Last updated on 2026-01-07
A review and sample photos taken using the TOKINA Reflex 300mm MF MACRO with the OLYMPUS E-M1.
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able of contents
Gallery
The sample photos were taken using an Olympus E-M1.
Review
1．Overview
The Reflex 300mm F6.3 MF Macro is a 300mm manual focus (MF) mirror lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras manufactured by Tokina.
The lens features a 300mm focal length in a compact 66mm x 66mm cylindrical body, weighing just 300g. Because it’s designed for Micro Four Thirds sensors, it’s sensor-cropped, making it an ultra-telephoto lens with a 600mm focal length (35mm equivalent).
The aperture is fixed at F8, so the lens only has a focus ring. It comes with a deep cylindrical hood to combat backlighting.
The minimum focusing distance is 0.8m, which, considering that a typical 300mm telephoto lens has a minimum focusing distance of around 2m, suggests that this lens, with its 300mm focal length, can get very close.
2．Usability
The three sample images were also taken close to the minimum focusing distance. A distance of 0.8m prevents butterflies from fleeing, so it’s the perfect distance for photography.
On the mountain where I photographed the butterflies, I tried photographing a hawk flying high in the sky. It was quite difficult to track a distant moving object while looking through the E-M1’s EVF and focusing manually. Because it was dark at f/8, camera shake also made it nearly impossible to obtain a sharp image. I gave up on this combination that year.
Prior to that, I had attempted to photograph a hawk in the sky with the Sony α900 and the autofocus (AF) Reflex 500mm f/8, but the AF focusing speed was too slow, making it useless for photographing a flying hawk. When it comes to manual focus, a DSLR has better tracking than an EVF, which is good because you don’t get sick from the EVF, but it was difficult to achieve precise focus.
This lens isn’t one that sells in large numbers, so it’s designed as a manual-focus lens. However, since the lens element used for focusing is likely smaller than 500mm, I feel like AF would allow for reasonably fast focusing.
If AF were to maintain the current size and only slightly increase the price, that would be fine, but if it were to roughly double the price, increase the lens size, and increase the weight, it would lose the lens’s greatest advantage, its lightness, and I don’t think that’s a desirable change.
Also, this lens is designed exclusively for Micro Four Thirds, and no versions for other mounts are available. It would be interesting to see versions with APS-C sensors, such as X-mount, E-mount, or L-mount, but unfortunately, as of 2024, the Micro Four Thirds version is no longer on sale, so hopes are slim.
3．Summary
To sum up, the TOKINA Reflex 300mm is an extremely compact super-telephoto lens.
If your camera has powerful image stabilization and high sensitivity, having one when hiking might make it easier to track small birds and the like. However, since ring-shaped blur occurs around branches and other parts of the body, if that’s not acceptable, it’s probably a waste of time to bring it with you.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
This lens is designed specifically for Micro Four Thirds and is not available in versions with other mounts. It would be interesting to see an X-mount, E-mount, or L-mount version with an APS-C sensor, but unfortunately, as of 2024, the Micro Four Thirds version has been discontinued, so hopes seem slim.
Samyang sells a 300mm f/6.3 lens for APS-C sensors, but the lens barrel design of the TOKINA is more premium and preferable.
Compared to the AMRON SP 350mm (06B), the TAMRON lens is compatible with 35mm full-frame sensors and has an aperture of f/5.6, which is slightly brighter, making it larger and heavier.
The TOKINA Reflex 300mm f/6.3 MF MACRO is optimized for Micro Four Thirds sensors, making it compact.
| lens name | TOKINA Reflex 300mm F6.3 MF MACRO | タムロン SP350mm |
| Focal length(mm) | 300 | 350 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length (mm) | 600 | 700 |
| Max aperture | 6.3(Fixed aperture) | 5.6(Fixed aperture) |
| Min aperture | – | – |
| Leaf blade | – | – |
| Lens Construction | 7 elements in 3 groups | 7 elements in 4 groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Lens length(mm) | 66 | 79 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 66 | 86 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 55 | 82 |
| Weight(g)(lens only) | 298 | 577 |
| Release date | M43 | Nikon F Canon EF Sony α Olympus OM Canon FD M42 Leica R etc. |
| Release date | May 25, 2012 | 1981~1985 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | ¥40,000 | ¥48,400 |
Reference links
- Reflex 300mm F6.3 MF MACRO・TOKINA Official page
- SP 350mm F/5.6(06B)・TAMRON Official page
- 300mm F6.3 ED UMC CS・SAMYANG Official page
Affiliate links
- TOKINA Reflex 300mm・Ads by Amazon
- TOKINA・Ads by Amazon
Update history
- 2025.1.4
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