Meike 35mm f/1.4 MF

The Meike 35mm f/1.4 MF is a compact prime lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. It comes in Fujifilm X and Sony E mount versions, so choose the version made for your system. On APS-C, 35mm gives a roughly standard view, which suits street scenes, everyday pictures and portraits.

Its main attraction is the f/1.4 aperture. That brightness keeps handheld shooting possible in dim places. Meike introduced the lens in 2019.

The trade-off is focusing. Manual focus is the only option, which favours deliberate shooting over fast action. Fast-moving children or sport will test that.

The Fujifilm X version weighs 7.8 oz (220 g) and runs 1.65 in (42 mm) long. The short, light barrel makes it an easy lens to carry all day. Other mount versions may differ in size and weight. A screw-in filter must match the lens's 49mm thread. That size is common, and both mount versions accept the same filters.

The f/1.4 aperture is the reason to buy this lens. It lets in far more light than a typical zoom at this focal length. Handheld pictures stay possible in evening streets, dim cafés and lit interiors. Your ISO can stay low too, in rooms that would force other lenses to climb.

Depth of field at f/1.4 is shallow. A portrait subject separates clearly from a cluttered background, and busy street corners fall soft behind your main subject. Stop down to f/2.8 or smaller when you want the setting sharp around the subject.

Nine aperture blades help the opening stay round as you stop down. Out-of-focus highlights then render as soft discs, which flatters evening lights and reflections.

The lens focuses as close as 1.3 ft (40 cm). That fills the frame with a face or a tabletop detail. At that distance backgrounds fall away quickly, which suits tight, intimate portraits. Focusing is entirely manual, with no autofocus motor to help, so take care at f/1.4 where the sharp zone is thin.

There is no image stabilization, so nothing in the lens steadies the camera. The f/1.4 aperture does the low-light work instead. In very dim places, brace the camera on something solid or accept a higher ISO.

The lens also lacks weather sealing. Keep it out of rain and blowing dust. There is no fluorine coating on the front glass either, so a fingerprint needs ordinary cleaning rather than a quick wipe.

The rest of the feature list is short: a filter thread, a manual focus ring and nine blades. Nothing here adds convenience, but nothing blocks the lens's core use in street, portrait and low-light work. Both mount versions share this feature set.

Inside are 8 elements in 5 groups, a simple layout for a short prime. The design uses ordinary glass throughout: no low-dispersion elements appear in any version, and the Fujifilm X version lists no aspherical elements either. That recipe fits the lens's role as an everyday prime.