Meike 50mm f/1.8 AF FE Lens

Being a camera enthusiast and a professional photographer, we have to build up gut instincts to know that something was indeed right around the corner, especially something that could feed the budget-friendly lineup for the full-frame realm. And lo and behold, we have the Chinese lens manufacturer Meike on our hands which has blessed us with their very own super affordable 50mm F/1.8 full-frame autofocus lens. 

Lightweight and extremely budget-friendly, this optic promises the classic field of view and bokeh of a 50mm focal length in a package that won’t break the bank all while top of line lens elements and superior levels of blades, the results are going to be mind-boggling with this one. Here is a complete breakdown of what the Meike 50mm is bringing to the table:

Aperture Range

First of all, let’s talk about The lens that offers shooting flexibility with a wide aperture range from F1.8 all the way to F16, paving the way for both portrait and landscape shots with perfect clarity especially when stopping down.

Focal Length

As far as the focal length is Concerned, the lens is another edition to the nifty fifty families with a filter thread of 58mm, it’s going to work wonders in outdoor photography, for an individual who is on a budget, you clearly don’t want to miss out on this bad boy. 

The lens even boasts a 9-blade diaphragm, all while weighing only 382g on a scale, it’s exponentially lightweight and has a 63mm minimum focus distance. Keep in mind that While not as fast as higher-end glass, autofocus is reported to work well enough for most situations, especially outdoors, at such a price point, it certainly is a massive bargain.

The lens covers full-frame sensors with a 46.4° diagonal angle of view and works efficiently on APS-C cameras too.

Image Quality

Let us not forget the fact that this lens is capable of very sharp results even wide open at F1.8. It uses 11 elements in 7 groups, including aspheric and low dispersion elements, to minimize common optical issues like chromatic aberration. And to combat ghosting and flaring it even has a Multi-layer coating.

Price Tags

We believe, being up for sale for a mere $ 159.99, the Meike 50mm F/1.8 offers an affordable prime option that undercuts many competitors by at least a few hundred dollars. Keep in mind the lens itself is available for both Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount options to fit full-frame cameras from both manufacturers.

For those new to full-frame or working with tighter budgets, it broadens access to high-quality glass.

However, the catch here is that the Sony E mount version of the Meike 50mm F1.8 is currently available for pre-order on the Meike website and other retailers. The Nikon Z mount model can be purchased immediately. This lens will no doubt attract many looking to experience the full-frame look without the full-frame tax.

Let’s just hope the overall quality of its exterior build is worth the investment, otherwise, it’s going to be quite a letdown for the fans waiting for it. As for my personal “estimation”, these aftermarket lenses always tend to have almost similar build quality since they have a reputation to maintain to stay in an already Saturated market, so in other words, let us just stay optimistic on this one and hope for the best.

One of our Veteran wedding photographers, Julia Gomez, was excited to take  Meike 50mm out for a real-world test at a local bridal session and even claimed: “oh boy, I have to say I’m impressed with the price tags because it looks like experimenting around with it won’t feel like I have something to lose, I cannot wait to capture crisp shots during indoor sessions”.

The Internet was also hogged with comments to the lens preorder news, we even spotted one tweet “For a Photographer on a budget, this Fifty nifty could be a game changer because you are clearly getting more than you could have bargained for”.

Nevertheless, if you are interested in detailed technical specifications and first-hand experiences, stay tuned for more as we will be personally testing it out with our team of experts in both controller lab environments and real-world scenarios, so make sure you bookmark this site, get a better perspective on this lens.