Meike 85mm F1.4 II 85mm
Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm
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 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm
The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 lens is widely praised as an exceptional value, delivering sharp images, good color rendition, and solid autofocus at a fraction of the cost of Sony alternatives. Users highlight its lightweight, compact design, making it ideal for travel and everyday carry. While some note it lacks weather sealing and the maximum aperture is f/2.5 rather than f/2, most find the optical quality and performance far exceed expectations for the price. A few mention it may require some post-processing, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Sharp image quality
- Lightweight and compact
- Good autofocus performance
- Pleasant color rendition
Cons
- No weather sealing
- Maximum aperture f/2.5 (not f/2)
- Plastic build (except mount)
- May require post-processing
- Manual focus not linear
Scores
Specifications
| Meike 85mm F1.4 II 85mm | Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | prime | prime |
| Focal Length Min | 85 mm | 40 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 85 mm | 40 mm |
| Elements | 13 | 10 |
| Groups | 8 | 6 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 | 1 |
| ED Elements | 2★ | 1 |
| Coating | Multi-layer coating | high-definition nano multi-layer coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/1.4 | f/2.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/1.4 | f/2.5 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11★ | 7 |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | Sony E |
| Format | full-frame | full-frame |
| Weather Sealed | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.91 kg | 0.17 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 77 mm | 52 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Hyper STM | STM |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 85 mm★ | 340 mm |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.34m-∞★ |
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 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm
- Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong aperture (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong build (88th percentile)88th %ile
- Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Pricing
Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm offers 2.8x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 92 overall, wins 6 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.
