Review of MEIKE 33mm F1.4 Auto Focus Lens NEO Series APS-C STM (E, X, Z)

Navigation

1. In short
2. History
3. Main Specifications
4. Assembly
5. Focusing
6. Firmware Upgrade
7. Sample Photos
8. Price
9. My experience
10. Alternatives
11. Video review
12. Results
13. User Comments
14. Add your review or question on the lens

In this review I will refer to the MEIKE 33mm F1.4 Auto Focus Lens NEO Series APS-C STM lens as the 'Meike AF 33/1.4'.

It's important: This review shows the Meike AF 33/1.4 mirrorless version Sony APS-C with bayonet mount Sony e-mount and with firmware version Ver02.01. At the same time, there are modifications of this lens for mirrorless cameras of the systems APS-C Nikon Z (Nikon DX) и APS-C FujiFilm X.

 

In short

Meike AF 33/1.4 is a modern autofocus lens for mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor. In terms of its parameters, the Meike AF 33/1.4 is a very attractive and balanced solution. Automatic focusing is carried out using a stepper motor. The aperture has nine blades. The image quality is at a high level. In general, the Meike AF 33/1.4 is a very decent budget solution, especially against the background of the original Sony E 1.8/35 OSS (Optical Steady Shot, SEL35F18, E-mount), the cost of which exceeds 450 dollars.

Usually, 33 mm focal length when working on a camera with an APS-C sensor is considered a standard lens (based on the fact that the frame diagonal is about 29 mm). 33 mm on cameras with an APS-C sensor is a convenient focal length for everyday shooting. 33 mm is suitable for a large number of tasks - from landscape and architectural photography to some areas of portrait photography. Most likely, the release of Meike AF 33 / 1.4 is associated with the already existing very popular competing models: Sigma 30/1.4 (E, X, Z, L, EF-M, RF-S, MFT, 2016) и Viltrox 33/1.4 (E, X, Z, EF-M, 2020).

I worked with the lens for about three weeks and shot about five thousand frames in completely different shooting conditions and used it for different types of photography. The lens coped with all tasks exceptionally well. In terms of its capabilities, the Meike AF 33/1.4 is a very attractive solution.

Such 33-35 mm lenses are in great demand and can be considered standard solutions for everyday photography tasks.

• for the system APS-C Sony E-mount The Meike AF 33/1.4 lens is an alternative to the original autofocus similar lens Sony E 1.8/35 OSS (Optical Steady Shot, SEL35F18, E-mount) (2012, about $450).
• for the system APS-C Nikon Z (Nikon DX) there are no original similar solutions (as of the end of 2024), and therefore the Meike AF 33/1.4 lens will be in high demand for this system
• for the system APS-C FujiFilm X The Meike AF 33/1.4 lens is an alternative to the original F autofocus lensUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 33mm 1:1.4 R LM WR (2021, about $800) and Fujifilm FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF f=35mm 1:1.4 (2012, about $600).

The price of the brand new Meike AF 33/1.4 is about $ 230.

It's important: when searching and choosing autofocus optics for Sony E / FE Use these very useful links:

• All autofocus lenses for Sony E APS-C / Sony NEX (original and third-party)
• All MEIKE lenses

Main technical characteristics of MEIKE 33mm 1:1.4 Auto Focus Lens NEO Series:

Review Instance Name	On the lens barrel: MEIKE 33/1.4 NEO Series Near the front lens: MEIKE AUTO FOCUS LENS 33mm F1.4 APS-C 1.3ft/0.4m Ø52mm On the box: MEIKE 33mm APS-C F/1.4 Multi Coated NEO Prime Lens for mirrorless camera On the bayonet side, engraving: E-mount + serial number
Basic properties	E (E-mount) - designed for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras APS-C – the lens is designed to work with cameras with a cropped APS-C sensor NEO Series – Meike NEO series of lenses (there is a photo of the lens on the Internet, where there is only the inscription “NEO”, without “Series”) AF (Auto Focus) - the lens supports auto focus STM (STepper Motor) – stepper motor or focusing stepper motor Electromagnetic diaphragm AF / MF (Auto Focus - MAnnual Pass Focus) - the lens is equipped with a focus mode switch Internal focus Constant manual control of the focus ring Electronic focus ring Multi Coated - multi-coated optics (type and quality of coating are unknown) Metal mount Aperture control ring USB-port for firmware update Protective seal for bayonet mount It's important: the lens is completely (absolutely!) incompatible with cameras of the series SonyNEX
Front Filter Diameter	55 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length	33mm Equivalent Focal Length Sony E APS-C / APS-C Nikon Z (Nikon DX) / APS-C FujiFilm X is 49.5 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by	for APS-C mirrorless digital cameras. Theoretically, the lens is suitable for all digital mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses and a bayonet mount SONY E, but the manufacturer states that it is not compatible with Sony NEX family of cameras. There are also versions for mounts: Nikon Z fujifilm x
Number of aperture blades	9 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount mark hood attachment mark aperture values ​​on the aperture control ring
Diaphragm	from F/1.4 to F/16 with aperture control ring
MDF	0.4 meters
The weight	316 grams without caps and hood according to my measurements (version under Sony e-mount) 355 grams with caps and hood according to my measurements (version under Sony e-mount)
Optical design	12 elements in 9 groups Drawing not found.
Lens hood	Bayonet-type lens hood, included in delivery, Meike LH33-P61 marker
Manufacturer country	MADE IN CHINA (Made in China)
Period	Since summer 2024
Instructions	Included in delivery
Price	About $ 230 Aliexpress prices

The actual aperture values ​​(T-stop) are quite large, and are at the T / 1.5 level.

Assembly

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

Meike AF 33/1.4 has metal mount. The focusing ring is also metal, with veins, not rubberized. The weight of the Meike AF 33/1.4 is about 300 grams.

The assembly is high-quality. The lens feels good in your hands. There is a red rubber seal on the bayonet side.

The package includes a durable plastic hood. The hood is of the bayonet type. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction (in transport mode), but in this case, access to the focusing ring is almost completely lost.

The front and rear protective covers are plastic, massive, and easy to use.

The aperture consists of 9 blades. At values ​​of F/1.4-F/4 the hole takes a fairly round shape. The aperture works quickly, does not stick. There is a metal aperture control ring, on which you can select the automatic operating mode “A”, or set the aperture value in the range from F/1.4 to F/16, between each step of the aperture numbers 1.4->2->2.8->4->5.6->8->11->16 there are 2 intermediate values. The aperture control ring is not directly connected to the aperture mechanism (with the aperture blades). The ring rotates with clicks.

Focusing

Meike AF 33/1.4 should work correctly with all modern cameras/cameras with bayonet mount Sony E (Sony FE).

The lens has a built-in focusing stepper motor STM. There is a slight noise/hum from its operation.

The autofocus speed is high.

The focusing ring is electronic, rotates easily, has no extreme positions. Manual focusing is sufficient conveniently. The electronic focusing ring lag is practically absent.

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

During auto focus focus ring remains stationary.

Lens has internal focus, during focusing the front lens remains motionless. You can use various types of light filters without any problems.

The minimum focusing distance is 40 cm.

Meike AF 35/2 does not have the 'Focus Breathing' effect at all (changes in viewing angle during focusing).

Firmware Upgrade

The lens is equipped with a port USB TYPE C (a common port used by many smartphones and other devices). When connected to a computer, the lens is recognized as a '3314CF-E' drive with a capacity of 91 KB. The drive contains two files:

1. Readme.html – a file for a web browser with information about the firmware update method and links to official websites
2. text file “Ver02.01”, which contains data about the current firmware

I do not updated the firmware this lens, as I did not find any updates on the official website. The update process should be similar to the one used for the lens. MEIKE 85mm 1:1.8 Auto Focus Lens FF STM. The lens used in the review had firmware Ver02.01.

Sample Photos

Cameras were used Sony a7 (24MP Full Frame Exmor HD CMOS sensor, 10MP in APS-C mode), Sony a3500 (20 MP Sony Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor). I would like to note the good resolution of the lens already at F/1.4 in the center of the frame and good bokeh.

• Original photos in RAW format (Sony '.ARW' 12-bit compressed) can be download / watch this link (Google Drive, 80+ photos). In EXIF from the camera Sony a3500 there is no data, with these cameras all pictures were taken at F/1.4.
• Original photos in JPEG '.JPG' format (shot in RAW+JPEG mode) can be download / watch this link (Google Drive, 150+ photos).

Prices

Prices for Meike AF 33/1.4 on Aliexpress from the official Meike seller can be found look at this link.

My experience

I've worked a lot with a similar lens - Sigma 30mm 1:1.4 DC DN C (Contemporary) and I know how popular and practical such solutions are.

The price/quality ratio of the Meike AF 33/1.4 lens is very high. You can safely buy and use it.

Meike AF 33/1.4 is a very affordable “35” for modern mirrorless systems.

The company classifies this lens as part of some new NEO line, but I don’t know what line it is.

Of all the autofocus lenses from Meike, I liked this Meike AF 33/1.4 the most, it focuses very well, and the combinations of focal length and aperture are very convenient for everyday shooting. Again, I really shot more than 5000 frames with this lens and was very pleased with it.

Alternatives

Below are all the fast 30-35mm autofocus lenses for mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor:

1. Carl Zeiss Planar 32/1.8 Touit (E, X, 2012)
2. Sony 35/1.8 OSS (E, 2012)
3. FujiFilm 33/1.4 XF (X, 2021)
4. FujiFilm 35/1.4 XF (X, 2012)
5. FujiFilm 35/2 XC (X, 2019)
6. FujiFilm 35/2 XF (X, 2015)
7. Canon 32/1.4 (EF-M, 2018)
8. Leica 35/1.4 SUMMILUX (L/TL/CL, 2016)
9. Samsung 30/2 (NX, 2010) [overview]
10. Sigma 30/1.4 (E, X, Z, L, EF-M, RF-S, MFT, 2016) [overview]
11. Sigma 30/2.8 EX DN (E, MFT, 2012)
12. Sigma 30/2.8 A DN (E, MFT, 2013)
13. Tokina 33/1.4 (E, X, 2021)
14. Viltrox 33/1.4 (E, X, Z, EF-M, 2020)
15. Viltrox 35/1.7 (E, X, Z, 2024)
16. Yongnuo 33/1.4 (E, X, Z, 2024)
17. Yongnuo 35/1.8 (Z, 2024)
18. TTArtisan 35/1.8 (E, X, Z, 2023) [overview]
19. Meike 33/1.4 (E, X, Z, 2024) [overview]
20. Sirui 33/1.2 (2023)

Video review

Results

The Meike AF 33/1.4 lens is a very good solution. The image quality is high, the autofocus is fast and low cost.

main advantages

1. low cost, only about $ 230
2. internal focusing, stepping focus motor, AF/MF focus mode switch, no 'Focus Breathing' effect at all
3. tenacious and fast autofocus (on latest Sony cameras)
4. good build quality: metal bayonet mount, metal focus and aperture rings, reliable and convenient caps, bayonet-type lens hood, rubber seal on the bayonet side
5. There is a USB port for firmware upgrade, easy firmware upgrade method
6. nine-petal diaphragm, smooth aperture in the range of F / 1.4-F / 4.0
7. aperture control ring with clicks and a large number of intermediate values
8. nice / neutral drawing, which can be used as a good artistic technique during portraiture
9. high resolution already at F/1.4 in the center of the frame
10. low level of chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval.