The Meike AF 85mm F1.8 G-mount for GFX looks interesting to me. Compared to the GF80mm f/1.7, it is smaller and lighter, appears to focus quietly, quickly and accurately (STM motor), and costs only a fraction of the Fujinon. It is also great that, like many other GF lenses, it has a 62mm filter thread. Unfortunately, it lacks an aperture ring. Early reviews sound promising, and I am considering getting one. Has anyone had any experience with this lens yet?
It's pretty allright, vignetting and corner softness is what it is, but it works really well. No brainer if on a budget for this focal length. Don't regret my purchase.
For those that want a 65mm equivalent it is "all right"... Both it and the Fuji 80mm has pros and cons, but neither of them is "normal focal length", and no one seems to make a close competitor to Fuji's 110mm (which is more "normal")
I haven't had any experience with an equivalent focal length of around 65mm yet, but I imagine it would be well-suited for portraits. So far, I’ve mainly used the GF50 and GF63 for portraits, and I’m very happy with them overall. But with its f/1.8 aperture and the longer focal length, the Meike 85mm would certainly be a significant step toward a medium- or large-format look, without requiring the use of a truly long telephoto lens. It’s more like a very long standard lens. It sounds like an exciting option, and at that price point, it’s easier to give it a try than to spend four or five times as much on the GF80 right away.
RWNPhoto wrote:
For those that want a 65mm equivalent it is "all right"... Both it and the Fuji 80mm has pros and cons, but neither of them is "normal focal length", and no one seems to make a close competitor to Fuji's 110mm (which is more "normal")
Meike also appears to be working on a 65mm f/1.4 and a 110mm f/1.8 for GFX. It would be great if they incorporated an aperture ring into these as well and perhaps put a bit more care into the design. Overall, however, it is very welcome news that GFX users will soon have access to a range of affordable, fast autofocus lenses. I really hope Sigma gets on board with this, too.
It's great that there's a budget AF option on GFX, but I find the rendering to be very generic and uninspiring. I would much rather be manually focusing the Mitakon 80mm f1.6.