Tokina SZX 400mm f/8 Reflex Reviews
Like a super-modern version of a prime lens from the past
By Chili Parma
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2023-03-18
Yeah, I get that it's a fixed focal length, fixed f8 aperture, manual focus, no stabilization lens, donut bokeh . . . BFD.
It's total fun and it makes you take pictures like we did back in the 60's and 70's - when there was no auto-focus, no auto exposure, no nothin'. It's a blast and a blast from the past and it will make you a MUCH better photographer. That's why I gave it 5 stars. It's so much better than all the other mirror (catadioptric) lenses on the market (Opteka, Rokinon, et al) and even the prehistoric (super-heavy) Nikkors out there. Oh, it does have a HUGE PLUS - it's super compact and light and pretty darn sharp for what it is - just use a tripod or other bracing device. Get one, just for the fun of it. It will make you feel young again !
An interesting, flawed lens
By Josh
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2022-02-26
I've taken some good photos with this lens under the right conditions, and the donut-shaped bokeh certainly can be used to create some artistic effects.
However, under daylight conditions, the lens seems to be washed out, lacking color and contrast. In post, it is possible to recover some of this.
The lens focus is so sensitive that it is difficult to lock in focus, requiring the smallest movements, and then it is easy to bump out of focus again as you are trying to get it lined up for the shot... since to focus it, you really need to use maximum focus magnification.
Taking shots in anything but the brightest conditions requires a tripod, since this lens is so slow.
On the upsides, it is a 400mm lens, it is compact (about the same size as a Tamron 28-200), light, and cheap. The build quality feels reasonably nice, and the focusing mechanism is smooth with about the right amount of friction (it's just too sensitive, as noted above). It's also something of a novelty since reflex lenses are relatively rare.
Super-telephoto but with flaws
By James
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2022-02-15
What it has going for it; reach, and lots of it. Fairly light and compact for it's focal length, but the required T-mount adapter adds length and weight. One advantage is that you can swap T-mount adapters for other lens mounts.
The drawbacks; it's hard to focus well, and the constant f8 aperture makes it all but impossible to shoot hand-held on any but the brightest daylight. Even with in-body stabilization, that much reach really requires fast shutter speeds. Also, due to the front mirror impacting the focal path, the bokeh is distinctly halo shaped. That can look cool with lights, but darker objects leave a weird pattern of smoke rings across the image.
Bottom line, I wanted a cheap option, but this thing is too limited in it's uses for me to call it a good purchase.
This lens is a worthwhile addition to my lens collection.
By Maciej J.
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-02-01
I have used this lens a number of times now - mostly for landscape oriented photos and a few portraits and bird shots. The good, it is small and convenient for a 400mm lens, when properly focused it is very sharp indeed.
The bad, focusing is critical and manual - you do have to get used to it.
Overall this is a fine lens for a number of applications and will yield very sharp results once you put in the time to get familiar with it. Bracing yourself against a wall or rail is helpful, a tripod is very helpful if available.
I decided to keep it - for the price it is a worthwhile addition to my lens collection,
Does it's job...
By Rodrick
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-13
Works as advertised. Narrow depth-of-field, muted contrast, only decent sharpness, as expected. Can be hand-held (sort of) with IBIS, focus magnification, but works best on evan a small tripod or beanbag with remote trigger. Can't beat the price, weight.
Fun lens.
By Garren
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-02
I own a 200-500 Nikon but wanted to try something physically smaller. This lens is perfect to throw in my sling bag and go. A great match for my mirrorless cameras. Perfect when using my lighter tripod - I use a swinging gimbal type mount for larger lenses.
As expected, but lens hood sticks
By Bill
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-10-02
I have had a reflex lens before, so I knew all the negatives going in - manual focus, extremely short depth of field, odd bokeh, single aperture. Still well worth the price for a special-purpose lens. It's nicely built, works fine on my D7200 (with the manual 'set up a non-CPU lens' part done) and a quick set of test shots looks as expected.
The only problem I've had is with the lens hood. I put a UV filter on the lens, mainly to protect it from damage when NOT using the hood. Attached the hood to the filter. Now I can't get the hood OFF the filter, taking the hood off takes the filter with it. It was a little rough screwing it in but not to the cross-threading point, just scratchy. I'll need to dig out my filter wrenches and keep one in my bag with this lens.
The use on M4/3 ...
By AG
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-09-01
First, this is a full-frame lens. On Micro 4/3, 400mm f/8 turns into 800mm f/16, which needs a very bright conditions to shoot at shutter speeds higher than 1/160 (at 800mm handheld this speed is already crazy, but compensated very well by IBIS - I get shots with no motion blur).
Second, speed booster is a must (from full-frame EF to M4/3). Just forget about sharp photos at 400mm (800mm FF equiv) on M4/3. On the magnification that high you'll see a lot of distortion effects like atmospheric dribble, haze, loss of contrast even from the small amount of directed light. Your photos really start depending on the air temperature. 800mm focal length is near useless during the hot summer regardless of the lens. With a speed booster (x0.71) it turns into the light compact 300mm 5.6 with acceptable sharpness, which has a nice build and joy to handle.
Thirdly, at 800mm, which you get on M4/3, the focus shifts substantially even from the slight touch (literally, just from touching the focus ring). The significant amount of focus ring rotation interval is devoted to close distances from 3 to 15 meters. You get practically millimeters and fractions of millimeters left to focus on distant objects.
Overall, this is an excellent lens with a nice build, impressive resolution and joyful handling. Just not on Micro 4/3.
At least, not without a speed booster.
