So far, I have to say I’m quite impressed with the Tokina 300mm f2.8 AT-X SD.  Having bought the lens I was fairly sure I would live to regret it and always have that nagging feeling that I would be a far better photographer if only I’d bought the Canon lens. 

The reasoning was that I couldn’t afford to own both a Canon 300mm f2.8 and a Nikon 300mm f2.8, so the Tokina would do until I finally gave up waiting on Nikon to bring out the camera I really need, and accepted that I am now a Canon man. I think I’m now just about at that point, and may be able to bear selling the last of my Nikon lenses. That will probably mean that this lens will be replaced with a Canon 300 f2.8, but I’m not in any real hurry. The Tokina 300mm f2.8 lens is actually much better than I expected. OK there are compromises, but not in the area that matters most to me - absolute sharpness - and it’s so well made that it’s far more likely to break things - like my foot if I drop it - than to get broken itself. Side by side with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 AFi there’s not much difference is size, but the Nikon has a focus lock button and a focussing range limit switch

This is a good lens. Most of the missing features are ones that I rarely use - like the focus lock button on the Nikon - I turn the AF off rather than use that.  The focus range limiter is useful at times, but neither Nikon or Canon bodies lose focus as often as they used to, so that I can live without too.  So really it’s just the clutch to disengage the focusing ring I’d happily pay more for.

Both lenses come with substantial felt lined lens hoods, which are held firmly in place by locating screws. The Tokina hood is the bigger of the two.