$200 Meike 85mm F1.8 AF Lens Announced

Meike has announced an 85mm F1.8 Full Frame AF Lens for Sony E-mount cameras like the Sony a7 IV.

The new 85mm F1.8 lens is constructed of nine elements in six groups with a nine-blade aperture. There are multi-layer coatings on the front and rear elements to help prevent flaring.

A stepping motor drives the autofocus system and thanks to the electrical contacts, all lens information is communicated back to the camera. There’s also a Micro USB port that can be used for future firmware updates.

At the front of the lens you’ll find a 67mm filter thread and the minimum focusing distance is 85cm (33.5”).

The lens measures 79.5mm (3.1”) in diameter and weighs 386g (13.6oz).

Here’s an early review from Christopher Frost.

Key Specs

• Filter size: 67mm
• Format: Full Frame
• Focal Length: 85mm
• Aperture range: F1.8-22
• Lens diameter: 79.5mm
• Aperture blades: 9 blades
• Lens structure: 6 groups 9 elements
• Minimum Focusing Distance: 0.85m
• Angle of View:  Horizontal: 16° Vertical: 24° Diagonal: 28.5°
• Weight: 386g/0.85lb (only body)

The lens is already available to order for $199.99 (US), shipping has also started but there does appear to be supply issues as B&H is showing the lens out of stock at the time of publishing this article.

Further details and sample images are available on Meike’s website.