What exactly is this lens

John King

John King

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I carried out a shutter count check using the website shuttercounter.com It came back with the number the camera shutter had been fired close to what I was expecting but on the XIF data that came with the test results, the lens I used to take the test image appears to havetwo separate identities.

The lens I used to take the image was, so I believe, a Nikon 20/35 AFD F2.8 zoom. I have had it almost from new and it came with all the relevant paperwork to show that it was a Nikon Import in 2002 and was a genuine import and not a grey alternative.

However in the XIF data it indicated that the lens was also Tokina 20/35 F2.8 ATX Zoom. So, was this lens made by Nikon for Tokina as well? The technical details/construction appear to be the same; constant aperture, number of elements/groups, and the external appearance is quite similar. Or was this lens made by Tokina for Nikon and rebadged to sell as a Nikon lens. The original price of the lens sold by Nikon was listed at almost twice that of the Tokina when it was new.

Update

I have just checked my Nikon 70/300 70/300 AFD and that too has a split personality. It shares its name with a Sigma 70/300APO F4/5.6, but my Nikon 35/70 AFD is a Nikon thoroughbred
 
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John King said:
I carried out a shutter count check using the website shuttercounter.com It came back with the number the camera shutter had been fired close to what I was expecting but on the XIF data that came with the test results, the lens I used to take the test image appears to havetwo separate identities.

The lens I used to take the image was, so I believe, a Nikon 20/35 AFD F2.8 zoom. I have had it almost from new and it came with all the relevant paperwork to show that it was a Nikon Import in 2002 and was a genuine import and not a grey alternative.

However in the XIF data it indicated that the lens was also Tokina 20/35 F2.8 ATX Zoom. So, was this lens made by Nikon for Tokina as well? The technical details/construction appear to be the same; constant aperture, number of elements/groups, and the external appearance is quite similar. Or was this lens made by Tokina for Nikon and rebadged to sell as a Nikon lens. The original price of the lens sold by Nikon was listed at almost twice that of the Tokina when it was new.

Update

I have just checked my Nikon 70/300 70/300 AFD and that too has a split personality. It shares its name with a Sigma 70/300APO F4/5.6, but my Nikon 35/70 AFD is a Nikon thoroughbred
Click to expand...
 
With the lens on the camera do full reset and see if the information is still corrupted. What camera is it?
 
Nikon D600 for the main test but it also shows the same on my D700 which I found out after I checked it late last night. Same alternative names only some of the details applicable to the D700 are changed.

My Nikon 28/105 is also a pedigree Nikon

What do you mean by 'a full reset' what will that achieve? The anomaly is with the lens not the camera body. It is not information migrated from other lenses (If that is possible) because I have not got a Tokina or Sigma lens
 
Probably something to do with shutter.com, in that case.
To transfer fault finding techniques from my engineering background, every device that is computer/processor driven will have an operating system with a bin file folder (.bin) this can get corrupted and sometimes needs deleting and then overwritten.
To reset the camera consult the manual, it can sometimes help. For telecom's I would always have a configuration file for each customer so I could flatten the system and then do a rebuild...
 
Alan, I am starting to think you are probably correct. The actual lens used to take the test image will have no bearing on the actual XIF date which gives the shutter count so that can be discounted. However it was a bit of a surprise at the time. I have tried another site for the same test and the counter number was the same and it only showed the one lens I used not he alternatives.
 
John King said:
Alan, I am starting to think you are probably correct. The actual lens used to take the test image will have no bearing on the actual XIF date which gives the shutter count so that can be discounted. However it was a bit of a surprise at the time. I have tried another site for the same test and the counter number was the same and it only showed the one lens I used not he alternatives.
Click to expand...
John what exif info do you get in lightroom? I could be jumping the gun here being presumptuous in your use (choice) of editor being LR/PS...
 
John King said:
I don't use lightroom sorry I. cannot tell you. I cannot stand that programme.
Click to expand...
If you download Nikon view or any of the other Nikon free raw editor's you can check the lens data from within these programs...
 
John King said:
I carried out a shutter count check using the website shuttercounter.com It came back with the number the camera shutter had been fired close to what I was expecting but on the XIF data that came with the test results, the lens I used to take the test image appears to havetwo separate identities.

The lens I used to take the image was, so I believe, a Nikon 20/35 AFD F2.8 zoom. I have had it almost from new and it came with all the relevant paperwork to show that it was a Nikon Import in 2002 and was a genuine import and not a grey alternative.

However in the XIF data it indicated that the lens was also Tokina 20/35 F2.8 ATX Zoom. So, was this lens made by Nikon for Tokina as well? The technical details/construction appear to be the same; constant aperture, number of elements/groups, and the external appearance is quite similar. Or was this lens made by Tokina for Nikon and rebadged to sell as a Nikon lens. The original price of the lens sold by Nikon was listed at almost twice that of the Tokina when it was new.

Update

I have just checked my Nikon 70/300 70/300 AFD and that too has a split personality. It shares its name with a Sigma 70/300APO F4/5.6, but my Nikon 35/70 AFD is a Nikon thoroughbred
Click to expand...
It’s not uncommon for lenses to have “split personalities” in EXIF data, especially with older models. The Nikon 20-35mm f/2.8 AFD lens you mention may indeed have been manufactured by Tokina for Nikon, as this was a common practice for some of Nikon’s lenses in the past. Tokina produced certain lenses for Nikon under Nikon’s branding, which could explain the mixed identities in the EXIF data. As for your 70-300mm lens, Nikon had a similar arrangement with Sigma, meaning that the Sigma 70-300 could have been rebranded as a Nikon lens. This practice was often used to offer a more affordable option without sacrificing much in quality.

In short, the lenses you have are likely built by third-party manufacturers for Nikon, and the different brand names in the EXIF data reflect this shared production process.
 
My goodness this is an oldish resurrected post!

Adding to what has been said before, the much decried Nikon 70/300 AFD, which I also have, is known to have exactly the same lens element construction, as a very similar looking 70/300 Tamron lens of the same era, and that is given a better report than the Nikon one. The only difference being, the Tamron focusses very much closer. To be honest I think the person who tested the Nikon lens was having a bad day because I have never found it wanting. I have even printed up to 12x16 from a colour negative that was exposed using my F6 on a heavy and very stable Manfrotto tripod.
 
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