Meike 85mm f1.8 canon review năm 2024

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Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 STM - Review / Test Report

Lens Reviews - Sony Alpha (Full Format)

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Review by Klaus Schroiff, published August 2022

Introduction

Autofocus lenses are still pretty rare beyond the mainstream players, but slowly and steadily, some of the Chinese players are taking the leap. Yongnuo was probably the first, followed by Viltrox, and now Meike has started offering AF lenses - their first shot in the mirrorless AF segment is the Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 STM in Sony E-mount. This medium-tele lens is compatible with both APS-C and Full Format Sony Alpha cameras. Priced at just $199, it undercuts the competition by a huge margin. This raises the question of what you can expect from such a bargain lens. Let's see.

The build quality of the Meike lens is Ok, although you shouldn't expect Sony G-Master quality, of course. The lens body is made of some kind of plastic based on a metal mount. The very broad, plastic focus ring is a tad wobbly but operates smoothly. You can feel that plastic moves on plastic, though. Weather-sealing is not provided. It's worth noting that the design is probably closely related to Meike's 85mm lens in EF- mount using an extended mount (similar to what Sigma did for some of their lenses). The mount extension leaves more space between the camera grip and the lens, which is actually a good thing. Design-wise, the extended mount doesn't look like an afterthought (unlike on some other extended DSLR lenses) but it adds about 1cm in length compared to the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8, for instance. A deep petal-shaped hood is provided. Firmware updates are possible via a USB port on the mount. In fact, we updated our sample to firmware 1.20, which worked nicely.

As mentioned, this is an auto-focus lens that uses a stepping motor (STM) for focusing. The AF speed is clearly on the slow side so if you want to use it in fast-paced scenarios, better look elsewhere. The aperture mechanism, which closes to the selected f-stop during focusing, is quite noisy. Typical for most modern lenses, manual focusing works "by-wire" and it does the job nicely here. The electronic coupling also translates to a camera-controlled aperture as well as EXIF data. The latter is important for in-camera image stabilization. However, the lens doesn't feature a built-in image correction profile.

Specifications Optical construction9 elements in 6 groups Number of aperture blades9 (rounded) min. focus distance0.85m (max. object magnification 1:?) Dimensions95x78mm Weight386g Filter size67mm Hoodpetal-shaped (bayonet mount, supplied) Other features- MountSony FE

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If you’re a full-frame, Sony E-mount shooter on a budget, Hong Kong-based lensmaker Meike has just the thing for you. The new Meike 85mm f/1.8 prime lens includes autofocus support and blows its sole direct rival out of the water when it comes to pricing.

While the Meike 85mm f/1.8 FF STM’s focal length and aperture make it ideally suited to full-frame, it will of course also work on sub-frame E-mount bodies. For Sony’s APS-C shooters or when using an APS-C crop on a full-frame body, it will yield an effective focal length of 128mm.

The new lens is available now. Meike

Who it’s for

Related: Sony a7IV review: a solid all-arounder for every shooter

Thanks to its medium telephoto focal length and bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, the Meike 85mm f/1.8 will be particularly interesting to portrait shooters. As well as portraiture, Meike is also aiming the new lens at architectural and landscape photography.

The only direct rival for Meike’s new lens is the Tokina atx-m 85mm f/1.8 FE Plus, which launched in 2020. Less direct rivals are the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN | Art, Sony FE 85 mm f/1.4 GM, and the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE which is also sold as the Rokinon AF 85mm f/1.4 FE.

Build quality

Unfortunately, while it listed a barrel diameter and weight, Meike hasn’t stated a barrel length for its new lens. As we’ll see in a minute, though, it’s likely around three inches in length with a 3.1-inch diameter and weighs 13.6 ounces. That’s just a bit smaller than the Tokina, which has the same barrel diameter but is 3.7 inches long and weighs 22.8 ounces. And not surprisingly, all of the f/1.4 lenses are even bulkier.

The lens is not weather-sealed but given the price point, that shouldn’t be surprising. Meike

Meike also missed stating the material used to construct its lens barrel, which is cleanly designed with just two physical controls. Up front is the manual focus ring, and behind it, you’ll find a focus mode selector switch on the left side of the lens barrel. Just as in its Tokina rival, there’s no weather-sealing here. You’ll need to step up to the Rokinon, Samyang, Sigma, or Sony for that, but it’s an omission that’s very easy to overlook given the Meike’s budget price tag.

The front of the lens barrel is threaded to accept 67mm filters and accessories. The lens is firmware-upgradable via a micro USB port which is to be found neatly hidden within its metal lens mount.

A Micro-USB port is hidden in the lens mount. Meike

Focusing

Just like the Tokina and Sigma, Meike has opted for a more budget-conscious, stepper motor-driven autofocus system for the 85mm f1.8 FF STM. The Rokinon, Samyang, and Sony, meanwhile, use linear ultrasonic motors which typically provide greater performance. Focusing is possible to a minimum distance of 2.8 feet for a maximum magnification of 0.13x.

Optical design

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The reason for the lens’ affordability can likely be found in its optical formula. For one thing, with just nine elements in six groups, it’s the simplest of the group. The Tokina has one extra element and group, while the Rokinon, Samyang, and Sony add two elements and groups apiece. By far the most complex is the Sigma, though. With 15 elements in 11 groups, it’s nearing double the complexity of the Meike.

The optical formula consists of nine elements arranged in six groups. Meike

But that’s not the whole story of this lens’ value. It’s also worth noting that if you look in the company’s back catalog, this isn’t its first 85mm f/1.8 with nine elements in six groups, and all the other basic specs look to line up nicely as well. That suggests the new E-mount 85mm f/1.8 FF STM has inherited its design largely or entirely from the earlier 85mm f/1.8 AF for Canon EF and Nikon F-mount DSLRs.

Of course, tweaks *could* have been made to the optical formula. Certainly, Meike mentions improved colors thanks to dual-sided, multi-layer coatings on lens elements for this optic, something it didn’t state for either DSLR lens. And while the text has the feel of a somewhat dubious translation, it also appears to suggest the front lens element sports a dust and smudge-resistant coating.

Aperture

The Meike 85mm sports a 9-bladed aperture. Meike

Meike has opted for a nine-bladed aperture iris for the 85mm f/1.8, which is the same number of blades used by the Rokinon, Samyang, and Tokina. Both the Sigma and Sony lenses have two additional blades, and their 11-bladed apertures should yield rounder bokeh, especially when stopped down somewhat.

The lens supports electronic aperture control and allows a minimum aperture of f/22. It’s the only lens to do so, with the Rokinon, Samyang, Sigma, Sony, and Tokina all limited to a minimum aperture of f/16.

Pricing & availability

The lens is far more affordable than its other AF-capable rivals. Meike

Available immediately, the Meike 85mm f/1.8 FF STM lens is priced at just $199.99. That makes it far more affordable than its nearest rivals at the same focal length, the Tokina 85mm f/1.8 and Samyang 85mm f/1.4, which both list at right around $500. The Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 comes in at $530, while Sigma and Sony’s equivalents are much pricier at $1,199 and $1,799.99 respectively.

That makes the Meike hands-down the most affordable AF-capable 85mm for full-frame E-mount, as of this writing.

Is the Canon 85mm 1.8 a good lens?

The Canon 85mm f/1.8 is a well-built, good-quality lens. We will compare the Canon 85mm f/1.8's performance with that of its "big-brother", the Canon 85mm f/1.2L; two "sibling" Canon lenses, the Canon 50mm f/1.8 and the Canon 100mm f/2.8; the excellent Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS at 70mm; and the Tamron 90mm f/2.8.

Is Mieke a good lens?

If you were just starting out and on a very strict budget, yes, the Meike 12mm f/2 wide angle is worth considering as it works well. It's not as sharp as some of the other lenses I've tried, but those other lenses are considerably more expensive.

Is Canon 85mm 1.8 Sharp?

canon EF 85mm f1. 8 is a very decent lens, it is sharp, fast focusing, and beautiful bokeh! the only shortcoming of this lens is CA issue in high contrast situation, which can be corrected in PS6. price is very attractive, those who are critical about sharpness and fast focus speed, this the lens for you in that FL.

What is the Canon 85mm lens good for?

This focal length is good for portraits, and the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens makes a good portrait lens - excelling at head and head/shoulders portraits when mounted on a 1.3x or 1.6x FOVCF body. The wide f/1.8 aperture can create a dreamy OOF (Out of Focus) background blur.