The Tokina SZ SUPER TELE 500mm F8 Reflex MF is a 500mm super telephoto lens that features catadioptric optics with a constant aperture of F8. The lens offers a compact alternative to standard telephoto lenses, as more and more photographers are looking for equipment that is easy to carry. With active travel photographers shooting landscapes, wild nature or outdoor birds in mind, the 500mm F8 Reflex MF was designed as a compact and lightweight mirror lens - a lens type that is being rediscovered in the new era of compact but high-tech mirrorless cameras. Mirror lenses are telephoto lenses that incorporate a combination of lenses and mirrors to reflect light back and forth between the ends of the lens. This structure folds the light and bisects the tube length. In this way, the physical size of the lens is about a third of the size of a conventional lens and allows for a lightweight body as the mirrors are much lighter than the optical glass.