RADOJUVA

According provided by Meike 85mm 1: 1.8 AF lens (Canon EF mount) many thanks reader Radozhiva and photographer from Lviv - Kozlov Nikolay (facebook).

Navigation

1. In short
2. History
3. All lenses from Meike
4. Main Specifications
5. Assembly
6. Focusing
7. Firmware Upgrade
8. Iris control
9. Image quality
10. Sample photos (full frame, crop)
11. Differences from Canon 85 / 1.8 USM
12. All autofocus 85s
13. Price
14. My experience
15. Results
16. User Comments
17. Add your review or question on the lens

Lens MEIKE 85mm 1: 1.8 AUTO FOCUS LENS in this review I will abbreviate - 'Meike 85 / 1.8 AF'.

It's important: this review shows the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF version for Canon mount DSLRs Canon EF / EF-S... At the same time there is version this lens for Nikon SLR cameras with mount Nikon f... And there is also a similar lens for Sony mirrorless cameras with Sony E / FE mount, but in version for Sony the lens is devoid of autofocus.

It's important: Radozhiv already has a review Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Nikon F mount, and therefore this review is very similar to the review Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Nikon... But lenses for Nikon F and Canon EF / EF-S came out at different times and they have significantly different autofocus quality and some other little things.

In short

Meike 85 / 1.8 AF - short prime telephoto with high aperture and auto focus. In general, the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is an alternative to the original Canon LENS EF 85mm 1: 1.8 USM.

In terms of its parameters, Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is a very attractive solution for amateur photographers as creative lens... The Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is primarily intended for for portraiture... The image quality is not bad. In general, even at F / 1.8, acceptable sharpness is observed in the center of the frame, not inferior to the original Canon 85 / 1.8 USM (1992)

In many ways, the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is very similar to another budget option for a similar lens - Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 for Canon EF.

Meike 85 / 1.8 AF has tangible chromatic aberration and uses a noisy focusing motor. Most importantly, auto focus does not work well.

The price of a brand new Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is very low and is around 190 dollars.

History

Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Canon EOS SLR cameras with EF / EF-S mount was introduced April 18 2018 years.

Meike 85 / 1.8 MF (MANUAL FOCUS) for Sony mirrorless cameras with Sony E / FE mount was introduced 6 March 2019 year... Most likely this lens uses the same optical design as the previous one, but does not have autofocus.

Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Nikon SLR cameras with Nikon F mount was submitted August 10 2020 and became the second autofocus lens from Meike. This lens uses the same optical design as version for Canon EOS EF / EF-S.

All Meike Photo Lenses:

For APS-C/MFT, manual focus only:

1. 3.5mm 1: 2.8 Circular Fisheye [only M4 / 3]
2. 6.5mm 1: 2 Circular Fisheye [E, Z, X, EF-M, M4 / 3, N1]
3. 7.5mm 1:2.8 Fisheye (overview) [E, Z, X, EF-M, M4/3]
4. 8mm 1: 3.5 FISH-EYE CS [E, Z + F, EF]
5. 8mm 1: 2.8 [only M4 / 3]
6. 10mm 1: 2 [E, Z, X, EF-M, M4/3]
7. 12mm 1:2(overview) [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
8. 12mm 1: 2.8 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
9. 25mm 1: 2 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
10. 25mm 1:1.8(overview) [E, X, EF-M, Z, M4 / 3, N1]
11. 25mm 1:0.95 [E, X, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
12. 25mm 1:0.95 [IS]
13. 28mm 1:2.8(overview) [E, X, EF-M, M4/3, N1]
14. 35mm 1:1.7(overview) [E, X, EF-M, Z, M4 / 3, N1]
15. 35mm 1:1.4(overview)  [E, X, EF-M, Z, M4 / 3, N1]
16. 35mm 1:0.95 (overview)  [E, X, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
17. 50mm 1: 2 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
18. 50mm 1:0.95 (overview) [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
19. 55mm 1:1.4 AF STM [X, E, Z, autofocus]
20. 60mm 1:2.8 MACRO (overview) [E, X, Z, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
21. 6-11mm 1: 3.5 Fisheye [EF / EF-S and F + E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]

Full frame (also suitable for crop):

1. 8mm 1: 3.5 Fisheye [F and EF / EF-S + E / FE, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
2. 50mm 1: 1.8 [Z, E/FE, autofocus2024]
3. 50mm 1: 1.7 [Z, E / FE, RF + X]
4. 50mm 1:1.2 [Z, FE, RF, EF, L]
5. 85mm 1: 2.8 Macro [F and EF / EF-S + Z, E / FE, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
6. 85mm 1: 1.8 [for Sony E, manual]
7. 85mm 1:1.8 AF STM (overview) [for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, FujiFilm X, autofocus2022]
8. 85mm 1:1.8AF (overview) [only for Nikon F, autofocus2020]
9. 85mm 1:1.8AF (overview) [only for Canon EF, autofocus2018]
10. 85mm 1:1.4 AF [for Sony E, Nikon Z, autofocus2023]

Video Lenses:

1. 12mm T/2.2 [M4/3]
2. 16mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
3. 25mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
4. 35mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
5. 35mm T/2.1 [PL, RF, EF, L, E] Full Frame
6. 50mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
7. 50mm T / 2.1 [PL, RF, EF, L, E] Full Frame
8. 65mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
9. 85mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]

Mounts:

1. E: Sony E, APS-C, mirrorless
2. FE: Fony FE, Full Frame, Mirrorless
3. X: Fujifilm X, APS-C, mirrorless
4. Ef-m: Canon EF-M, APS-C, mirrorless
5. RF-S: Canon RF-S, APS-C, mirrorless
6. Ef-s: Canon EF-S, APS-C, SLR
7. M4 / 3: Micro 4/3, Kf = 2.0, mirrorless
8. N1: Nikon 1, Kf = 2.7, mirrorless
9. F: Nikon F, Full Frame or APS-C, SLR
10. Z: Nikon Z, Full Frame or APS-C, mirrorless
11. EF: Canon EF, Full Frame, SLR
12. RF: Canon RF, Full Frame, Mirrorless

Meike lenses can be found in the official Meike store on Aliexpress.

Main technical characteristics of Meike 85mm 1: 1.8 AF

Review Instance Name	On the lens barrel: MEIKE 85mm 1: 1.8 AF. Near the front lens: MEIKE AUTO FOCUS LENS 85mm 1: 1.8 3ft / 0.85m Ø67mm Bayonet side: 2028N110110 Box: MEIKE 85mm F / 1.8 AUTO FOCUS FULL-FRAME LENS Multi Coated Standard Prime Lens
Basic properties	Designed for full frame DSLR cameras Canon EOS with bayonet mount EF Built micro focus motor AF / MF (Auto Focus - Mannual Focus) - the lens is equipped with a focus mode switch internal focus FTM - continuous manual control of the focus ring Multi Coated - multi-coated optics (type and quality of coating are unknown) Metal mount USB-port for firmware update Important: lens from a third-party manufacturer, which imposes some restrictions on its practical use
Front Filter Diameter	67 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length	85 mm, EGF for Canon EOS cameras with APS-C sensor is 136 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by	for full-frame digital cameras. Theoretically suitable for all Canon interchangeable-lens digital cameras
Number of aperture blades	9 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount mark hood attachment mark a window with a scale of focusing distances in meters and feet, there are values ​​for a distance of 0.85, 1, 1.2, 2, 5 meters and an infinity mark
Diaphragm	F / 1.8 to F / 22
MDF	0.85 meters, maximum magnification ratio 1:7.7
The weight	420 grams according to the official website 370 grams without caps according to my measurements 433 grams with two caps and a lens hood according to my measurements
Optical design	9 elements in 6 groups Optical design drawing not found. The diagram drawing from the lens-club website is incorrect. The lens uses 1 ED element.
Lens hood	Bayonet-type lens hood, included in delivery, Meike LH85-P73 marker
Manufacturer country	MADE IN CHINA (China)
Period	Since 18 April 2018 years
Instructions	Included in the package
Price	Aliexpress prices

The actual aperture values ​​(T-stop) are quite large, and are at the T / 2.0 level.

Assembly

The lens came for review in an original box. The cardboard of the box is made with embossed “snakeskin” type and feels very pleasant in the hands.

The box contains a warranty card, a cloth case, the lens itself with front and rear covers, as well as a hood and instructions (sheet A3 in English and Chinese). This time, the kit included a microfiber for cleaning the lens lenses. But there is no USB cable in the package for updating the firmware. The lens itself 'sits' in the box in two foam seals.

Meike 85 / 1.8 AF has metal mount... The focusing ring is also metallic, with veins, not rubberized. The Meike 85 / 1.8 AF weighs about 370 grams. The lens barrel is made of plastic.

The assembly is high-quality, however, the focusing ring has lateral microlift, which is almost invisible and does not cause any discomfort. The lens feels good in the hands.

It's important: Focus distance values ​​in feet (green guide) are difficult to read. The scale has moved too high under the focusing distance window.

A durable plastic hood is included in the package. Bayonet type hood, easily snaps onto the lens. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction (for transport mode), but in this case, access to the focus ring is completely lost.

The diaphragm consists of 9 blades. At F / 1.8-F / 4, the hole takes on a fairly round shape. At F / 8-F / 22, the aperture is shaped like an irregular nine-sided. The diaphragm works quickly, does not stick or create excessive noise.

Focusing

The lens has built-in focus motor DC-type (DDirectly Current Motor is a conventional DC electric motor).

When focusing the motor is very noisy. Noise unpleasant and annoying.

Auto focus speed averagecloser to slow. The focusing speed is sufficient for comfortable work in most photographic tasks. Auto focus speed is noticeably slower than the original Canon 85 / 1.8 USM.

Focusing grip is lower than that of similar original lenses. Focusing accuracy is poor, and frequent focusing errors are possible. The focusing quality is highly dependent on the selected focusing method. Front focus is often encountered in normal auto-focusing with auto-area. With manual focus point selection, mistakes often happen. In Live View, the lens is not focused correctly and can be erratic.

The focusing ring is metallic, with veins, in manual focusing mode it rotates approximately 135 degrees. When the extreme positions are reached, the ring does not abut, but continues to rotate freely. Focus ring rotates easily enough... During manual focusing, you can hear the 'plastic rubbing against plastic or metal'. Due to the fact that the lens is very chubby, manual focusing is sufficient conveniently... Focus ring travel is heavily 'bunched up' in the two to five meter range, requiring more careful focusing at these distances. The direction of rotation of the focusing ring is the same as the original Canon 85 / 1.8 USM.

There is a 'AF-MF' (auto focus / manual focus) mode switch on the lens body.

The lens supports mode continuous manual focus control... Same function as Canon FTM.

During auto focus focus ring remains stationary.

Lens has internal focus, the front and rear lenses remain stationary during focusing. It is possible to use various filters without any problems.

The lens has a window with a focus distance scale in meters and feet. The number of values ​​on the scale is small, the scale itself is not very useful. There are values ​​only for 0.85, 1, 1.2, 2, 5 meters and an infinity mark.

The minimum focusing distance is 85 cm and the maximum magnification ratio is 1: 7.7 (0.13 X magnification).

Focus Features:

1. Important: The quality of focusing operation of the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF in Live View mode is highly dependent on the camera used.
2. The Meike 85 / 1.8 AF has a very pronounced 'Focus Breathing' effect (changes in the angle of view during focusing). When focusing towards the MDF, the angle of view decreases (usually, the angle increases with lenses with internal focusing).
3. Focus Shift (focus shift, changing focus distance due to iris)
4. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF does not have a hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop), which allows you to accurately and quickly focus the lens to infinity under any external temperature conditions. For accurate aiming at infinity, you cannot just bring the focusing ring to its extreme position.
5. Important: The Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is a third party lens. It may happen that it will not work correctly with some cameras.
6. Unknown compatibility with teleconverters.
7. Unknown compatibility with series mirrorless adapters Canon r и Canon M.

Firmware Upgrade

I was unable to find any instruction on the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF firmware method. I couldn't even find any firmware for this lens or a file to update the firmware. On the official website there is only the firmware file 'MK8518C_APP_V1.0_20180903.sky' (you can download here).

The lens is equipped with a port USB Micro-B 2.0 (a common port used by many older smartphones and other devices). When connected to a computer, the lens is recognized as a 20KB (view). Most likely, you need to upload the firmware file to this drive and perform some actions. If someone knows about the method of updating the software for Meike 85 / 1.8 AF - please write about it in the comments.

Image quality

In general, the image quality of the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is not bad, but there are some serious problems.

Sharpness

• in the center of the frame at F / 1.8 in terms of resolution, the lens is not bad and is very close to Canon 85 / 1.8 USM
• there is a slight drop in sharpness to the edges of the frame at F / 1.8 (which is good news)
• at the edges of the frame, sharpness becomes good after f / 4
• good / excellent resolution in the center of the frame on covered apertures after F / 2.5
• there is a small coma

Distortion

• small pincushion distortion
• the overall level of distortion is at a level typical for such lenses
• the nature of distortion is unified, easily corrected in the editor

Vignetting

• the overall level of vignetting is at a level typical for such lenses
• noticeable vignetting is observed only at F / 1.8-F / 2.5
• vignetting almost disappears at F / 2.8-F / 4
• vignetting is easily fixable in the editor

Aberration

• open apertures have a lot of chromatic aberration
• the strongest chromatic aberration visible at the edges and corners of the image
• Yes strong milling (HA in the blur zone)
• aperture down to f / 4 significantly reduces the amount of HA

Rest

• the aperture opening at F / 1.8-F / 4 is quite round and even, at F / 8-F / 22 it is poorly rounded and is an incorrect nine-headed
• the lens tolerates side and back light well. The situation with a strong veil, which is observed in the version under Nikon F, I did not notice
• in many scenes, the lens can create a pleasant / neutral bokeh

There is no lens profile for the lens in popular RAW converters, but most likely the profile will appear shortly or you can create it yourself.

Full Frame Sample Photos

Full-frame shots Canon EOS 6D... The control mode was 'Standard' with default settings '3/0/0/0'. JPEG straight from the camera. It was a very cloudy day.

Original RAW ('.CR2') photos can be view / download from this link (19 photos, 120 MB). Original photos in JPEG format ('.jpg') can be view / download from this link (26 photos, 1 GB).

It's important: you can find a lot of examples of photos (including portraits) in the review Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Nikon SLR cameras (see section 'UPDATE', lenses are optically identical).

Many photos with little or no creative processing on the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF lens with Nikon F mount can be viewed in the Facebook group in the following notes:

1. 07.05.2021 portraits
2. 13.02.2021
3. 12.05.2021 portraits
4. 19.02.2021
5. 03.03.2021 portraits
6. 06.03.2021
7. 13.03.2021 portraits
8. 16.05.2021
9. 16.03.2021 portraits
10. 17.05.2021
11. 23.03.2021 portraits
12. 05.06.2021
13. 17.04.2021 portraits
14. 30.05.2021
15. 27.04.2021 portraits
16. 06.05.2021 portraits
17. 08.05.2021
18. 10.05.2021 portraits
19. 11.05.2021
20. 22.06.2021 portraits
21. 04.06.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX night shots
22. still on instagram: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The EXIF ​​data is imprinted at the bottom of each photo.

More sample photos can be found in this gallery is 500px and in a brief overview on Nikon Rumors... Most of the photos in the links above were taken by the photographer. Natalya romanenko (instagram), which uses this lens as its main creative / portrait solution (Meike 85 / 1.8 AF became a replacement for its Nikon 85 / 1.8D AF due to noticeably better sharpness at F / 1.8).

Differences from Canon 85 / 1.8 USM

Advantages of Canon 85 / 1.8 USM over Meike 85 / 1.8 AF:

1. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM focuses much quieter and more accurately
   
2. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM has a diameter for filters on 58 mm, against 67 mm for Meike 85 / 1.8 AF
3. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM uses ring type Canon USM ultrasonic focusing motorwhile the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF uses a conventional micro motor
4. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM has infrared label
   
5. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM has depth of field scale
6. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM uses more than high-quality enlightenment optics Super Spectra coating. The specific type of Meike 85 / 1.8 AF multi-coating is unknown
7. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM focuses significantly faster
8. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM thinner in diameter
9. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM sewn into modern camerasthat can automatically correct some kind of distortion, for example, distortion or vignetting. Also, the profile for the Canon 85 / 1.8 USM is present in almost all modern RAW converters and allows you to quickly get rid of some distortions.
10. Canon 85 / 1.8 USM is less afraid of backlight

Advantages of Meike 85 / 1.8 AF over Canon 85 / 1.8 USM:

1. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF 26 years newer. The original Canon 85 / 1.8 USM was introduced back in 1992
2. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF costs about 2.5 times cheaper
3. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF uses gold plated contacts microprocessor (doubtful advantage)
4. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF uses 9 aperture blades, versus 8 petals for Canon 85 / 1.8 USM
5. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF weighs 55 grams less

Overall Canon 85 / 1.8 USM is a more advanced lens.

All autofocus 85s

Choosing a good 85mm portrait lens is very important for a large number of photographers. I pay a lot of attention to this issue, therefore I have prepared this list of all such autofocus lenses for full frame cameras with F <= 2 and a focal length of about 85 mm.

Nikon (F, Z mounts)

1. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8 AF Nikkor [December 1987]
2. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8D AF Nikkor [March 1994, Thailand/Japan]
3. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.4D AF Nikkor [November 1995]
4. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.4GN AF-S Nikkor SWM IF Nano Crystal Coat [August 2010]
5. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8G AF-S IF SWM Nikkor [January 2012]
6. Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm 1: 1.8 S [July 2019]
7. Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm 1: 1.2 S [January 2023]

Canon (EF, RF mounts)

1. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.2 L USM [September 1989
2. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1: 1.8 USM [July 1992]
3. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.2 L II USM [March 2006]
4. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.4 L IS USM [November 2017]
5. Canon lens RF 85mm F1.2L USM [May 2019]
6. Canon lens RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS (DEFOCUS SMOOTHING) [October 2019]

Yongnuo/YnLens (different mounts)

1. Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 (YN85mm F1.8) [9/6, Canon EF, February 2017]
2. Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 (YN85mm F1.8N) [9/6, Nikon F, May 2019]
3. Ynlens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (YN85mm F1.8S) [9/8, Sony E, August 2020]
4. Ynlens YN85mm F1.8R DF DSM (YN85mm F1.8R) [9/8, Canon RF, May 2021]
5. Ynlens YN85mm 1:1.8Z DF DSM (YN85mm F1.8Z) [9/8, Nikon Z, March 2022]
6. Yongnuo 85F1.8S DF DSM [9/8, Sony E, August 2022]

Sony / Sony Zeiss ZA / Minolta (E / FE, A mount)

1. Sony FE 1.4/85 GM (SEL85F18GM) [February 2016]
2. Sony FE 1.8/85 (SEL85F18) [February 2017]
3. Sony SAL85F14Z / Carl Zeiss Planar 1,4 / 85 ZA T* [June 2006]
4. Minolta AF 85mm 1:1.4 (22) (AF lens 85) / Minolta Maxxum / Dynax / G / G+D / G+RS / G+D+LE and other versions of the same lens, A mount [1987]

Sigma (different mounts)

1. Sigma EX 85mm 1: 1.4 DG HSM (two sub-versions with different body finishes, for Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony A, February 2010)
2. Sigma 85mm 1: 1.4 DG | A [Art] (for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma SA, Sony E, Leica L, September 2016)
3. Sigma 85mm 1: 1.4 DG DN | A [Art] (for Sony E, Leica L, August 2020)

Viltrox (different mounts)

1. Viltrox PFU RBMH 85mm F1.8 STM (Sony E/FE + Fujifilm X, 2018)
2. Viltrox AF 85/1.8 STM ED IF (Nikon Z, Canon RF, December 2020)
3. Viltrox AF 85/1.8 II STM ED IF (Sony E/FE + Fujifilm X, July 2020, light version XNUMX)

Pentax (K mount)

1. SMC Pentax-FA* 1:1.4 85mm IF AUTO FOCUS PENTAX 85 [1992]
2. HD PENTAX-D FA * 85mm 1: 1.4 ED SDM AW [May 2020]

Samyang / Rokinon (different mounts)

1. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 EF (for Canon EF, scheme 9/7, June 2018)
2. Samyang AF 85/1.4F (for Nikon F, scheme 9/7, April 2019)
3. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 FE (for Sony E, scheme 11/8, March 2019)
4. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 RF  (for Canon RF, scheme 11/8, May 2020)
5. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 FE II (for Sony E, scheme 11/8, July 2022)

Meike (Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Nikon Z, FujiFilm X)

1. MEIKE 85mm AF 1: 1.8 [review] (Canon EF / Canon EF-S, April 2018)
2. MEIKE 85mm AF 1: 1.8 [review] (Nikon F, Aug 2020)
3. MEIKE 85mm 1:1.8 Auto Focus Lens FF STM [review] (for Sony FE/E + Nikon Z, Canon RF, FujiFilm X, June 2022 + March 2023)
4. MEIKE 85mm 1:1.4 Auto Focus Lens FF STM (for Sony FE/E + Nikon Z, September 2023)

Zeiss (various mounts)

1. Zeiss Sonnar 1.8 / 85 T * (Batis 1.8 / 85) [April 2015, built-in stabilizer, Sony E/FE mount, 11/8]
2. Carl Zeiss Planar 1,4/85 ZA T* (Sony SAL85F14Z) ​​[June 2006, Sony A/Minolta A mount, 8/7]
3. Carl Zeiss Planar 1,4 / 85 T * [November 2002, Contax N mount, 10/9]

Tamron (different mounts)

1. Tamron SP 85mm F/1.8 Di VC USD Model F016 (for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A [without VC function], March 2016)

Tokina (Sony E / FE mount)

1. Tokina atx-m 85mm F1.8 FE (for Sony E, most likely a complete analog Viltrox PFU RBMH 85mm F1.8 STM, January 2020)

AstrHori (Sony E/FE mount)

1. AstrHori AF 85mm 1:1.8 [December 2022]

Panasonic (L mount)

1. Panasonic LUMIX S 1: 1.8 / 85mm [November 2020]

Separately, you can still highlight non-classic 85s:

1. macro lens Canon Lens RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM [2020, RF]
2. longer LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-SL 1: 2/90 ASPH. (2018, Leica l)
3. less aperture Sony 85 / 2.8 SAM (SAL85f28) [2010, A]
4. shorter SMC PENTAX FA 1:1.8 77mm Limited (1997, K)
5. shorter HD Pentax-FA 1: 1.8 77mm Limited (2021, K)
6. shorter Samyang AF 75 / 1.8 FE (2020, E) + Samyang AF 75/1.8X (2023, X)
7. cropped Samsung Lens 1:1.4 85mm ED SSA i-Function [2011, NX]
8. cropped and longer FUJIFILM FUJINON LENS SUPER EBC XF 90mm 1: 2 R LM WR [2015, X]
9. cropped and shorter Viltrox AF 75/1.2 XF STM ED IF [2022, X, E, Z]
10. cropped, less aperture, macro lens Nikon DX AF-S Micro Nikkor 85mm 1: 3.5G ED VR SWM IF Micro 1: 1 [2009, F]
11. many 90/2.8 class macro lenses

Prices

Prices for Meike 85 / 1.8 AF on Aliexpress can look at this link.

My experience

The Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is the first Meike lens to support auto focus. The first pancake is lumpy, there are problems with autofocus.

First of all, Meike 85 / 1.8 AF can compete with similar inexpensive Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 for Canon EF.

The optical Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is quite a decent lens.

If possible, then I highly recommend buying a more expensive, but original Canon 85 / 1.8 USM.

I would also like to note that autofocus in Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Nikon F mount works many times better than Meike 85 / 1.8 AF for Canon EF. But if you get used to it, then you can get used to Meike 85 / 1.8 AF under Canon EF, there are still no catastrophic problems with focusing. There are reviews on the network that speak extremely negatively about the Meike 85 / 1.8 AF. I try not to divide everything into black and white. Meike 85 / 1.8 AF can still be a budget solution for simple tasks. A lens like this, even with manual focusing, is a very powerful tool in the hands of the photographer.

On Canon APS-C cameras EGF Meike 85/1.8 AF lens will fit around 136mm due to crop factor. On the crop, this is almost a real 135-tka, such EGF convenient enough for portrait shooting in open locations.

Results

Meike 85 / 1.8 AF is an interesting inexpensive portrait lens. Unfortunately it has problems with autofocus. The image quality is at a good level and practically does not lag behind the original Canon 85 / 1.8 USM.

main advantages

1. low cost, only about 190 $
2. high aperture
3. there is a window with a scale of focusing distances
4. internal focus
5. FTM function
6. good build quality: metal bayonet, reliable and comfortable lids, bayonet-type hood, fabric case included
7. there is a USB port for updating the firmware
8. nine-petal diaphragm, smooth aperture in the range of F / 1.8-F / 4.0
9. nice / neutral drawing, which can be used as a good artistic technique during portraiture
10. good sharpness in the center of the frame already at F / 1.8

10 main disadvantages

1. strong and unpleasant noise from the focus motor
2. conventional micro focus motor (y Canon 85 / 1.8 USM USM motor used)
3. problems with the accuracy and tenacity of auto focus
4. there is no mark for working in the infrared spectrum and the depth of field scale, the focusing distance scale is small, the marks in feet are difficult to read
5. lack of basic dust and moisture protection, microlift of the focusing ring
6. tangible effect of 'Focus Breathing' (changes in viewing angle during focusing)
7. aperture opening at F / 8-F / 22 is poorly rounded
8. lack of data about the lens in modern cameras and converters, which makes it difficult to automatically correct some types of optical distortion (distortion, vignetting etc.)
9. lack of data for updating the firmware, lack of normal warranty support
10. strong chromatic aberration

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram