Long ago, on a planet far away (in time, at least), I worked in a camera store. Working in a camera store gives you ample opportunity to try out virtually every camera and lens and accessory made. You get to know what's good and what isn't. In those days, off-brand stuff - Vivitar, Tokina, Sigma, Tamron - was definitely in the latter category. The lenses were poorly made and optical nightmares, particularly the zooms (as if anybody in their right might would even consider using a zoom in those days!). Just the mention of one of these manufacturers tended to send shivers down my spine. Well, imagine my trepidation, then, when I recently found myself considering buying a lens from one of them. I read reviews. I read "personal experience" stories. The lens I was considering, the Tokina 12-24 f4, kept getting comments like, "Fantastic!", "Well made!", and "Sharp!". "No way," thought I. But, I really like ultra-wide angle lenses. When I had my FM, my favourite lens was the 24/2.8. Well, you can't get that kind of width here in the digital age for less than a thousand dollars from Nikon. In fact, a lot more than a thousand. And I haven't got that kind of dough, sooooo......... I bought the Tokina. I'm really liking this lens! It's got less distortion than my Nikkor 18-200 (which cost me almost twice what this one did). In fact, I'm amazed. Need a nice wide angle? Go buy this lens. Really. You'll like it.