Lens Lab
    Vivitar 400 mm f/ 6.3 Auto Telephoto (Tokina)
    Vivitar 400 mm f/ 6.3 Auto Telephoto (Tokina)

    Vivitar 400 mm f/ 6.3 Auto Telephoto (Tokina)

    400mm · f/6.3

    Overview

    The Vivitar 400mm f/6.3 (Tokina) offers good focal length for birding and long shots, with excellent color rendition and decent contrast when lighting is favorable (Big Dawg). However, it suffers from chromatic aberration at wider apertures and high-contrast edges, mostly clearing by f/11 (Big Dawg). Build is solid with a deep lens shade and T4 mount, but the tripod base is small and the fine focus is slow (Big Dawg). It is inexpensive and lightweight enough for handheld use, though the narrow field of view and 20-foot minimum focus limit its versatility (Big Dawg). Suits budget-conscious manual focus enthusiasts willing to work around its quirks.