Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 --- any reviews??

I was looking at normal to telephoto zooms for a Canon 30D and came across the Tokina 50-135 f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX lens. Here is a description from bhphotovideo.com:

The Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX Lens is a large-aperture telephoto zoom lens designed exclusively for use with digital SLR cameras. It features a fast constant aperture of f/2.8, and provides a focal length equivalent to 80-216mm in 35mm format. This zoom range covers a broad range of frequent telephoto situations.
The lens features SD glass lens elements to correct for chromatic aberrations and focuses all colors accurately at the film plane.
DX series lenses feature a smaller image circle (rear of lens) and are designed to match the smaller dimensions used for the image sensor on digital cameras. As a result these lenses are also more compact and lightweight, and are better matched to digital SLR cameras.

So has anyone used / own this lens?? How is it? How would you rate it? How is Tokina as a brand? Worth buying into?

Thanks.

Not much in the way of reviews around here yet.

Tokina as a brand has put out some top notch gear. The downside is that there are not a lot of users right now and most consider the 50-135/150 focal length to be a little wierd. I think it would make a great pair with the kit lens or a 18-50/17-50 lens.

Mr. Clean wrote in post #2599016
... and most consider the 50-135/150 focal length to be a little wierd. I think it would make a great pair with the kit lens or a 18-50/17-50 lens.

Odd, 70-200 on a 35mm made tons of sense to everyone for years. That range of angle of view equates to 45-125 on APS-C, yet the 'wierd' label is pasted on the 50-135 or 50-150 range!

What is weird is merely the fact that people are so acclimated to buying a focal length range that was designed for a larger format. I find it equally wierd to try to use a lens very much for routine shooting, when it has the equivalent of 112-320mm FOV on my APS-C camera, since I don't shoot sports or birds. So I will probably sell it as soon as my daughter gets out of college or loses interest in being coxswain on a nationally ranked Men's 4 rowing crew. I would certainly be interested in a lens 50-135 or 50-150 for the long end with my 17-55! Smaller yet faster than my Canon 70-200 f/4, and a better range of focal lengths to use on APS-C when supertelephoto FOV is not wanted.