Tokina SZ PRO 900mm f/11 Reflex MF CF Lens for Fujifilm X, Black

2023-11-26T23:08:26

The 4 of 5 stars rating is based on a value for dollar rating (especially if on sale), not how good the lens actually performs. I don't have large complaints about the lens for what it is: an inexpensive reflex lens with a minimal feature set. In general the Tokina SZ PRO 900mm did what I expected: take massively telephotoed pictures without any bells and whistles. But there are things to consider which I had not. 1. The lens hood screws into the filter threads, which means the lens cap won't stay on if the lens hood is attached. I don't have an 86mm filter to see if I can attach a filter and then the hood, but I assume that will work. This also means that when transporting the lens, you just have the hood flopping around, not actually attached to anything (unless you transport the lens in the longest form available. 2. This thing is heavy. 2.3oz heavier than my X-H2 with battery and cards. I feel like there could be a shoe mount for the lens, but then it would be even heavier. The plus side is it feels like a really solid bit of engineering. Just don't drop it on your foot. 3. Getting the focus right is an exercise in patience. Not so bad when doing a macro shot, but most likely people would use this for longer focal lengths. At these lengths, you twist (or bump) the ring a hair and the focus will move in or out. Finding the sweet spot can be a pain. Because there is no stabilization in the lens, it becomes harder to use focus assist to detect when the edges are crisp when dialed to a given focal length. The camera/lens keeps shaking when trying to detect. 4. Remember to turn on the shooting without a lens feature when using this lens. No contacts = no way for your Fujifilm camera to know there actually is a lens on it. At 900mm, I decided this would be a good test to see what the moon looks like. I have a 100-400mm on a M43, and a faster speed and with image stabilization. I can get a good moon shot with that setup. But figured I'd try on a Fuji. Which means you will see 3 moon shots here. At night, and a comparison of the moon in focus compared to a tree being in focus. For getting a complete moon, this worked well, although there can be problems keeping enough of the moon in focus. Overall, the lens performed about as I would expect; and the price wasn't too bad. I do wish it were easier to dial in the focus when closer to infinity, but I'm uncertain how that would have worked out. As long as you aren't expecting a perfect lens, this should meet expectations. Example photos are from a Fujifilm X-H2, so lack of clarity certainly isn't the camera's fault. I had to convert a few of the photos for size constraints, however a faithful presentation.

BRIAN E.

2023-03-19T12:59:29

Well made lens. Focus ring is smooth and crisp. I shoot using a Sony A6100 which doesn't have in body stabilization and neither does this lens which makes 900mm a little difficult to shoot. I'm sure it would be a fantastic lens paired with in body stabilization. The image quality seems pretty sharp to me and doesn't have a distracting weird bokeh like many mirror lenses have. I would say it's a solid option for a powerful zoom lens that's well under $1000 and if you're comfortable shooting manual it's a fun lens. I mostly just shoot birds in my backyard and it's almost perfect for me. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the lack of stabilization but for the price it makes up for it in build quality and reach. Also can focus pretty close which makes it nice for micro photography.

LUKE W.