This 85mm F1.8 AF Lens is $199

[@ArthurR]

Hope you guys liked the video! Remember click my link and try out the Crucial Scanner for FREE: www.inflcr.co/SHDdn #ad

[@incorporeal3793]

You've got another telegram spammer. I've reported most of its replies.

[@ArthurR]

@@incorporeal3793 Thank you! I have reported a few comments myself this morning.

[@mattduncan5500]

@@ArthurR Compared to the Sony 85mm(or even to the Viltrox 85mm, which ppl say are pretty much the same if not better)

[@dylan.1776]

Not enough credit given to Meike for making an extremely competent 85mm at this price point. Who cares if it’s plastic.

[@Christian-wo4nl]

I mean it you happen to drop it, you might

[@maggnet4829]

@@Christian-wo4nl Did that with the old Canon 50mm 1.8 which is super plasticy too and it just bounced because its so light and was all well. I imagine this lens might be as well very light, what might be a pro for travel photographers.

[@NAM3L3555]

@@Christian-wo4nl imagine if it is metal ...

[@maggnet4829]

@@djdoc06 I heard the Japanese started like that too. In the end Meike found a market gap that wasn't serviced by the big players.

[@mrwashur1991]

@@maggnet4829 yeah that gap is making shit lenses lol.

[@TheSshadow7]

If someone is on a budget, it's perfect, especially for beginners.

[@shawnc5839]

thats my thought. ny nephew is 11 years old and loves taking pictures. i think this will be an excellent learning/ beginner lens for him.

[@CO8848_2]

This is the world we are in now, FF 85 f1.8 autofocus at $200. Wow, and other mounts don't yet have nearly as much 3rd party options.

[@cinelensgeeky3648]

other mounts I heard Meike is developing.

[@NewerSing]

Viltrox?

[@amermeleitor]

TTartisan is developing AF lenses for near all mounts

[@thomaschipman]

"cheap AF" ... lol, well played. you're bang on with the "good enough" statement. is the sony 1.8 better? sure. is it 3 times better? is the 1.4 nine times better? some people don't want to do that evaluation or even accept the results. there are definitely times when you need the capabilities of those lenses. but for most photographers, even non-working photographers, i'd argue that they'd be surprised what good enough really is for them. there's a definite point where the price/performance ratio tops out, but unfortunately with GAS and the mindset that having the absolute highest optical and autofocus performance there are too many hung up on corner sharpness or various types of distortion that will never be noticed in the type of work they produce.

[@robinte98]

nah man. That unreliable hunk of glass really is not good enough for everybody. The CAs are so severe, that they were distracting in some shots (making them useless). I only shoot old lenses myself, and this performance is even below my standards... Just get a used (maybe even vintage) lens instead or save up for something that actually performs well. Or get something that at least has some interesting characteristics. This lens is so generic in every category it performs reasonably in, and bad in every other. I agree that lenses don't need to be expensive, but they should not be whatever this is either.

[@ronburgundy4743]

I mean, you're wrong

[@chongtentcreator]

I’ve often found that cheaper lenses with lower optical quality often make you work harder to get a better composition. $199 bokeh is a bargain tho

[@ArthurR]

This is true. Rarely do people want to work harder though. People pay for ease!

[@mrwashur1991]

Yeah it’s called a shitty lens dude. You can word it however you want but at the end of the day it’s still ewaste with glass in the middle

[@guille_snapshooter]

@@ArthurR and here i am with my nikon 135 2.8E taking racing pictures jeje

[@AmbercoolPhotography]

If you use Photoshop in any capacity, this lens can do 99% of what you need.

[@SWATxPolicy]

I have the Manual version of this lens. I am a commercial videographer full time. I used it on a shoot just recently. In controlled lighting, not a single complaint.

[@Original_Pepe_Pupu]

Thanks for the review. One thing I’ve never seen mentioned in reviews - so it may or may not be particular to my copy of the lens - is that when shooting with Electronic First Curtain Shutter turned on, there is a gradient shadow (in horizontal orientation) in the top 1/4-1/3 of the frame, increasingly so, at speeds 1/1000 and higher. This is exacerbated by smaller apertures, as well. This does not occur with full-mechanical shutter, nor with full-electronic shutter. A consolation: if shooting outdoors at wide apertures (and therefore faster speeds), it’s best to shoot with full-mechanical shutter, since EFCS causes “bokeh” to look choppy or distorted.

[@GeminiRVides]

Thank you for this review, it's great that you can give us an honest insight on gear that we would look at and say it's too cheap to be any good. Yours is the channel to go for APSC love!

[@adikare]

Finally, thanks for this video. I had bought viltrox 85mm.

[@KPGuitarStudios]

Thanks for not just throwing it under the bus and considering all the factors at play. Have you checked out what it can do in the video sense? Do the AF issues seem to rear their head even with the stellar Sony video AF?

[@mattduncan5500]

is what i would of also liked to know

[@BackwoodsFilms]

I hear a lot of reviewers harping on the minor negatives of this lens, but I'd be ecstatic to get the kind of shots shown in this video from a $200 lens. You'd recoup your money on a single portrait shoot, and after a couple more you could afford to get a lens of even higher quality if you chose to upgrade.

[@vonpotatostein]

GREAT video thank you Athur! One thing though: the grinding you are feeling while manual focusing it could be the resisrance of fhe AF motor not all lenses allow you to freely MF if the switch is on AF (-and you can damage the motor doing this)

[@jeffreybuoncristiano]

nice moonswatch!

[@georgevp]

Might be fun to get it used for an artsy lens.

[@Kyng-f8c]

My brother you are ridiculously thorough. This is a very honest and informative review. I can now purchased this lens with a fully informed buy.

[@RMR.555]

Lovely colours 😎

[@xaropevader7329]

Lightroom can remove the chromatic aberration, you can use at f2.8 and still plenty of bokeh on a full frame, even further closed. For the price, is amazing actually.

[@aronchas]

I just bought this lense for the price. Did not dissapoint

[@hackerockmedia]

An 85mm with a mist filter built-in!! 🤪 As you said.... it makes the job!!

[@joecool2162]

BEST Portrait shots of your wife out of all the videos I've seen. I'm sure she loves them. This has been the declsive reason that I will be getting this lens. I've finally learned that women "DO NOT" like sharp/expensive lenses for their portraits. Thanks.

[@96lovelymama]

Waiting for comparison video with Sony 85mm

[@robinte98]

Why would you use a Full Frame 85mm on APS-C?

[@keystonebrotherb]

A7c is ff.

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

@@robinte98 Why wouldn't you use a FF 85mm on APS-C? That gives you 127.5mm f2.7 FF equivalent, which is great for portrait.

[@anghelphoto]

Good review. I'm looking to buy this lens. Thanks for the video

[@amermeleitor]

Very good value! I'm a cheap man, the Meike paired with an old A7 can be a perfect cheap man setup. The CAs are easily workable in post, they are not a big deal if aren't wide (the wide CAs looks like ghosting when treated). I love how third party chinese lenses are pulling more AF cheap alternatives, I'm waiting for the TTartisan developments in AF lenses for all mounts. Even Yongnuo have dirt cheap lenses that work ok enough.

[@roy.mclean]

I assume it's a crop lens so it won't be using the whole sensor on an A7. I have used them on full frame cameras and framed them with the barrel being visible with the intention of cropping it out in post, but sometimes I misjudge and end up having to lose a thing in the foreground because I have to crop it more than I thought.

[@amermeleitor]

@@roy.mclean it is a full frame lens

[@roy.mclean]

@@amermeleitor thanks. I now see that.

[@gillesmatheronpro]

According to the rigorous DxO Mark testing system, the Yongnuo YN 85mm f/1.8S DF DSM is 3rd overall in their tested lenses (which are hundreds). It leads the 4000$ Carl Zeiss Distagon T* Otus 55mm f/1.4 ZF.2 by one point in the rankings... wow ! To round things up, the ultimate top lens is the Nikon Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct. But it's rated only 4 points higher than this Yongnuo, yet the Nikkor's price tag is... 8000$. Who said "That Yongnuo is a bargain !"...? All details on the DxO Mark Website, with extensive reports, charts, measurements, fields, etc. and some downloadable documents.

[@Rcm23195]

I can buy 6 of these for what I bought my Sigma 85 1.4 for.. THAT'S some value there

[@CO8848_2]

And that's only about half the price of the GM 8t f1.4 or RF 8t f1.2 to begin with.

[@ronburgundy4743]

and your Sigma is 6x better

[@mytube2013]

You can buy sony version at 2.5x

[@smoejith9283]

Curious if you have tried it on and APS-C body yet? Just wondering if AF works ok on say an a6000? Good review though, for the $$$ it looks PDG!!

[@rkgaustin]

I have a suspicion that USB connector isn't actually connected to anything inside the lens.

[@roxikoko3744]

Might want to rethink the thumbnail Cheap AF Unless it’s meant to have a double meaning. In that case, very clever.

[@ashwinpatalay3516]

Thank you Arthur! Please post a review video on Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens 🙏🏼

[@onnie1968]

Thank you Arthur :) Shame you didn't add a video sample of the lens.

[@EE-my8zp]

It would be great if you make a review of the samyang 85mm 1.4 FE af

[@ronburgundy4743]

Bad AF even with firmware update and tweaking. Chromatic Aberration. There ya go

[@ChristosPapPhotography]

will be great to see how works the focus, how slow or fast is it, could we have a video how is works?

[@AlvinZorDi]

I just bought one for a Canon RF mount. The focus ring is not wobbly at all, feels good, and does not make sound like yours does. 📷

[@PLANETWATERMELON]

Well, I am sold. Totally getting one for locations I don't want to bring better glass to. I will say not sure best efforts were applied here as I have seen better shot from you and I mean as in timing & composition.

[@mymusicbymemusic]

They must have sent you a pre-production model, since my example of this lens has a focus ring that's not wobbly and moves smoothly. Also, there are complaints about the AF, but mine focuses smoothly (latest firmware). As far as CA, it's inevitable with leaves against sunlight. For $200, the lesser build-quality isn't even worth complaining about; only those familiar with G and GM series lenses will notice, anyway.

[@mahdiyavari170]

This is far better than any other 85 because you ain always shoot on 85 .. you can get a decent 28 70 sigma f2.8 and this baby and youll be fine in all lengths .. put the extra money for some higher lenghts to be able to do some cool nature photography also .. 85 is not a necessity even if it was .. this lens still would have been worth it

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!

[@abchappell01]

That was very interesting. It seems that this lens might be an adequate lens for backyard photos of your loved ones 😊

[@randallbrander8157]

I have Cannon glass and they have STM on their lenses. Could it have been for Cannon and they adapted it for the Sony?

[@cinelensgeeky3648]

their EF mount is not STM lenses, but this Sony has STM motor.

[@randallbrander8157]

@@cinelensgeeky3648 The RF mount do. The first lenses that came out for the Canon EOS R and RP. Kit lens that came with the R7 18-150mm, 85mm F/2 Macro, 16mm F/2.8, 35mm F/1.8 and the Nifty Fifty F/1.8 all have the STM. So what I am seeing is that manufacturers are making or adapting different mounts for their lenses. I was just curious.

[@frankdelsandro3332]

new Youngyuo 85mm 1.8S metal lens is out. Will you be reviewing this new improved lens?

[@KaioshinAemi]

How does it do for video purposes? I used Sigma MC-11 adapter for my Canon 100mm F2 for Portrait and that’s good enough. This lens is a good price but video is important to me so let me know how does it do for video?

[@mattcero1]

I'm about to buy this and knew I had to hear your opinion on it. Question, I have a Sony ZV-E10, a5100 as well as Nikon Z 6ii. I have a Sony EtoZ adapter so my question is this. Is the Sony E version of this the same as the Nikon Z excluding the mount? If so, I'll just buy the Sony version and use it on my Sony's and with the adapter on my Nikon Z. Thank you.

[@yoeieyang]

I always watched & liked your review, not too bad for less than 200 bucks! I'll think about it

[@Liam-c9u3r]

I'm on a budget and looking for a good lens. Meike 85mm f1.8 and TTArtisan's 75mm f2 are both in my price range. Which one offers better value?

[@octo1x]

meike fs

[@ashbash007]

Is new sony apsc camera coming soon ? Or is it ok tombuy a6600 for now?

[@NandR]

For twice as much the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 is also an option. Love mine!

[@Thumpr110]

I like the images from mine. The autofocus lets me down often if the subject is moving though

[@NandR]

@@Thumpr110 Yeah, not a Sony or Sigma lens in that regard.

[@keystonebrotherb]

Samyang 1.4 is the best budget choice.

[@jeffrydemeyer5433]

Some years ago I got the SAM 85mm f2.8 for about that price. It wasn't much better but I did like some of the shots i made with it. This seems like a far better deal.

[@MMRCx]

What lens would you recommend for shoe photography, videography? Or basically anything that is relatively small, size of a normal shoe? I have been thinking of the 56mm sigma or the 85mm sony, as these are good for portraits and that’s kind of what I will be doing, but with footwear. What do you think? Thank you

[@markshafer706]

For the price, the picture quality is more than passable. I would definitely consider this lens.

[@cian.horgan]

On the conversion: convert the other way and it roughly works. 0.8m = 0.265ft, no one would or should write that many significant figures so it gets rounded to 0.3. Mayyybe 0.27 would make more sense but IMO 0.3 works

[@francissosing]

The images look surprisingly good

[@NNA1984]

The price is just unbelievable!

[@doolittlegeorge]

I bought a caf Chinese made mirrorless camera and the lens was absolutely worthless but the camera body was and still remains truly amazing and I swapped out a Panasonic 4/3 and the item still amazes me as it's so light weight.

[@christopherbrougham]

What camera was that?

[@floatingrabbit3556]

LMfao he bashed the hell out of this lens and it made me want to buy it more.

[@cinelensgeeky3648]

Generally, Also a good portrait lens for beginner and those who have limited budget.

[@Nordic_Ventures]

how is it in video?

[@bubu-px7gb]

这几张比你平常照的照片好多了， 你就这水平，用这个镜头都不错 These few photos are much better than the ones you usually take. You're at this level, and this lens is good to use for you photography level.

[@gdjaybee742]

Face and Eye tracking Autofocus performance factors greatly in my lens purchasing. Can you atleast tell us what your experience was while you were reviewing this lens? I think decent optics and reliable and fast autofocus is a steal. The autofocus itself to me is worth 100 bucks more if it performs reliably and fast.

[@ccudjoe89]

talk about hatin on the meike lens. i used the ef version adapted for the longest time. it's plenty sharp, @ f8 it was one of the sharpest lenses i've used. if you're on a budget and need an 85f1.8 this is you pic. if you have a little more money though the viltrox is excellent, jump to the samyang/ rokinon 85 1.4.

[@danidelgado3015]

What is the best 35mm for the price?

[@anthony01311982]

I love the out come

[@toomanyhobbies400]

Great video, thank you. Meike has a number of worthy lens in the $100 niche. But in this case I would go with a better built used F2.8 lens. PS. Sept 18. Sorry Arthur. Can't deal with Tele....

[@vuwanrai56]

Why are you so allergic to plastics on the lens? Most photographers are more concerned with auto- focus, lens flares, vignetting, image quality, color fringing.

[@soundarapandianms2875]

Could you please review the neewer 35mm f1.7 cctv lens. Which is cheaper than the fotasy 35mm Lens.

[@oddtechman]

thanks for sharing as always. Would be nice if they did a dedicated aps-c 85mm for us A6400 users though! using full frame lenses are a nightmare with the crop aspect ratio to factor in

[@thomasleonczik1453]

ASP-C lenses don't take crop into consideration for focal length, all lenses are the exact same focal length regardless of whether or not your sensor is smaller or bigger than full frame. get a 50-55mm lens if you want a 85mm equivalent on APS-C

[@oddtechman]

@@thomasleonczik1453 i know.. i have a 50mm full frame lens for my A6400. but i would like to see a dedicated aps-c 85mm though rather than using a full frame "equivalent to" which was the word i was looking for on my original post.

[@thomasleonczik1453]

@@oddtechman a dedicated APS-C 85mm would just be a re-housed ~55mm full frame lens, and would produce the same result optically. it would be too expensive for companies to make lenses specific to APS-C especially if they are not compatible with full frame, whereas full frame lenses are compatible with APS-C sensors

[@oddtechman]

@@thomasleonczik1453 fair enough comment. it's just me i guess.. i use aps-c.. i want aps-c lenses lol. we're all different with what we want and sometimes we can get it.. other times we cant. Many thanks for your answers and very much appreciate :)

[@walkslow7509]

@@oddtechman I agree with your original comment, man. I also have an a6400, got a sigma 56mm but sometimes I just want a little extra reach, with a big aperture. That's where a dedicated 85mm would shine. I don't want to get a 85mm full frame lens since I simply don't want to lug around all that extra glass and unnecessarily pay more to have it.

[@alexrochatsi]

The aperture not working in my Sony a6000. :(

[@mskedarnath]

Waiting for Tamron 17-70 f2.8 vs Fuji 16-55 f2.8 vs Fuji 18-55 f2.8-f4 comparison video

[@JoxerTheMighty]

"This cheap lens feels cheap! I only got $1 worth from my $1 purchase, outrage and such!" - Winston Chu... No wait.

[@Princeton_James]

I was like this is junk....until I saw your images! Still probably built terrible but the pics looks great.

[@babakmohama6599]

Can i use it for sony a6400 ?

[@EJKelly]

Bought the lens three weeks ago and the thing is a killer. Step it down to 6.3 or more and for the money it's a great lens.

[@palaHD]

Stopping down a 1.8 lens to 6.3 is highly under rated 😯😂

[@tiltil9442]

@@palaHD it's like using the available functions...

[@samuelmercadante]

That’s very good for stills, in F6.3 or F8 I think that lens can give you a really good results for studio portrait and stills

[@fireballfireball7573]

Can this Lens Fit my Sony Nex 5R Camera?

[@Wasmm_]

I have the manual version of this lens and the aperture doesnt work on my A7 IV, i don't think i'll invest on meike again :/

[@hiphopdelhi4908]

There are two meanings for cheap "AF"

[@sanjairajv]

Isnt it a full frame lens?

[@youngfielphotography4581]

FULL FRAME

[@rudydizon59]

85mm meike RF mount review please ^_^

[@YuenTinYap]

They have updated the minimum focusing distance to 0.9m

[@jre617]

Good honest review. Obviously there are big differences, but it does point out how much Sony over-charges for lenses.

[@Magpie1908]

Arthur I enjoyed your review and the sample images. Another reviewer gave the lens 2/10 for auto focus. Even so the lens is a bargain

[@michaelt9721]

I had this lens before upgrading to a Sigma ART 85mm. The MEKE lens "works" but is noisy as hell and slow to focus. It sounds like a broken transmission.

[@tiagoto]

For the price..... its great!

[@davehandelman2832]

A few years ago i totally would have bought this. But now... It seems sad

[@HeresMo]

I have the Sony 85mm. I think I paid $1000 for it. This is truly a bargain.

[@joshthehammerheadshark7350]

4:25

[@grabekaau]

How much better is the viltrox over this?

[@run2EU]

In China it only sales for about 150 USD.

[@DirtyCuttinScoundrel]

Tried your code on ram didn’t work

[@Fxckkitt]

You’re really complaining about build quality on a $200 lens that’s doing an exceptional job for its price?

[@thekevinhu]

I know the thumbnail says CHEAP AF under the lens, but the picture of your wife that close in the thumbnail made me concerned for your well being. 😜

[@MISSB2489]

I brought this lens and it doesn’t pair with my cannon m50 I tried everything

[@GabrielGGabGattringer]

Holy moly. Finally a lense with AF. Perfect for my Sony A6300!

[@cinelensgeeky3648]

yes I think it's a good choice for a6300 and beginners of full frame sony cameras

[@xxxxz4862]

@@cinelensgeeky3648 Nice backhanded compliment, dick...

[@cas818028]

Didn’t you review this 3 years ago?

[@keystonebrotherb]

My 85 is the Samyang 85 1.4!

[@Ashleyapples]

i see, i will continue to use mu sony 85.

[@Vaquero_interestelar]

35mm 1.8. i hope this focal lenses

[@ronburgundy4743]

I'll stick with my Sigma. You get the quality you pay for

[@aNumberOne]

On a aps-c you getting a 127mm 1.8

[@igg5589]

+100 and you'll get Viltrox which is metal built and better optics.

[@terrystarr3012]

Yes no thanks I just bought a Sony 85x 1.8 thanks for your work. Regards