Meike 85mm f/1.8 for GFX – my first impressions and samples on the GFX100S II
There is surprisingly little information available about the new native G-mount version of the Meike 85mm f/1.8. Before ordering mine, I could basically only find these two posts here: Quick take on Meike 85/1.8 & MEIKE 85 1.8 gfx mount sample
I've only had the lens for a few days, so this isn't meant to be a full review. I mainly wanted to share some first impressions and test shots because there is still so little information available about it.
I'm using it on a GFX100S II.
Why I bought it
I had been interested in the GF80mm f/1.7 for a while, but wasn't sure how much I would actually use this focal length. Spending that much money just to find out seemed a bit excessive, so the much cheaper Meike looked like an interesting alternative. I ordered it directly from the Meike Global Shop for $399 plus $30 express shipping (FedEx). Shipping was surprisingly fast: it went from China to Germany in about two days.
Build quality
First impression is very positive. It feels solid and well made. My Fujinon GF lenses feel more premium, but there is nothing about the Meike that immediately strikes me as cheap or poorly made. I haven't found any obvious quality issues on my copy so far.
One small thing: the lens hood locks very firmly on mine. It takes quite a bit of force to remove it.
At around 400g, the lens is also surprisingly small and light for an autofocus f/1.8 lens covering the GFX sensor.
Autofocus
So far I've mainly used AF in normal daylight, where it has been very reliable. I haven't properly tested low-light AF, Eye AF or AF-C yet, so I can't say much about those. AF speed is obviously difficult to quantify without doing a proper test, but compared to the GF lenses I own, my subjective ranking would currently be:
- GF20-35
- GF35-70 / Meike 85 / GF100-200
- GF45
So the Meike isn't extremely fast, but to me it also doesn't feel noticeably slower than most of my GF lenses. The AF motor is slightly audible, but fairly quiet – definitely quieter than my GF45.
Manual focusing has a rather long focus throw. You need to turn the focus ring quite a lot to move through the range. That can be useful for precise focusing, but isn't particularly quick.
Sharpness
This has probably been my biggest surprise so far. To my eyes, the lens is already very sharp in the center at f/1.8 – even on the 102 MP sensor of the GFX100S II. Fine details are clearly resolved wide open, and f/1.8 doesn't feel like an aperture that is only there for emergencies.
The first four images show the same subject at f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4 and f/8. These were exported as full-resolution JPEGs from the GFX100S II, so you can zoom in and judge the detail for yourself.
Longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA)
LoCA is definitely present at f/1.8, with visible green/magenta fringing in out-of-focus high-contrast areas. It improves noticeably at f/2.8, is much less pronounced by f/4 and is basically a non-issue by f/8 in this example.
The fifth image shows crops from the same scene at f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4 and f/8.
LoCA comparison – f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4, f/8
First impressions
After a few days, I'm pretty impressed with it.
It's small and light by GFX standards, feels well made, AF has been reliable in daylight and – most importantly for me – it is genuinely sharp at f/1.8 on the GFX100S II. The shallow depth of field at f/1.8 is also quite impressive on GFX, and was one of the main reasons I wanted to try a lens like this in the first place.
It's obviously not optically perfect. LoCA is clearly visible wide open if you provoke it, and there are still things I haven't properly tested, especially low-light AF, Eye AF and AF-C.
I also tried a few astro shots at f/1.8. The first results look promising, although precise manual focusing was difficult because it was so dark that there was basically nothing useful visible in live view. But I haven't tested it enough yet to say much about it.
Considering the price, size and weight, my first impression is very positive. For my use case it seems like a very interesting alternative to spending much more on the GF80mm f/1.7, especially if – like me – you're not yet sure how often you'll actually use this focal length.
I'll probably add some normal real-world samples once I've had more time to actually take pictures with it rather than photograph Meike boxes and Japanese text. :-)