Tokina Reflex Lenses
Distance, Detail, and Respect:
Field Testing Tokina’s 300mm, 600mm, and 900mm Reflex Lenses
As a wildlife photographer, I spend most of my time working with animals that would prefer I stay far away. Getting close is not an option. The challenge is always the same: how do you capture emotion, behaviour, and sharp detail without disturbing the subject? Over the last month, I put three of Tokina’s mirror lenses to the test, the 300mm, 600mm, and 900mm, to see how they perform in real field conditions with a variety of wildlife.
These are not ordinary telephotos. Tokina’s mirror lenses are manual focus, lightweight, and compact, using a reflex (catadioptric) design that significantly reduces size while still delivering long focal lengths. The result is reach without the strain, a setup that is easier to carry, steadier to handhold, and less intrusive in sensitive environments.
Each lens brings a different perspective to the story of the natural world. The 300mm allows room for habitat and context, showing the environment the animals rely on. The 600mm is the portrait lens, close enough to reveal expression and detail while keeping a respectful distance. The 900mm reaches subjects that are simply too far for traditional telephotos of comparable size.
Tokina Reflex 300mm
Tokina Reflex 600mm
Tokina Reflex 900mm
Tokina 300mm: Environmental Storytelling
• Best for wildlife within their surroundings
• Light, quick to handle, boosts reaction speed
• Great for shots where behaviour matters
• Surprisingly compact for a 300mm lens, which makes it easy to carry for long periods
The 300mm is the lens that brings place and story into the frame. It keeps enough distance for the animals to remain comfortable while still conveying how they move within their environment.
Because it is so compact, it encourages spontaneous shooting and exploration. Raise, focus, shoot, before the moment disappears. It is the field friendly option when mobility and context are essential.
Tokina Reflex 300mm
Tokina Reflex 300mm
Tokina 600mm: Portrait Range
• Strong detail and clean subject isolation
• Excellent compression for simple, focused compositions
• Ideal for expressive, intimate wildlife portraits
The 600mm is the focal length that captures character. It brings out expression, eye detail, and small changes in posture while still letting you work at a respectful distance. This is the lens that produces the strongest portrait style images, with enough reach to stay unobtrusive and enough clarity to capture emotion with precision.
Tokina Reflex 600mm
Tokina Reflex 600mm
Tokina 900mm: Extreme Reach
• Remarkable ability to close distance
• Ideal for shy or distant subjects
• Lightweight for this level of magnification
• Requires clean backgrounds for best results
The 900mm is designed for wildlife moments that normally remain out of reach, cautious mammals scanning their surroundings or interactions happening far across open space.
Despite the reach, the lens remains surprisingly compact thanks to the mirror design, far easier to carry than traditional super telephotos of similar magnification.
Patience and composition are key here. Allow the background to soften, wait for behaviour to settle, and the reward is rare access without intrusion.
Tokina Reflex 900mm
A Note on Manual Focus
Wildlife rarely waits, and these lenses rely entirely on manual control. It invites a more thoughtful approach, predicting movement, pre focusing, and letting the scene come to you.
With mirrorless focus peaking, achieving critical sharpness becomes intuitive, especially when the subject pauses to observe its surroundings.
Final Thoughts
Each lens has a role to play. Used together, they create a complete wildlife toolkit, habitat, personality, and long range observation all in one setup. Being able to work at distance means less disturbance to wildlife and more authentic behaviour in every frame.
Tokina Reflex 300mm
Tokina Reflex 600mm
Tokina Reflex 900mm