Kase, a company more commonly associated with filters, is branching out into lenses. Sure, they’ve done an iPhone lens or two in the past, but this appears to be their first lens for mirrorless cameras.
It’s the full-frame manual focus Kase 200mm f/5.6 Reflex Mirror Lens (buy here). It’s available for Sony E, Nikon Z and Fuji X mounts. More mounts are expected to come in the future, including Canon EF, Canon RF and Fuji GFX.
Kase 200mm f/5.6 Reflex Lens
The Kase 200mm f/5.6 Reflex lens was first teased in February through the company’s YouTube channel. We didn’t spot it at NAB, but now it’s finally been released. It’s initially launching in Sony E, Nikon Z and Fuji X mounts.
It’s a catadioptric lens, otherwise known as a mirror lens or reflex lens. Essentially, the lens has internal mirrored to produce the effect of a longer focal length with a shorter physical size. It’s similar to the construction used in many telescopes.
This design makes them very compact and lightweight for their focal length. They do have some drawbacks, though. They typically feature a fixed aperture as a result of the design and are manual focus. They also produce unique “donut” bokeh in out-of-focus areas.
Unfortunately, there don’t appear to be any sample photos with the new Kase lens yet. So, whether that bokeh is a benefit or a drawback depends on your needs and aesthetics. But you can see examples of this presentation in the announcement post for the Tokina 400mm f/8 reflex lens, released in 2020.
Kase 2000mm f/5.6 Reflex Lens Specs
| Focal length | 200mm |
| Format | Full Frame |
| Mount | Sony E, Nikon Z, Fuji X |
| Focus type | Manual focus |
| Aperture Ring | No |
| Max aperture | f/5.6 |
| Min aperture | f/5.6 |
| Min focus distance | 2m |
| Optics | 6 elements in 5 groups |
| Angle of view | 12.3° |
| Aperture blades | N/A |
| Filter diameter | 67mm |
| Dimensions | 71 x 116mm |
| Weight | 424g |
Price and Availability
The Kase 200mm f/5.6 Reflex Lens is available to buy now for $749 for Sony E, $749 for Nikon Z or $799 for Fuji X. It’s expected to come to Canon EF, Canon RF, and Fuji GFX in the future, but no release date for those has been announced.
