Meike 50mm f/1.8 AF 50mm

★★★★☆ 4.0 (91)

The Meike 50mm f/1.8 lens for L-mount stands out with its fast STM autofocus, weather-sealed construction, and electronic aperture control, delivering a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture at a 50mm focal length. Its optical formula of 11 elements in 7 groups, including an ED element, minimizes chromatic aberrations, and the 9-blade diaphragm produces smooth bokeh for subject isolation. This lens is best suited for portrait shooters on Panasonic or Sigma L-mount cameras who require reliable autofocus and shallow depth of field in all conditions.

Focal length 50mm
Aperture 16
Mount Sony E
Weather Sealed Yes
Weight 567 g
af type Autofocus
lens type prime
Meike 50mm f/1.8 AF 50mm lens
55 Overall Score
Also available in:

Snapshot

The 30-Second Version

Score fell from 88 to 55. New lenses from Sigma, Tamron, Nikon, Panasonic, and Canon pushed it out of the top 5. Not worth it at full price.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

  • Score tanked from 88 to 55
  • Fell completely out of the top 5
  • Newer glass from Sigma, Tamron, Nikon, Panasonic, and Canon now outclass it

What owners think

How owner sentiment changed over time

Exclusive

Based on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.

Owner sentiment has held steady over time
1★2★3★4★5★Q1 '25: 5.0★ · 1 reviewQ2 '25: 5.0★ · 1 reviewQ3 '25: 5.0★ · 3 reviewsQ4 '25: 5.0★ · 5 reviewsQ1 '26: 5.0★ · 3 reviews111353Q3 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Avg ratingHappy (4-5★)Unhappy (1-2★)Bar height = number of reviews

Based on 14 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.

The proof

Performance

Performance Percentiles

AF 55.1
Bokeh 47.3
Build 61.4
Macro 46.1
Optical 52.7
Aperture 52.1
Versatility 34
Social Proof 63.2
Stabilization 35.8

Specifications

Full Specifications

Optics

Type prime
Focal Length Min 50
Focal Length Max 50
Elements 11
Groups 7
ED Elements 1
Coating Multilayered Coatings

Aperture

Max Aperture 16
Min Aperture 1.8
Constant Yes
Diaphragm Blades 9

Build

Mount Sony E
Format full-frame
Weather Sealed Yes
Weight 0.6 kg / 1.3 lbs
Filter Thread 58

AF & Stabilization

AF Type Autofocus
Stabilization No

Focus

Min Focus Distance 630

vs Competition

The landscape shifted hard. The Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm and Tamron 18-300mm now dominate the superzoom conversation with better range and stabilization. Nikon's Z 28-400mm brings full-frame reach that makes this lens feel dated. Even the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm and Canon EF-S 18-135mm deliver more consistent results for their respective mounts. This lens dropped from the top 5 entirely and doesn't belong in the same sentence as those anymore.

Spec Meike 50mm f/1.8 AF 50mm Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Tamron Di III-A 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length 50mm 16-300mm 18-300mm 16-85mm 28-200mm 18-135mm
Max Aperture 16 f/3.5 f/3.5 f/3.5 f/4 f/3.5
Mount Sony E Sony E Fuji X Nikon F L-Mount Canon EF-S
Stabilization false true true true true true
Weather Sealed true true false false true false
Weight (g) 567 615 92 59 413 515
AF Type Autofocus HLA VXD linear motor AF-S Autofocus STM
Lens Type prime zoom zoom zoom macro zoom
Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare
Product AfBokehBuildMacroOpticalApertureVersatilitySocial ProofStabilization
Meike 50mm f/1.8 AF 50mm 55.147.361.446.152.752.13463.235.8
Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Compare 55.186.457.686.798.979.699.67899
Tamron Di III-A 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Compare 98.277.896.288.673.579.699.283.180.7
Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Compare 55.177.898.559.964.279.694.288.192.3
Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 Compare 55.180.673.571.59174.295.662.699.4
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Compare 86.177.845.832.979.279.6967892.3

Price

Value & Pricing

Hard to justify at this point. The price hasn't moved, but the performance score cratered. You're paying the same money for a lens that now sits well behind fresher, sharper options. Unless you find it at a steep discount, the value proposition is gone.

From ¥32,813 2 offers across 1 retailers
Amazon.co.jp 2 offers From ¥32,813
¥32,813

Read more

Verdict

A once-solid pick that got leapfrogged. The 33-point drop in score reflects how far the competition has moved. Skip it unless you're already invested in the system and find a used copy for cheap.

Usage Scores

Macro (47.6)Overall (55.3)Budget (53.1)Street (48.3)Travel (42.4)Portrait (59.3)Landscape (44.8)Professional (58.5)Video Cinema (59.2)Wildlife Sports (50)

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