Table of contents
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AI-generated summary
Ergonomics
It’s a manual lens , so it takes some getting used to. You can activate the manual focus assist, which magnifies the image to help you nail your focus.
The focus ring has no hard stops — it turns in both directions indefinitely.
You won’t find an aperture ring on the lens itself — you have to set it via the dial on your camera body.
Of course, more capable means more versatile. This lens is also compatible with Sony APS-C bodies, giving a full-frame equivalent focal length of 135mm — which is a good deal too. At that focal length, it’s fortunate that the latest Sony bodies are stabilized, otherwise you’d get a lot of blurry shots in low light.
The lens has a micro USB port for firmware updates. If a firmware release fixes something, you’ll be among the first to benefit. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this on a lens, and it’s genuinely clever.
When I think of the Fujifilm 35mm 1.4 that improved over time through firmware updates — if you own the first version, you don’t benefit from any of it. With the Meike , the manufacturer thinks of everyone — including early adopters.
It’s heavier than the Sony 85mm 1.8 — 420g vs 371g — and the minimum focus distance is 85cm. It ships with a 67mm lens hood and a small fabric pouch for storage.
Optical quality and bokeh
You know I love bokeh. I shoot almost exclusively wide open — I love isolating subjects against a soft artistic blur.
For an 85mm, f/1.8 is very respectable — a good compromise between bokeh and lens weight.
Here’s a series of photos to give you an idea of what this beast can do!
So what do you think? For the price, and having owned the Sony 85mm 1.8 , I think this Meike holds its own — it’s a beautiful lens that will let you take stunning portraits. You do have to factor in the manual focus, which means it won’t be suited for chasing hyperactive children around 😂.
Drawbacks
The Meike 85mm makes noise when focusing, which is genuinely surprising. I have a Loxia 50mm that’s also a manual lens and it’s completely silent. It’s probably because the Loxia has its own aperture ring, while on the Meike you adjust aperture from the camera body.
Conclusion
This lens is a giveaway at this price 🏷 for the level of performance it delivers. You can even pick one up for under €100 refurbished on Amazon, since some people just can’t get on with manual focus. At the time of writing, it’s at €69 used on Amazon! At that price, you can practise and take zero risk.
In my humble opinion, this Meike 85mm 1.8 is aimed at people who don’t shoot portrait as their main type of photography. If you take portrait photos occasionally, this is clearly the lens for you. It’s 2 to 3 times cheaper than the competition for nearly equivalent optical quality.
On the other hand, if you shoot a lot of portraits, I’d recommend the beast that is the Samyang 85mm 1.4 — at a very reasonable price!
