In November, Tokina announced three new reflex lenses in the SZ Pro lineup. They had focal lengths and apertures of 300mm f/7.1, 600mm f/8 and 900mm f/11. What makes these so special compared to all of the reflex lenses Tokina’s released in the past? Well, these are the first designed specifically for APS-C mirrorless camera systems. This means no more adapters and they can also make the lenses smaller.
At the time of the initial announcement, the lenses were available via Indiegogo, where they raised a pretty meagre $16,100. But Tokina has announced that they’re going on general sale on February 3rd. There are only three mount options available at the moment, including Sony E, Fuji X and Canon EF-M. I’m still hoping that we’ll see Nikon Z and Canon RF versions at some point.
The specs and features of the three lenses have not changed since the initial announcement. Their major selling point is their small size, and while a reflex lens is never going to give you the quality (or wide apertures) of a straight-up super telephoto, they also don’t come with those kinds of price tags, either. They offer a focus throw of 270°, giving you some ability to fine-tune the focus manually – and they are manual focus lenses – and presenting the “donut bokeh” offered by this type of lens design.
| SZ 300mm Pro Reflex F7.1 MF CF | SZ 600mm Pro Reflex F8 MF CF | SZ 900mm Pro Reflex F11 MF CF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focal length | 300mm | 600mm | 900mm |
| Aperture | f/7.1 (fixed) | f/8 (fixed) | f/11 (fixed) |
| Image circle | APS-C | APS-C | APS-C |
| Optics | 8 Elements in 8 groups | 8 elements in 8 groups | 7 elements in 7 groups |
| Filter size (front) | 46mm | 77mm | 86mm |
| Filter size (rear) | 34mm | 34mm | 34mm |
| Angle of view | 5.4° Fuji/Sony, 5.1° Canon | 2.7° Fuji/Sony, 2.6° Canon | 1.8° Fuji/Sony, 1.7° Canon |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.92m | 1.77m | 2.61m |
| Macro ratio | 1/2.5 | 1/2.5 | 1/2.5 |
| Focus Type | Manual focus | Manual focus | Manual focus |
| Dimensions | 61 x 74.5mm | 88.6 x 125mm | 96.1 x 168mm |
| Weight | 235g | 545g | 725g |
Tokina says that they specifically targeted APS-C mirrorless cameras when designing the new lenses due to the fact that just about every existing mirror reflex lens on the market was designed for full-frame DSLRs. This made them bulky, most of them didn’t offer the kind of clarity needed for today’s mirrorless cameras, and if you do want to use them on your mirrorless camera, you’ll need an adapter, making them stick out even further.
Now that the whole crowdfunding shenanigans is over, the Tokina SZ Pro 300mm f/7.1, 600mm f/8 and 900mm f/11 will be available to purchase from February 3rd, 2023, for Canon EF-M, Fuji X and Sony E mount cameras. Prices have not yet been announced, but we’ll update this post when we find out more.
