Meike 1.4/35 Multi Coated review (for MILC, APS-C, Sony E)

Navigation

1. In short
2. All MEIKE lenses
3. Main Specifications
4. Assembly
5. Focusing
6. Image quality
7. Sample Photos
8. My experience
9. Alternatives
10. All Sony APS-C E cameras
11. All original lenses for Sony APS-C E
12. Price
13. Review on Youtube
14. Results
15. User Comments
16. Add your review or question on the lens

Please note that the Meike 1.4/35 Multi Coated lens is available with different mounts. This review shows the Meike 1.4/35 Multi Coated version for mirrorless cameras Sony E with APS-C sensor. At the same time, Meike 1.4 / 35 Multi Coated is also available with mounts Fujifilm x, Canon EF-M, Nikon Z, Micro 4 / 3 и Nikon 1.

In this review, the Meike 1.4 / 35 Multi Coated lens will be abbreviated as Meike 35 / 1.4.

In short

Meike 35 / 1.4 is a modern fast lens for cropped mirrorless cameras with manual focus. One of most inexpensive similar fixes for cameras with an APS-C sensor and a maximum aperture of F / 1.4.

35 mm is a convenient focal length that allows you to use the Meike 35/1.4 as a standard (regular) lens for a huge number of different photo tasks.

Meike 35 / 1.4 is interesting for its low price, high-quality assembly and maximum aperture ratio of 1: 1.4. It has minor optical flaws, but in general it should fully satisfy all the needs of amateur photographers.

The main competitors are similar inexpensive lenses TTArtisan 35 / 1.4 и 7Artisans 35 / 1.4.

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 [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 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
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. 60mm 1:2.8 MACRO (announcement) [E, X, Z, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
20. 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: 1.7 [Z, E / FE, RF + X]
3. 50mm 1:1.2 [Z, FE, RF, EF, L]
4. 85mm 1: 2.8 Macro [F and EF / EF-S + Z, E / FE, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
5. 85mm 1: 1.8 [for Sony E, manual]
6. 85mm 1: 1.8 [for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, FujiFilm X, autofocus, 2022-2023]
7. 85mm 1:1.8(overview) [only for Nikon F, autofocus2020]
8. 85mm 1:1.8(overview) [only for Canon EF, autofocus2018]

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 Specifications Meike 1.4 / 35 Multi Coated

Review Instance Name	Near front lens: Meike Multi Coated 1.3ft/0.4m Ø49 1.4/35 Body: MEIKE On the lid: MEIKE Mount side: E-mount
Basic properties	The lens uses a Sony E mount and is suitable for Sony mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor Manual focus only Manual iris control Metal mount, metal case, metal front cover Multi Coated - multicoated optics
Front Filter Diameter	49 mm
Focal length	35 mm EGF for cameras Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm with APS-C sensor is 52.5 mm EGF for cameras Canon EOS M is 56 mm EGF for system cameras Micro 4/3 is 70 mm EGF for system cameras Nikon 1 is 94.5 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by	A variant from the review for Sony cropped mirrorless cameras. This lens exists with mounts: Sony E Fujifilm x Canon EOS-M Nikon Z Micro 4 / 3 Nikon 1
Number of aperture blades	9 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount mark (red dot on the chrome part of the mount) focusing distance scale, only in meters: 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1.2, 2, 4 meters and infinity mark depth of field scale for f / 2, 4, 8, 16 aperture scale on the aperture ring with a white rhombus for reference
Diaphragm	from F / 1.4 to F / 16, controlled using the aperture control ring. There are marks for F / 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6 (dot only), 8, 11 (dot only), 16. The ring rotates smoothly
MDF	0.4 meters, maximum magnification ratio approx. 1:9
The weight	220 grams (lens without caps, Sony E version, measured)
Optical design	8 elements in 5 groups The drawing of the optical scheme was not found, most likely it repeats the lens 7Artisans 35mm 1: 1.4.
Lens hood	Must be screwed into the front filter thread; marking unknown
Manufacturer country	Made in China (there is no data on the country of manufacture on the lens itself)
Period	From spring 2019
Price	View on Aliexpress

F / 1.4 is 2/3 stops brighter than the more common F / 1.8 on many other similar lenses, such as the original lens Sony 35mm F / 1.8 OSS... Moreover, the original Sony 35mm F / 1.8 OSS It has price tag around $ 500.

It's important: F/1.4 aperture here is 'true', with light transmission around T/1.6. I compared Meike 35 / 1.4 with lenses Sigma 30mm 1: 1.4 DC DN C (Contemporary), MINOLTA MC ROKKOR-PG 1:1.4 f=50mm и Nikon Nikkor-S Auto 1: 1.2 f = 55mm. At f / 1.4, the lenses give almost the same exposure (ceteris paribus). Lately I've been careful about the maximum relative aperture, there have already been many cases of cheating with the indication of the real maximum aperture by some Chinese manufacturers: 7Artisans 35 / 0.95, 7Artisans 50 / 1.05, Pergear 35 / 1.6.

Assembly

The box with the lens contains the lens itself with front and rear caps, a booklet and a warranty card. There is a soft foam holder in the middle of the box. The design of the box is stylish and beautiful.

In general, the lens well assembled... Meike 35 / 1.4 has metal mount for bayonet, and the lens case itself is completely made of metal, anodized aluminum is used.

The front lens cap is metal, without latches, just fits snugly against the body frame. There is a special fabric seal on the inside of the lid. The cover is fixed tightly. Removing and installing the cover is pleasant.

The weight of the lens is just over 200 grams. In the hands of the lens feels like a solid thing.

The filter diameter is 49 mm. The Meike 35 / 1.4 itself is quite compact, well suited for small Sony cameras with an APS-C sensor.

The diaphragm consists of 9 blades and forms a round hole at any value, while in the photographs in the blur zone, rather round disks of blur are obtained at any aperture value. The diaphragm can only be controlled manually using a special ring. Aperture ring rotates smoothly no clicks and fixed values, you can set any intermediate value in the range of F / 1.4-F / 16, which is very useful during movie shooting.

It's important: Unlike other lenses, where the aperture ring rotates with clicks, and the transition between any pairs of aperture numbers has the same step, the step between some pairs of Meike 35 / 1.4 numbers is different. It shrinks rapidly from F/4 to F/16. This makes it difficult to conveniently and quickly set intermediate values ​​​​between F / 4-F / 16. And for the marks F / 5.6 and F / 11 there was no place on the scale (only dots). The aperture ring is easy to accidentally catch and knock down the set value.

Focusing

The focus ring is metal, ribbed, comfortable. The ring spins on 180 degrees (1/2 of a full turn). Focusing is very smooth and pleasant, oily.

During focusing, the trunk of the lens runs forward but does not spin. During focusing, the entire lens block moves.

On the ring there is a scale with a focusing distance, but only in meters. There is a depth of field scale. The minimum focusing distance is 40 centimeters, and the maximum magnification ratio is approximately 1: 9.

Meike 35/1.4 has a slight 'Focus Breathing' effect. During focusing towards the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.

Focus Shift (change in focusing distance due to aperture) is missing.

Hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop) for fast and accurate focusing under any operating temperature conditions, the lens does not have.

Focus peaking with Meike 35/1.4 and Sony a3500 and a Sony NEX-6 works well at F / 1.4.

Image quality

On covered apertures, the Meike 35/1.4 easily handles a 20 megapixel APS-C sensor Sony a3500. In the center of the frame, Meike 35 / 1.4 is already sharp at F / 1.4.

Sharpness

1. F/1.4 lens has good resolution
2. with aperture down to f/2.8 resolution becomes excellent
3. there is a slight drop in sharpness towards the edges and corners of the frame, but even in the far corners of the frame at F / 1.4 the lens holds up much better than many similar lenses
4. good contrast
5. small coma

Distortion

1. there is a small barrel-shaped distortion
2. distortion is unified, easy to edit in the editor

Vignetting

1. weak vignetting on f / 1.4
2. vignetting decreases with focus towards MDF. Most noticeable when focusing on infinity
3. vignetting almost completely disappears at F / 2.8
4. vignetting easily fixable in the editor

Aberration

1. there is a noticeable amount of chromatic aberration
2. chromatic aberration very strong at the edges and corners of the image
3. even on heavily covered apertures, images remain in the corners chromatic aberration
4. there is a noticeable frigging (the color of contrasting elements in the out-of-focus area is purple or green)

Rest

1. on covered apertures it is easy to achieve the effect of an 18-ray star (example on f / 16)
2. from bright light sources you can get a lot of glare (example on f / 8)
   
3. the lens can produce pleasing bokeh (example on f / 1.4)

Important: at the time of writing this review, there was no Meike 35 / 1.4 profile for popular RAW converters. You can create a profile yourself or wait for its release.

Sample Photos

All photos in the review are shown without processing. Camera used Sony a3500 (Sony Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor at 20 MP). All photos are JPEG taken in camera. Some photos suffered due to the effect bokeh degradation at fast shutter speeds and wide apertures during EFCS (Y Sony a3500 EFCS cannot be turned off).

Original JPEG ('.jpg) images can be download / watch this link (80 files, GOOGLE DRIVE). RAW (Sony '.ARW') original photos can be download / watch this link (25+ files, GOOGLE DRIVE). Sony a3500 I can’t shoot exclusively in RAW format, but only in RAW + JPEG or JPEG, because most of the pictures I took were made in JPEG.

My experience

Meike 35 / 1.4 - manual alternative to native Sony E 35 / 1.8 OSS, as well as an alternative for many autofocus counterparts, such as Sigma C 30 / 1.4 [overview], Viltrox 33 / 1.4 и Tokina 33 / 1.4. First of all, Meike 35 / 1.4 is used for everyday, creative and artistic photo tasks, including can be used with a stretch for portrait shooting. The creative potential of Meike 35/1.4 is very high.

I can safely recommend it to anyone looking to get an inexpensive, fast, versatile lens for their mirrorless crop camera.

TTArtisan 35 / 1.4, 7Artisans 35 / 1.4 or Meike 35/1.4? All three are very interesting. Personally for me 7Artisans 35 / 1.4 was the most enjoyable.

Alternatives

Meike 35 / 1.4 is a super-budget replacement for autofocus cropped lenses for mirrorless cameras:

1. Sony 35 / 1.8 OSS (for Sony E mount)
2. Canon 32 / 1.4 STM (for Canon EF-M mount)
3. Zeiss 32 / 1.8 Toit (Planar) (for Sony E and Fujifilm X mounts)
4. Sigma 30 / 1.4 DC DN (for Sony E, Canon EF-M and Micro 4/3 mount)
5. felttrox 33 / 1.4 STM (for Sony E, Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z mounts)
6. fujinon 35 / 1.4 XF R (for Fujifilm X mount)
7. fujinon 35/2 XF R WR (for Fujifilm X mount)
8. fujinon 35/2XC (for Fujifilm X mount)
9. tokina 33 / 1.4 atx-m (for Fujifilm X, Sony E mounts)
10. Nikon 1 Nikkor 32/1.2 N
11. Do you know any other similar high-aperture autofocus lenses for cropped mirrorless cameras? Please indicate them in the comments, I will add to the list

Similar manual focus lenses and similar aperture for mirrorless crop cameras with APS-C sensor, there are already quite a few. Alternatively, I would point out the following options:

1. TTArtisan 35 / 1.4
2. 7Artisans 35 / 1.4
3. Meike 35 / 1.7
4. Pergear 35 / 1.6
5. 7Artisans 35 / 1.2 и 7Artisans II 35 / 1.2
6. 7Artisans 35 / 0.95
7. Zhongyi SpeedMaster 35 / 0.95
8. Samyang 35 / 1.2
9. Neewer 35 / 1.2, Neewer 32 / 1.6 и Neewer 35 / 1.7
10. Brightin Star 35 / 1.2 и Brightin Star 35 / 1.7
11. Laowa 33 / 0.95

All Sony E-mount cameras with APS-C sensor

• NEX-3, NEX-C3, NEX-F3, NEX-3Women
• NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-5R, NEX-5T
• NEX-6, NEX-7
• a3000, a3500
• a5000, a5100
• a6000, a6100, a6300, a6400, a6500, a6600
• ZV-E10
• FX30
• QX1
• Hasselblad lunar

All Sony E lenses for APS-C

Fix Lenses:

1. Sony 11 mm f / 1.8 [2022, black, AliExpress price]
2. Sony 15 mm f / 1.4 G [2022, black, AliExpress price]
3. Sony 16 mm f / 2.8 [2010, silver, AliExpress price]
4. Sony 20 mm f / 2.8 [2013, silver, AliExpress price]
5. Sony 24 mm f / 1.8 ZEISS ZA [2011, black]
6. Sony 30 mm f / 3.5 MACRO [2011, silver, AliExpress price]
7. Sony 35 mm f / 1.8 U.S.S [2012, black, AliExpress price]
   
8. Sony 50 mm f / 1.8 U.S.S [2011, black/silver, AliExpress price]

Zoom Lenses:

1. Sony 10-18 mm f / 4 U.S.S [2012, black, AliExpress price]
   
2. Sony 10-20 mm f / 4 G PZ [2022, black, AliExpress price]
3. Sony 16-50 mm f / 3.5-5.6 PZ U.S.S [2012, black/silver, AliExpress price]
4. Sony 16-55 mm f / 2.8 G [2019, black, AliExpress price]
5. Sony 16-70 mm f / 4 U.S.S ZEISS ZA [2013, black, AliExpress price]
   
6. Sony 18-50 mm f / 4-5.6 [2014, black]
7. Sony 18-55 mm f / 3.5-5.6 U.S.S [2010, black/silver, AliExpress price]
8. Sony 18-105 mm f / 4 G PZ U.S.S [2013, black, AliExpress price]
   
9. Sony 18-110 mm f / 4 G PZ U.S.S [2016, black]
   
10. Sony 18-135 mm f / 3.5-5.6 U.S.S [2018, black, AliExpress price]
    
11. Sony 18-200 mm f / 3.5-6.3 U.S.S [2010, silver, AliExpress price]
12. Sony 18-200 mm f / 3.5-6.3 U.S.S LE [2012, black, AliExpress price]
    
13. Sony 18-200 mm f / 3.5-6.3 PZ U.S.S [2012, black]
    
14. Sony 55-210 mm f / 4.5-6.3 U.S.S [2011, black/silver, AliExpress price]
15. Sony 70-350 mm f/4.5–6.3 G U.S.S [2019, black, AliExpress price]

Third-party autofocus lenses for Sony E APS-C:

• Zeiss Touit Distagon 12/2.8 | Zeiss Touit Planar 32/1.8 | Zeiss Touit Makro Planar 50/2.8M
• Hasselblad E 3.5-5.6/18-55 OSS LF | Hasselblad E 3.5-6.3/18-200 OSS LF | Hasselblad E 2.8 / 16 LF
• Sigma C 16/1.4 | Sigma A 19 / 2.8 | Sigma EX 19/2.8 | Sigma C 30 / 1.4 | Sigma EX 30/2.8 | Sigma A 30/2.8 | Sigma C 56/1.4 | Sigma A 60/2.8 | Sigma C 18-50 / 2.8
• Tamron 11-20 / 2.8 | Tamron 17-70 / 2.8 VC | Tamron 18-200 / 3.5-6.3 VC | Tamron 18-300 / 3.5-6.3 VC
• Viltrox 13 / 1.4 | Viltrox 23/1.4 | Viltrox 33/1.4 | Viltrox 56 / 1.4
• Tokina 23 / 1.4 | Tokina 33 / 1.4 | Tokina 56 / 1.4 | Tokina 11-18 / 2.8
• Samyang 12 / 2
• Yongnuo 16 / 1.8, Yongnuo 50 / 1.8

Many interesting manual solutions are provided by Chinese manufacturers and brands. 7Artisans, TTartisan, Meike, Neewer, PerGear, Kamlan, Brightin star, Mitakon Zhongyi, Venus laowa other. Autofocus Speed ​​Boosters are also interesting Viltrox Canon EF -> Sony E 0.71X и Metabones Canon EF -> Sony E 0.71X... List of full-frame cameras and lenses Sony FE (Full Frame E) here

Review on Youtube

Price

Meike 35/1.4 costs around $90. The easiest way buy Meike 35/1.4 at Aliexpress.comFor example, here at this link.

Results

Meike 35/1.4 has a good price/quality ratio. For amateur photographers, it should be an excellent solution as a manual standard lens for every day.

10 main advantages

1. low price tag (total about 90 dollars)
2. maximum aperture F / 1.4 (very high aperture)
3. convenient focal length for working on cameras with an APS-C sensor (EGF about 50 mm)
4. good build quality: the lens barrel is completely made of metal, including a metal bayonet mount and a metal front cover
5. smooth focusing ring, stroke is 1/2 of a full turn
6. compact dimensions, filter diameter only 49 mm
7. nine aperture blades
8. smooth aperture adjustment
9. there is a depth of field scale, a focus distance scale
10. good sharpness in the center of the frame starting from F / 1.4

10 main disadvantages

1. no autofocus (for example, a super-budget Yongnuo 50mm 1:1.8 DA DSM S [for Sony E APS-C] have auto focus)
2. small step at the aperture ring between apertures F / 4-F / 16
3. the aperture control ring is very easy to accidentally hook and knock down the set value
4. no CPU pins to form the correct EXIF
5. a sufficiently large MDF equal to 40 cm (for example, 7Artisans II 35 / 1.2 MDF is only 28cm)
6. A threaded (non-bayonet) hood must be used, no hood included
7. there is no lens profile for popular RAW converters, the lens is not 'hardwired' into modern cameras
8. front cover without latches, easy to lose
9. tangible chromatic aberration
10. significant glare in the backlight

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