Perfect imaging without refraction?

Recent work suggesting that 'perfect' far-field imaging is possible using Maxwell's fish-eye lens (Leonhardt 2009 New J. Phys. 11 093040) has raised a number of questions and controversies about the nature of imaging and field localization in inhomogeneous media. In this brief paper we present analogous results for a purely reflector-based imaging system—an elliptical cavity. With a source at one focus of the ellipse we show that sub-wavelength field localization can be achieved at the other focus when an active 'drain' is present there, but not without it. Does this show that far-field 'perfect' imaging is possible even without refraction (negative or positive)? Unfortunately not, giving further evidence that these are solely drain-induced effects. (paper)