Cheap-and-cheerful Hong Kong-based lens maker Meike has announced a new AF 85mm f/1.8 Pro lens. Available in Sony E, Nikon Z and Leica L mounts, the full-frame lens has a focal length that is particularly sought after by portrait photographers. It offers a flattering perspective for intimate closeup headshots while working at a discrete distance, and is equally useful for upper-body and full-length portraits.
The lens is set to retail for around $339 / £269 / AU$525 – that's a very attractive price considering the spec sheet; while many budget lenses are purely manual affairs, the Meike 85mm f/1.8 Pro offers full autofocus.
The full-frame lens has an optical path consisting of 11 elements in eight groups, including ED and aspherical elements. A nine-bladed aperture diaphragm should ensure nicely rounded bokeh, while backgrounds can be blown out to a pleasing blur thanks to the combination of the wide f/1.8 aperture and 0.85m minimum focus distance.
The lens is fairly compact, weighing just 389g (for Sony E-mount, others vary by a gram or two either way), and it has a filter size of 62mm, which is pretty small for a fast 85mm full-frame lens.
It's the second lens in Meike's upmarket Pro series, joining the previously released Meike 55mm f/1.8 Pro. Meike has a roadmap that shows additional Pro series lenses joining the line throughout 2025, including a Meike 15mm f/1.8 Pro, Meike 24mm f/1.8 Pro and Meike 35mm f/1.8 Pro.
The company already has released a Meike 85mm f/1.8 lens in Nikon F and Canon EF mounts for DSLRs, which was its first foray into autofocus lenses, and has also released a faster (and more expensive) 85mm f/1.4 mirrorless lens, again in Leica, Nikon and Sony mounts. We wouldn't be at all surprised if the new lens joined the ranks of the best lenses for portraits, once we've had the opportunity to test it.
Shipping begins on November 19, but it is available to order now.
