thanks!:)

[@mike0rr]

This was great. Thank you!

[@adrianaosirish6065]

Great video Mike ,thanks !!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Adrian Thank You!

[@tonyedge540a]

How are focusing issues corrected with this lens ? I have one on my D750. The fine tune is maxed out at plus 20 but it is still not right. Is it a shimming correction possibly ?

[@richardhaw9757]

nice channel! just subscribed!

[@efreutel]

Fascinating! Many thanks!😊

[@chriskamminga7901]

Awesome vid! I really hope you could answer this question: will the autofocus work on my d5300?

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

nope, there is no focus motor inside D5300

[@cheny8923]

i just received my brand new tokina 100mm f2.8 macro. it had 3 issues 1. oil mark on one of the aperture blades 2. big dust particle inside the lens very visable 3.glue residue on the rear of the lenshood could demand for this lens make them rush in the factory and make mistakes? i have now been advised i can return the lens for another new one hopefully no more issues like this

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Hi Jeff, not a good experience overall:) It's not high demand, it's just Tokina's quality control unfortunately. The lens construction is simple/primitive and quite good. The manufacturing process leaves quite a bit to be desired. Mine also had some problems, that's why I recorded this video. Hopefully the replacement will work great!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+David Valleri Thanks !!!:)

[@TalesFromTheScript]

Probably the best lens I have ever owned. Built to last a lifetime - awesome build and optics...! Just buy one...!!!

[@mokotramp]

Excellent, many thanks!

[@cinhudson1]

That was an amazing video!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Thanks!

[@k6iii842]

Perhaps the Pentax Q with its tiny sensor could be a good fit for the microscope.

[@jcbfoto]

Excelente video! Hace pocos dias compre uno usado en Ebay pase Nikon y aparentemente en muy buen estado. Cuando lo recibí, lo probé y lamentablemente el autofoco funciona a veces y a veces no. También la lectura de el diafragma no queda fijo en 2.8, a medida que enfoco mas lejos varia el numero f. Usted podría ser tan amable de decirme que puede estar pasando? Le agradezco desde ya, le escribo desde Uruguay y si necesito repuestos de este lente voy a tener que averiguar donde lo puedo conseguir, una web para recomendar? Muchas gracias desde ya!

[@garyb6943]

Wow! Well Done!

[@rumahkreatifkarimunvisual1969]

hey ... how to open tokina front lens, can you make some tutorial for it .. thanks

[@DrewofDonuts]

I just found this channel (for no purpose, really), and thought "Cool! This guy can definitely help me fix my future broken stuff!" And then you used a soldering gun and removed some component...and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Subscribed nonetheless (-:

[@NelxxxonSilva]

I go some problem with the af swicth, i open the lens and fix it, but now i dont get near a infinity posicion, i dont understand why..

[@oscarlopez2052]

My friend i have a tamron sp 90mm 2.8 Di macro lens can you pleace tell me how to disassemble front element there is some wird spots i do have part of it disassemble but i still do not know how to take the front elemento off Thankyou for your help.

[@TheBigclow]

awesome video!!!!

[@dailylife6183]

Lately my Tokina lens missed focus a lots, in camera focus adjustment are not possible.

[@chirag4]

great video. I am confused about the next lens purchase for my canon 6D, between this Tokina and Canon's overpriced 100mm f/2.8 IS L Macro, want your suggestion, or if you have any other lens in mind. Don't like Sigma at all, since i follow Ken Wheeler's philosophy. Also don't like the Tamron 90. Canon has 15 elements (too many), while Tokina has only 9 which is ideal for 3D depth in images. Thanks

[@dude157]

do you have to disassemble it all the way to get to the rear element to clear some fungus

[@WhiteCrowFarm]

Im just about to get this lens, and your video made me question the purchase. I was wondering if you have encountered another tokina 100mm lens that seemed to have the same problem? Or was this a rare case? Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed how technical it was.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Nope, it's not a rare case. I still think it's a great lens, but Tokina's manufacturing is mediocre at best. Buy it, test thoroughly and if not working correctly - return it and try another one. Warranty repairs take time...

[@WhiteCrowFarm]

Thanks for getting back to me! I got the lens the other day, and i was wondering what sort of things i should pay attention to that would indicate that the lens is not of a good quality.

[@philindeblanc]

WOW! Just amazing video and boat loads of great info! BTW, whois a good source that I can order a main board for the 5D2 camera, and how can I know if its a oem board vs a copy? Thanks!

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

The best source for Canon parts is... Canon! They do sell parts. Although a main board replacement is not an easy swap. There is firmware, initialization and lots of adjustment values to copy from the old one - otherwise it won't work.

[@philindeblanc]

Sent it in to Canon, and they fixed it for under $250 parts and labor.

[@richsmith9063]

Wow you're Good !!! Excellent video.....

[@LeoBasuki]

What are those white gel and the blue gel that you use to lubricate the barrel and the screw? Thank you very much in advance.

[@FLORAMORAITINI]

Dear Sir hello, I am using a Tokina 100 for the first time. Put it on my new D500, both lens and camera on autamic and button on limit. ISO on automatic and P program. It is low light but in the view finder the F EE is flashing? Can you please advise me. Thank you very much.

[@anthonyln05]

@fixyourcameraORG great video! would this tear down apply to a tokina 16-50 mm lens. i am having a problem with the focus and zoom sticking because of something loose inside of the lens. it seems like the piece is jamming in the gear that i seen on the this video. please help. thanks in advance

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

Zoom lenses are a bit more complex, but still Tokinas are relatively very simple compared to other brands. Internal construction will be different from this m100. Very likely it's a simple problem, something got loose. It's up to you and your skill level...

[@quite1enough]

is there any issues with dust collection with this lens? considering the focusing mechanism

[@IkeCantle]

I owned the Nikon 105mm f2.8 G VR macro and still own the Nikon the 105mm AF-D. Both lenses focus hunt in low light and I didn't see much improvement from the $900 VR lens. So I sold the VR version. Have you examined the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro which sells for $619 in the US? I'm wondering what your thoughts are.

[@FixYourCameraOrg]

+Ike Cantle no, I don't work on Sigma...

[@RajeshKumar-fh8vk]

very very good job

[@jeoffreyseballos4026]

Man! Great Job!

[@TechCrazy]

Mike, you said you were an independent camera and lens repair technician. How to contact you regarding a servicing of a lens?