Meike 85mm F1.4 II 85mm
Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 Air 56mm
What Buyers Say
Meike 85mm F1.4 II 85mm
The Meike 55mm f/1.4 AF lens for APS-C Nikon Z cameras is a compact, fast-aperture portrait lens that delivers excellent sharpness and creamy bokeh at a very affordable price. Autofocus is quick and reliable, with good eye detection, and the lens handles well on smaller bodies like the Z30. Some users noted the minimum focus distance is a bit limiting and the build feels plasticky, but overall it offers outstanding value for money.
Pros
- Excellent sharpness
- Creamy bokeh
- Fast and reliable autofocus
- Great value for money
- Compact and lightweight
Cons
- Plasticky build feel
- Limited minimum focus distance
- No image stabilization
- Some chromatic aberration wide open
- Vignetting at wide apertures
Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 Air 56mm
The Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 is widely praised for its exceptional sharpness, lightweight design, and outstanding value for money. Users consistently highlight its impressive image quality, with sharp details and pleasing bokeh, often comparing it favorably to much more expensive lenses. While the autofocus is generally reliable for portraits and stills, some users note it can be noisy and not as fast as native Fuji lenses. A few isolated concerns about dust ingress and the plastic build have been mentioned, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.
Pros
- Exceptional sharpness
- Lightweight and compact design
- Excellent value for money
- Pleasing bokeh
- Good low-light performance
Cons
- Noisy autofocus (some users)
- Autofocus slower than native lenses
- Plastic build
- Dust ingress reported
- No physical aperture ring
Scores
Specifications
| Meike 85mm F1.4 II 85mm | Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 Air 56mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | prime | prime |
| Focal Length Min | 85 mm | 56 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 85 mm | 56 mm |
| Elements | 13 | 11 |
| Groups | 8 | 9 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1★ | — |
| ED Elements | 2★ | 1 |
| Coating | Multi-layer coating | multi-layer coatings |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/1.4 | f/1.7 |
| Min Aperture | f/1.4 | f/1.7 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11★ | 9 |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | Fujifilm X |
| Format | full-frame★ | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 0.91 kg | 0.19 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 77 mm | 52 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Hyper STM★ | autofocus |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 85 mm | 56 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.11X★ |
Pros & Cons
Meike 85mm F1.4 II 85mm
- Strong bokeh (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong aperture (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong macro (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 Air 56mm
- Strong bokeh (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong aperture (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong build (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
- Below average social proof (17th percentile)17th %ile
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Pricing
Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7 Air 56mm offers 3.0x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 92 overall, wins 6 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.
