Meike 85mm f1.4 (affiliate): geni.us/Mei85 or howl.me/cm35vvMQjvW Sony 85 GM II (affiliate): geni.us/AdoSny Video Shot with (affiliates): Main Camera: geni.us/fx30SaleMark or geni.us/fx30adora Lens: geni.us/sny15 or geni.us/sony15adMark
I have the GM II for my Sony A7VR, at 61MP it is VERY easy to see the difference between the Meike ... the focus is just not there no matter how hard I tried.
Did a wedding with the Meike 2 days ago. Crazy impressed and everything was a keeper. I even shot with it with the bride walking down the aisle, with the sun behind her, and it tracked perfectly.
I like it that you include use cases for the lens when talking about features. It is important to know the use to which one intends to put a lens or camera.
It just goes to show that these third-party manufacturers are producing very high-quality lenses at a cheaper price. Yes they don’t perform as good as the GM lenses. But for those who are just doing portraits, this is a remarkable lens. I still swear by my SamYang 35 and 85 f1.4 version one lenses. Even though I upgraded my 85mm to the sigma 85 f1.4 dg dn. I still have the Sam Yang as a back up. Viltrox and Mieke are both coming out with high-quality budget lenses that just perform great. Thanks for sharing. I wish they come out with a 50 mm version. I would definitely pick it up.
Pretty big difference in autofocus and flare/ghosting. If you're shooting family portraits, studio work, etc. then those things are fine, but if you're shooting even the amount of movement that happens at a wedding I wouldn't trust it. I'd go for the Sony 85mm f/1.8, very sharp and good autofocus for the price, though a bit of noticeable CA.
I actually just played with my friend's Meike 85 1.4 on is A7RV this afternoon then I came home to read up on this lens and that's how I found your channel. I was shock to see the image quality came out of this such inexpensive lens, I had original 85GM for 4 years, and also now with Nikon 85 1.2S, Zeiss Milvus 85 1.4 so I am used to image quality from good 85mm, and to my big surprise, the Meike produces such nice Bokeh , I like it even better than the Sony 85 1.8 in tis specific area. I know there is inexpensive 85 tat does well out there too, Samyang 85 1.4 and Sigma 85 1.4, but this is lens is going for $469.99 USD at B&H, crazy !!! I don't need 30 frame per second speed on a portrait lens, after seeing my friend's pic, and now your review, I just ordered mine, I hate channel like this, doesn't help ( my wallet) at all. LOL.
It's great when you get good copy...but when i was reading on the forums, reddit, etc...lot's of people had little issues with the lens, regarding AF speed and accuracy, color cast etc... :) But Meike is going in the right direction...couple of years ago, they only had manual lenses...and now they are making optically great lenses, but with little bit of issues...but we will see in a couple years...they will probably be much better :)
“Don’t go crazy spending money on a body! Spend all of your money on glass!” Man I spent $500 on a Samyang 135 f1.8 and it rocks. $450 on a Sigma 65 f2 and it’s phenomenal. Never spending almost $2k on a lens
Never say never. The Sony 70-200 2.8 V2 stays on my camera 60% of the time. I don’t like paying $2800 for a lens, but if I’m going to pay that much it’s going to be a lens that I use every day. If somebody would come out with a cost-effective third-party telephoto zoom that was as good in AF as that one, that would be the real newsmaker. but the story over and over again with these Chinese built lenses are that often the auto focus performance isn’t better, and in fact, it’s often the compromise. Now, if you wanna talk about a cheap lens that delivers great pictures and has auto focus performance to boot, the Viltrox 16mm 1.8 is quickly replacing my Sony 20 mm 1.8 G as my wide prime of choice. it is a notable exception.
That was my VERY first thought when I started this video! I’ve used my 1.8 for MANY pro shoots and I would argue that the 1.8 is the VERY best value lens for FF Sony. Great lens and super cheap!
I feel like the Zeiss Batis 85mm doesn't get talked about nearly enough. It is incredibly sharp and renders colors beautifully. Its also cheaper than the 85mm GM, although not by that much.
Crazy comparison! Thanks for this stuff, Mark! For me it's like déjà vu because the Samyang 135 F1.8 performs the same as its expensive competitors. And I am very happy with the Samyang. The 85mm lens is not an option for me as I have the 75mm F1.2 Viltrox in my APS-C line-up!
The Sony lens is going to beat everything else if you are shooting indoor sports or dance photography thanks to the fast fps and autofocus motor. For portraits and static subjects, yes, the Meike, Samyang, Viltrox, and Yongnuo lenses are very capable and I would definitely choose these to cut cost.
The GM is really for professionals. A bride walking down the aisle is one of the hardest set of shots. Someone far away coming close, a super distracting background, with faces all over. Maybe the bride is wearing a veil. You’re constantly going back and forth between the bride, groom’s reaction, and some other wedding party members. At the front of the aisle you have the father of the bride shaking the groom’s hand, and the bride hugging her mother. Maybe 4 seconds that you have to take several critically important shots. Sometimes down the aisle is where the sun is and all of the shots are backlit. You have to get shots the bride and groom will love regardless of flare and glare. A enthusiast photographer can spend their whole life and never encounter a situation where fast auto focus accuracy is not as critical.
@@I922sParkCir as someone who have heard this about rokinon as well, i dont have issues gettin those shots and I shoot hybrid by myself regularly..ppl cant tell the difference between my rokinon and samyang lenses often mixing them up for GM. though weddings are fast, hey aren't sports so the speed things happen, especially if you remind your couple/ wedding party not to run down he isle, you can totally use this meike lens! for the price you can buy a whole prime kit instead of one GM lens.every few months there are less and less reasons to buy branded OEM lenses. I would argue it hasnt been necessary for 5yrs now unless you shoot fast action, animals or sports.
That Sony GM II is definitely a nice bit of kit but if you don't have money falling out of your pockets, that price difference is a bit hard to walk past ... Another quality review with great examples and direct side-by-side comparison 👍
Watching your video made me wanna buy the Meike, so i did 😅 the picture quality looks amazing, and it just seems too good to pass up so i had to order it. I can't wait to test it out on my A7RV tomorrow
I fully agree with your conclusion. I do think the GMII is the best performing out of the three. But the Meike is sufficiently close to make it worth it, depening on your needs and how much you use it. I don't shoot 85mm 1.4 enough to warrent spending the insane amount of money on the GMII. For me it is between having a cheaper version or not having that type of lens at all.
Honestly, really the big thing is just the better autofocus motors, and the support with Sony’s newest cameras. I genuinely feel like unless you’re a top pro. You really shouldn’t need the GM quality.
Looks like most hobby photographers could easily live with the Meike. That's one of my main problems with recent Canon mirrorless cameras: There are just no such third-party lens options unless you convert EF mount variants (if they even exist!).
Wow, I guessed wrong. I thought the Meike was the GM image. I have come to realize that IQ differences have become a point of 'diminishing returns'. So as you pointed out, features and build quality play a big role in choosing depending on my use. I also find with software in post, it's easy to edit images to make it hard to tell differences between different lenses. Really comes down to what you value. I have come to like and appreciate how Sony lenses work soo well, especially AF so I will pay for the Sony lenses.
Color and contrast are noticeably better on the Sonys, but that's a quick profile adjustment in your editing software. The sharpness and clarity at that price for the Meike is extremely attractive.
I actually liked the Meike much more. In the shots of you the Meike had a smoother tonal range, and didn't blow out the highlights like the Sony. And even in the later close ups, I don't see the Sony as being any, or noticeably, sharper.Here's the deal. Just like the knock-offs of Kellog's Corn Flakes at the grocery, third-party camera makers have gotten really good in the last 20+ years. You aren't forced to live with lower quality like years back. I have bought Meike, TTArtisans and others. And especially if you are able/willing to forgo AF, the manual lenses these companies are making are amazing.
From what I've seen, at this point the real question is are you willing to give up some of the luxury features that GM lenses give you. Image quality has gotten so good, that it doesn't seem to matter for 90% of people. Wonder if Canon locked down RF because they saw this coming?
Not sure what Canon was thinking at the time. They are opening up a bit now due to lack of lenses - but all I know is that 3rd party lenses got me into Sony - and now I have 9 Sony lenses - so I think it works in the long run.
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisisthat tracks. My first ILC in 15 years is a Sony. E-mount has the most lenses at the widest price variety. At least compared to Canon and Nikon. There definitely was an argument for micro four thirds when I was shopping.
Except the Sony 1.8 is more expensive than this Meike or Samyang's 85/1.4 MkI. And, if you're pushing the envelope shooting moving subjects in low light, 2/3 of a stop is not minor.
I have the 1.8 and it's a great lens, but the lack of adequate weather sealing is very annoying. I live in a very rainy location which limits my usage of the 1.8 more often than I'd like. If I could redo it, I'd grab the Sigma 1.4 instead.
I have the Meike 85 1.8, and it is my go-to lens when I am shooting portraits. I reach for it before grabbing my Canon 2.8 70-200. Also...Iv'e never had a client tell me my sun stars suck. 😀
It get's kinda scary how good china brands get so fast with these prices. In my opinion a Sigma Lens was missing in this comparison, but great Video as always!
the Meike looks astounding! It's huge and wide! If I had to choose between the three (if I had money and an E mount Sony) I would go for the GM1 o. I don't like the GMII, it's smaller and narrower. Same for the Meike.
I think Meike is an excellent lens for photographers and videographers who trying to grow there own business. It’s great because you don’t have to break the bank in the beginning in order to get some quality lens.
Personally, not shooting portraits, weddings or models, but for my taste, the Meike sunstars are the best, the original 85 GM does have more flares inside it - simply, the 85 GM II does have too many, too small rays....i like the Meike Sunstars here in that house roof/chimney example clearly the best. Also, the original 85 GM does have a too big disc into the sunstar middle, for my taste. Just saying, shooting since the 80s.
At a quick glance at the two shots at the beginning of the video, you get the feeling that Meike has nicer and more natural colors, the bokeh has smoother transitions in details and the face has volume, on Sony the face is flat, grayish-bland and almost merges with the background, and in the bokeh some details seem to have a small distorted halo, like watercolor spots and there is a feeling of sloppiness. There is also a feeling that Meike's actual focal length is a little longer, the perspective is a little bit narrower and the face seems more turned out relative to the center.
I think for everything but Video, prob the best choice is the Meike unless your out in the wild a lot and need more rugged gear. But portrait and event photographers would do well to take notice. you could get 2 of the budget lenses and still set yourself up for success and have a second shooter with one.
If you have a ton of money to spend , go for the Sony GM , but personally I have the Mk1 Samyang 85mm F1.4 & its amazing , rendering is vintage like & has so much more character than any Sony lens & a quarter of the price
The GM II has something going for it, but really apart from build quality doesn't seem like there's much reason to buy the original GM over the Meike. Quite impressive for the price point!
I was thinking that if you don't really trust how weatherproof the cheap one is, that's actually too bad. Because as far as I understand, if it's not perfectly sealed, like 100% sealed, humidity will get in the lens, start building up and ruin the lens from inside.
Both images are good, but there ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES between them!!! Without knowing which is which (I stopped right at the beginning, just seeing the two portrait pictures) for me the image on my left is WAY better than the one on the right. More definition, better detail, more clarity, better boqueh, even the color rendering seems more natural in the tree leafs... Now let's continue a nd see which is which!
yeah, now like I said... I got to 16 seconds now and Image on the left is WAAAAAY better. Yes, the one on the right is nice and all but there is a HUGE difference between both images. And these are in good light... imagine if not!
from wedding perspective, where 85 is insanely popular lens, GM I is still better than Meike, mainly due to more reliable AF, but even the close up sharpness where you want to take a close up picture of couple putting rings on each other... sure meike is good enough, but then you see the images in lightroom and you're like... well I wanna crop even more and it's not thaaaaat sharp to crop... but if you wanna save money, hey, it's 1.4 and it's good overall
I'm sure the Sony is better made, but it's nice to see these Chinese companies building decent lenses for those of us who don't get to write off the cost of our equipment.
These new lens are very competitive to GM lens quality. The only way that GM masters holding these lens off were the fps cap like 30 fps on A1 can only achieve with Sony lens otherwise these 3rd party lens will take over Sony lens faster than they can imagine.
0:20 I can see a big difference, the left one looks a lot sharper to me, more contrast in the details. I much prefer the left one.... really curious to see which lens it is because they are both pretty good and without a side by side, I would never know. Edit: Oh, it was the sony, am dissapointed :( i was looking to be plesently suprised by the underdog.
I would never compromise when it comes to lenses if I can choose the one that shares the same brand with the camera, even if the alternative is 10 times cheaper. You buy a lens for life! The only time I buy a 3rd party lens is when the camera manufacturer does not have an equivalent. So for cinema lenses, anamorphics - I'm all for 3rd parties.
I would have considered this if it was available when i had bought the Samyang 85 1.4, 3 years back. it's pretty good and around same price. Im looking for a budget 50 1.4 and 35 1.4, and meike as a company seems interesting and impressive.
Its a tightrope walk we understand. Sony pays or gives, a lot more than the other cheaper brand. I Don't envy you Mark, and we can see that you are bending backwards not to upset Sony. All good.
love this video..but...it's so hard to carry fixed lenses when I travel. I badly need to get the smallest size possible. I understand that zoom lenses won't deliver such great image quality, but when I travel using the sony a6700 I can get shots from 18-520mm equivalent just by bringing two zoom lenses. (18-135/70-350 (520mm equiv full frame). I also have the sigma 10-18mm but now tend to just leave it at home. I also bring my sony rx100 vii (incredibly tiny and effective camera).
The information o this video is extremely professional and helpful!. But i would like to share my opinion on meike products. I have a 85mm lens that was the love of my life, it works incredibly well on my a6000(since is crop its like 115 or something). But when i bought my a7 iv i was very very excited to finally be able to use the lens and guess what? It is not compatible with this camera, i can't change the aperture and sometimes it freezes my camera, the worst part is that meike doesn't have client support so k could get help. So if your saving to buy a lens, please avoid these types of brands and save up a little more so you can skip the headache
Mark! My ZV-E10 is corrupting itself with the 2.0.1 new update: Taking photos are fine for a second until you view them again and theyll say its unable to display, and are unable to delete it, sometimes deleting the file also locks up the camera and or its stuck reappearing. Looking at the imaging edge app the photos are all garbled mess
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis update on this it might be sandisk, videos do save however but photos seem to not be saving? Photos however dont, a reset to the card did fix it? But im still taking precautions..
Hi Mark, I've just ordered the Yongnuo 16mm 1.8 for my Sony ZV-10 based off your previous videos, before it arrives, is there anything within my camera I need to set to make sure it works OK with the body? settings etc? or does the body just "know" what lens is attached?
I bought Meike’s e-2-ef adapter with internal variable ND. Idea is fantastic, but the adapter did not work reliably. Meike’s support for the problem was non-existent. I will never touch Meike again.
There's more outright snobbery among camera users than you can shake a stick at: For years we've been assured that there's no substitute for metal, both in camera bodies & lenses; so now the new Sony is ~200g lighter than its predecessor & only ~100g lighter than the upstart: There are just 2 ways this can be acheived - fewer elements or more plastic... And the thing works better anyway.
Meike 85mm f1.4 (affiliate): geni.us/Mei85 or howl.me/cm35vvMQjvW
Sony 85 GM II (affiliate): geni.us/AdoSny
Video Shot with (affiliates):
Main Camera: geni.us/fx30SaleMark or geni.us/fx30adora
Lens: geni.us/sny15 or geni.us/sony15adMark
I have the GM II for my Sony A7VR, at 61MP it is VERY easy to see the difference between the Meike ... the focus is just not there no matter how hard I tried.
Did a wedding with the Meike 2 days ago. Crazy impressed and everything was a keeper. I even shot with it with the bride walking down the aisle, with the sun behind her, and it tracked perfectly.
love the real world use info!! thanks
Nice! With which camera?
@@DerPhiL Nikon ZF!
i also got the meike 56 1.4 for fuji.. not normal how for 250 this lens can be this good. especiallz for video where you cannot pixel peep anyway!
That's crazy my boy , meike is doin' great, wow at that price it's a steal
The Sigma 85mm 1.4 is also a great choice!
Heavy japs junk?
That’s what I’m rocking . Love it
thats am I rockings and it loves it!
Also super happy for my Sigma 85mm DG DN 1.4. I would give it a 80% hit rate for tracking at fast speeds.
I like it that you include use cases for the lens when talking about features. It is important to know the use to which one intends to put a lens or camera.
It just goes to show that these third-party manufacturers are producing very high-quality lenses at a cheaper price. Yes they don’t perform as good as the GM lenses. But for those who are just doing portraits, this is a remarkable lens. I still swear by my SamYang 35 and 85 f1.4 version one lenses. Even though I upgraded my 85mm to the sigma 85 f1.4 dg dn. I still have the Sam Yang as a back up. Viltrox and Mieke are both coming out with high-quality budget lenses that just perform great. Thanks for sharing. I wish they come out with a 50 mm version. I would definitely pick it up.
Check out the Voigtlander 50mm 1.2. Little pricier than this Meike but it's quite good.
Pretty big difference in autofocus and flare/ghosting. If you're shooting family portraits, studio work, etc. then those things are fine, but if you're shooting even the amount of movement that happens at a wedding I wouldn't trust it. I'd go for the Sony 85mm f/1.8, very sharp and good autofocus for the price, though a bit of noticeable CA.
Absolutely love your channel, Mark, keep it up my friend, don’t ever stop
You crack me up with your facial expressions
I actually just played with my friend's Meike 85 1.4 on is A7RV this afternoon then I came home to read up on this lens and that's how I found your channel. I was shock to see the image quality came out of this such inexpensive lens, I had original 85GM for 4 years, and also now with Nikon 85 1.2S, Zeiss Milvus 85 1.4 so I am used to image quality from good 85mm, and to my big surprise, the Meike produces such nice Bokeh , I like it even better than the Sony 85 1.8 in tis specific area. I know there is inexpensive 85 tat does well out there too, Samyang 85 1.4 and Sigma 85 1.4, but this is lens is going for $469.99 USD at B&H, crazy !!! I don't need 30 frame per second speed on a portrait lens, after seeing my friend's pic, and now your review, I just ordered mine, I hate channel like this, doesn't help ( my wallet) at all. LOL.
😂😂
It's great when you get good copy...but when i was reading on the forums, reddit, etc...lot's of people had little issues with the lens, regarding AF speed and accuracy, color cast etc... :)
But Meike is going in the right direction...couple of years ago, they only had manual lenses...and now they are making optically great lenses, but with little bit of issues...but we will see in a couple years...they will probably be much better :)
“Don’t go crazy spending money on a body! Spend all of your money on glass!” Man I spent $500 on a Samyang 135 f1.8 and it rocks. $450 on a Sigma 65 f2 and it’s phenomenal. Never spending almost $2k on a lens
some lower prices sense are amazing now
how is the AF for sport? is it good?
@@afsyahI haven’t tried capturing adult sports- just little league baseball and generic kids running around. For that it works great
Never say never. The Sony 70-200 2.8 V2 stays on my camera 60% of the time. I don’t like paying $2800 for a lens, but if I’m going to pay that much it’s going to be a lens that I use every day.
If somebody would come out with a cost-effective third-party telephoto zoom that was as good in AF as that one, that would be the real newsmaker. but the story over and over again with these Chinese built lenses are that often the auto focus performance isn’t better, and in fact, it’s often the compromise. Now, if you wanna talk about a cheap lens that delivers great pictures and has auto focus performance to boot, the Viltrox 16mm 1.8 is quickly replacing my Sony 20 mm 1.8 G as my wide prime of choice. it is a notable exception.
Would be curious to see a comparison with the Sony 85 mm F 1.8. Heck of a lens with Reliable Auto focus
That was my VERY first thought when I started this video! I’ve used my 1.8 for MANY pro shoots and I would argue that the 1.8 is the VERY best value lens for FF Sony. Great lens and super cheap!
@pancakelens75 Great point! Do you know of any third-party lenses that come close to Sony when it comes to autofocus?
I feel like the Zeiss Batis 85mm doesn't get talked about nearly enough. It is incredibly sharp and renders colors beautifully. Its also cheaper than the 85mm GM, although not by that much.
Crazy comparison! Thanks for this stuff, Mark! For me it's like déjà vu because the Samyang 135 F1.8 performs the same as its expensive competitors. And I am very happy with the Samyang. The 85mm lens is not an option for me as I have the 75mm F1.2 Viltrox in my APS-C line-up!
The Sony lens is going to beat everything else if you are shooting indoor sports or dance photography thanks to the fast fps and autofocus motor.
For portraits and static subjects, yes, the Meike, Samyang, Viltrox, and Yongnuo lenses are very capable and I would definitely choose these to cut cost.
great comment 👍
Sorry Sony, but I look at it on my monitor and I don't see anything extraordinary in relation to the two photographs, even in 4K.
Crazy, right??
The GM is really for professionals. A bride walking down the aisle is one of the hardest set of shots. Someone far away coming close, a super distracting background, with faces all over. Maybe the bride is wearing a veil.
You’re constantly going back and forth between the bride, groom’s reaction, and some other wedding party members.
At the front of the aisle you have the father of the bride shaking the groom’s hand, and the bride hugging her mother. Maybe 4 seconds that you have to take several critically important shots.
Sometimes down the aisle is where the sun is and all of the shots are backlit. You have to get shots the bride and groom will love regardless of flare and glare.
A enthusiast photographer can spend their whole life and never encounter a situation where fast auto focus accuracy is not as critical.
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis crazy
@@I922sParkCirPretty much this. The GM's are there to give you what you need in terms of consistent delivery on the margins.
@@I922sParkCir as someone who have heard this about rokinon as well, i dont have issues gettin those shots and I shoot hybrid by myself regularly..ppl cant tell the difference between my rokinon and samyang lenses often mixing them up for GM. though weddings are fast, hey aren't sports so the speed things happen, especially if you remind your couple/ wedding party not to run down he isle, you can totally use this meike lens! for the price you can buy a whole prime kit instead of one GM lens.every few months there are less and less reasons to buy branded OEM lenses. I would argue it hasnt been necessary for 5yrs now unless you shoot fast action, animals or sports.
Meike does have a bit of magenta tint that both gm don't have. This will lead you to a bit more of color correction in post for each pics
Yes I agree - you need a little more tweaking in post with the Meike
That Sony GM II is definitely a nice bit of kit but if you don't have money falling out of your pockets, that price difference is a bit hard to walk past ...
Another quality review with great examples and direct side-by-side comparison 👍
Very enjoyable review, Mark. Thanks! I am a proud owner of the Sony FE 85mm f.1.8 which is still going strong in my kit so far :)
Watching your video made me wanna buy the Meike, so i did 😅 the picture quality looks amazing, and it just seems too good to pass up so i had to order it. I can't wait to test it out on my A7RV tomorrow
let me know how it goes!!
I just grabbed one E mount for my A7M3, it's working really great.
I fully agree with your conclusion. I do think the GMII is the best performing out of the three. But the Meike is sufficiently close to make it worth it, depening on your needs and how much you use it. I don't shoot 85mm 1.4 enough to warrent spending the insane amount of money on the GMII. For me it is between having a cheaper version or not having that type of lens at all.
Mark, Sony dropped Shutter Angle this morning for Fx3 and the Fx30!!!
NICE!! Thanks for letting me know!!
Honestly, really the big thing is just the better autofocus motors, and the support with Sony’s newest cameras. I genuinely feel like unless you’re a top pro. You really shouldn’t need the GM quality.
Looks like most hobby photographers could easily live with the Meike. That's one of my main problems with recent Canon mirrorless cameras: There are just no such third-party lens options unless you convert EF mount variants (if they even exist!).
Wow, I guessed wrong. I thought the Meike was the GM image. I have come to realize that IQ differences have become a point of 'diminishing returns'. So as you pointed out, features and build quality play a big role in choosing depending on my use. I also find with software in post, it's easy to edit images to make it hard to tell differences between different lenses. Really comes down to what you value. I have come to like and appreciate how Sony lenses work soo well, especially AF so I will pay for the Sony lenses.
I want to see how this one compares with the Samyang 85mm f1.4 Mark II, both are similar price and same specifications
The real question is mike or sigma art. We need that comparison
Color and contrast are noticeably better on the Sonys, but that's a quick profile adjustment in your editing software. The sharpness and clarity at that price for the Meike is extremely attractive.
I disagree. Sony is noticeably more washed out.
Hi mark, it's a very clear review. I think I'm gonna purchase this lens. Perfect for portrait. Thank you!
0:17 - no idea which is which, but I MUCH prefer the photo on the left for some reason
Prices are just too damn high. This is a welcome relief.
I actually liked the Meike much more. In the shots of you the Meike had a smoother tonal range, and didn't blow out the highlights like the Sony. And even in the later close ups, I don't see the Sony as being any, or noticeably, sharper.Here's the deal. Just like the knock-offs of Kellog's Corn Flakes at the grocery, third-party camera makers have gotten really good in the last 20+ years. You aren't forced to live with lower quality like years back. I have bought Meike, TTArtisans and others. And especially if you are able/willing to forgo AF, the manual lenses these companies are making are amazing.
From what I've seen, at this point the real question is are you willing to give up some of the luxury features that GM lenses give you. Image quality has gotten so good, that it doesn't seem to matter for 90% of people. Wonder if Canon locked down RF because they saw this coming?
That's 100% the reason why I believe they did it. They wanted to monopolize that mount to make more money
Not sure what Canon was thinking at the time. They are opening up a bit now due to lack of lenses - but all I know is that 3rd party lenses got me into Sony - and now I have 9 Sony lenses - so I think it works in the long run.
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisisthat tracks. My first ILC in 15 years is a Sony. E-mount has the most lenses at the widest price variety. At least compared to Canon and Nikon. There definitely was an argument for micro four thirds when I was shopping.
Great review and comparison ! Love your videos. I'm buying this lens thanks to you
Sony 85mm f/1.8 is still one of the best, affordable lenses Sony has ever made. Meike seems to challenge it.
My wife uses a viltrox 85mm f1.8, Sony a7III and a7iv for weddings for two years now. Never once had an issue and quality is so good.
The sony 85mm F1.8 is the smart choice if you ask me. The race for F1.4 is a very expensive race, the difference is minor.
I hope for an update to that lens soon.
Except the Sony 1.8 is more expensive than this Meike or Samyang's 85/1.4 MkI. And, if you're pushing the envelope shooting moving subjects in low light, 2/3 of a stop is not minor.
I have the 1.8 and it's a great lens, but the lack of adequate weather sealing is very annoying. I live in a very rainy location which limits my usage of the 1.8 more often than I'd like. If I could redo it, I'd grab the Sigma 1.4 instead.
@@duvalpenny100 That's a good reason to buy a more expensive lens, indeed. I have no need for weather sealed lenses.
@@HappeningPhotos Samyng make top lenses as well. I have no experience with Meike.
I have the Meike 85 1.8, and it is my go-to lens when I am shooting portraits. I reach for it before grabbing my Canon 2.8 70-200.
Also...Iv'e never had a client tell me my sun stars suck. 😀
Amazing review man! I'm so impressed by this lens.... seriously I'm buying it.
It get's kinda scary how good china brands get so fast with these prices. In my opinion a Sigma Lens was missing in this comparison, but great Video as always!
The ant people are exceptionally good replicators.
@@POVwithRCSays the cockroach people.
@@POVwithRC don't beg them for moon soil !
The Bokeh is actually smoother in that first comparison shot on the Meike
how does this compare with the Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f1.4 Mark II ?
If it has declick choice that was perfect for me
Very nice review by the way
Sigma 85mm I think is still the goat
How about a comparison between the Meike 85F1.4 and the Samyang 85F1.4 II?
The Samyang is a TON better. Dont waste your money on the Meike.
I own the Samyang and it is awesome
Samyang has amazing lens flare, ideal for backlit portraits.
@@michaelbell75 the Samyang is not as great as this meike, I bet.
the Meike looks astounding! It's huge and wide! If I had to choose between the three (if I had money and an E mount Sony) I would go for the GM1 o. I don't like the GMII, it's smaller and narrower. Same for the Meike.
I think Meike is an excellent lens for photographers and videographers who trying to grow there own business.
It’s great because you don’t have to break the bank in the beginning in order to get some quality lens.
Personally, not shooting portraits, weddings or models, but for my taste, the Meike sunstars are the best, the original 85 GM does have more flares inside it - simply, the 85 GM II does have too many, too small rays....i like the Meike Sunstars here in that house roof/chimney example clearly the best. Also, the original 85 GM does have a too big disc into the sunstar middle, for my taste. Just saying, shooting since the 80s.
At a quick glance at the two shots at the beginning of the video, you get the feeling that Meike has nicer and more natural colors, the bokeh has smoother transitions in details and the face has volume, on Sony the face is flat, grayish-bland and almost merges with the background, and in the bokeh some details seem to have a small distorted halo, like watercolor spots and there is a feeling of sloppiness. There is also a feeling that Meike's actual focal length is a little longer, the perspective is a little bit narrower and the face seems more turned out relative to the center.
I think for everything but Video, prob the best choice is the Meike unless your out in the wild a lot and need more rugged gear. But portrait and event photographers would do well to take notice. you could get 2 of the budget lenses and still set yourself up for success and have a second shooter with one.
I was so confident the image on the right was the sony thats insane, IMO the meike looks significantly better
crazy, right??
Finally a respectable lens to put on my Sony a5000
If you have a ton of money to spend , go for the Sony GM , but personally I have the Mk1 Samyang 85mm F1.4 & its amazing , rendering is vintage like & has so much more character than any Sony lens & a quarter of the price
These lenses be getting huge.
The GM II has something going for it, but really apart from build quality doesn't seem like there's much reason to buy the original GM over the Meike. Quite impressive for the price point!
How it compares to Samyang 85mm f1.4?
Wait until you see the Viltrox 75mm F1.2, great autofocus and the build quality is insane and its probably the sharpest lens I've ever seen.
I reviewed an own the Viltrox 75 - I love it. it that is an apsc lens - this video is talking bout full frame 85’s
When I saw the focus breathing of MEIKE, I was like: THANKS BUT NO THANKS.
fair enough - gotta get what works
Its sad that cooke lenses and Samyangs are pretty similar on a well done light as well. Great review
I have Nikon & Tamron plastic lenses and they are great.
Let's just admit it, most of the people pay for the brand, not for the actual products. That's why most big firms spend BIG on marketing.
Samyang 85mm AF is a steal, razor sharp
Speed of autofocus of Meike? Reliability?
I was thinking that if you don't really trust how weatherproof the cheap one is, that's actually too bad. Because as far as I understand, if it's not perfectly sealed, like 100% sealed, humidity will get in the lens, start building up and ruin the lens from inside.
@@byAnArgentinian it’s a possibility for sure, I’m just going by feel, but time will tell if the lens develops any issues.
Both images are good, but there ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES between them!!!
Without knowing which is which (I stopped right at the beginning, just seeing the two portrait pictures) for me the image on my left is WAY better than the one on the right.
More definition, better detail, more clarity, better boqueh, even the color rendering seems more natural in the tree leafs...
Now let's continue a nd see which is which!
yeah, now like I said... I got to 16 seconds now and Image on the left is WAAAAAY better.
Yes, the one on the right is nice and all but there is a HUGE difference between both images. And these are in good light... imagine if not!
Can you do a comparison of the MEIKE to the VILTROX 85
I’m crying with my canons over here
from wedding perspective, where 85 is insanely popular lens, GM I is still better than Meike, mainly due to more reliable AF, but even the close up sharpness where you want to take a close up picture of couple putting rings on each other... sure meike is good enough, but then you see the images in lightroom and you're like... well I wanna crop even more and it's not thaaaaat sharp to crop...
but if you wanna save money, hey, it's 1.4 and it's good overall
So I'm going to design a front element replacement ring for a 3D printer that has all the Sony descriptives to swap on the Meike lens. Any preorders?
I'm sure the Sony is better made, but it's nice to see these Chinese companies building decent lenses for those of us who don't get to write off the cost of our equipment.
These new lens are very competitive to GM lens quality. The only way that GM masters holding these lens off were the fps cap like 30 fps on A1 can only achieve with Sony lens otherwise these 3rd party lens will take over Sony lens faster than they can imagine.
Thanks for the information.
0:20 I can see a big difference, the left one looks a lot sharper to me, more contrast in the details. I much prefer the left one.... really curious to see which lens it is because they are both pretty good and without a side by side, I would never know.
Edit: Oh, it was the sony, am dissapointed :( i was looking to be plesently suprised by the underdog.
haha
How about Sigma art 85 DGDN and Meike 85?
Is this great for filmmaking? Or any similar budget friendly lens out there for film.
Props for not cloning out the nasal hair
More props if he edited it out in the video
I ow the sammyang AF RF 85 1.4f and it is just great .. the only issue is that it hunts focus sometimes
"This Shouldn't happen"
Oh man, it's what my dad always said about my birth.
Nice review though 👌
😮
I would never compromise when it comes to lenses if I can choose the one that shares the same brand with the camera, even if the alternative is 10 times cheaper. You buy a lens for life! The only time I buy a 3rd party lens is when the camera manufacturer does not have an equivalent. So for cinema lenses, anamorphics - I'm all for 3rd parties.
True especially for the autofocus performance, colour consistency and streamlined features.
Id still pick the 85mm ii for its size, weight, and build quality.
I would have considered this if it was available when i had bought the Samyang 85 1.4, 3 years back. it's pretty good and around same price. Im looking for a budget 50 1.4 and 35 1.4, and meike as a company seems interesting and impressive.
Its a tightrope walk we understand. Sony pays or gives, a lot more than the other cheaper brand. I Don't envy you Mark, and we can see that you are bending backwards not to upset Sony. All good.
Sony doesn’t watch my vids or care what I say. 😀 they’ve also never paid me ever. The Sony is the better lens, but this is a good cheaper alternative
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis Agreed.
love this video..but...it's so hard to carry fixed lenses when I travel. I badly need to get the smallest size possible. I understand that zoom lenses won't deliver such great image quality, but when I travel using the sony a6700 I can get shots from 18-520mm equivalent just by bringing two zoom lenses. (18-135/70-350 (520mm equiv full frame). I also have the sigma 10-18mm but now tend to just leave it at home. I also bring my sony rx100 vii (incredibly tiny and effective camera).
It seems like all these 85mm and 50mm look strikingly similar across brands
Colors are more rich and more sharp in the Sony. But for $500 vs the Sony is a good deal for someone starting out.
The information o this video is extremely professional and helpful!.
But i would like to share my opinion on meike products. I have a 85mm lens that was the love of my life, it works incredibly well on my a6000(since is crop its like 115 or something). But when i bought my a7 iv i was very very excited to finally be able to use the lens and guess what? It is not compatible with this camera, i can't change the aperture and sometimes it freezes my camera, the worst part is that meike doesn't have client support so k could get help. So if your saving to buy a lens, please avoid these types of brands and save up a little more so you can skip the headache
1st party lens is always the safest bet for sure.
What is the T-Stop difference between the Meike and the new Sony?
Mark! My ZV-E10 is corrupting itself with the 2.0.1 new update: Taking photos are fine for a second until you view them again and theyll say its unable to display, and are unable to delete it, sometimes deleting the file also locks up the camera and or its stuck reappearing. Looking at the imaging edge app the photos are all garbled mess
oh no!! What is going on with these updates?? Call Sony support and see what they can do.
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis update on this it might be sandisk, videos do save however but photos seem to not be saving? Photos however dont, a reset to the card did fix it? But im still taking precautions..
I had a feeling that the left one was the Sony lens just based off vibes in terms of color rendition mostly
Thanks for the video.
Everything is insane for pricing nowa days! So, ya, meika. Looks gr8 to me!
How about Samyang 85mm 1.4 mark ii?
Hi Mark, I've just ordered the Yongnuo 16mm 1.8 for my Sony ZV-10 based off your previous videos, before it arrives, is there anything within my camera I need to set to make sure it works OK with the body? settings etc? or does the body just "know" what lens is attached?
It should work just fine immediately
@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis thank you
I bought Meike’s e-2-ef adapter with internal variable ND. Idea is fantastic, but the adapter did not work reliably. Meike’s support for the problem was non-existent. I will never touch Meike again.
There's more outright snobbery among camera users than you can shake a stick at:
For years we've been assured that there's no substitute for metal, both in camera bodies & lenses; so now the new Sony is ~200g lighter than its predecessor & only ~100g lighter than the upstart:
There are just 2 ways this can be acheived - fewer elements or more plastic...
And the thing works better anyway.
Unlike Minolta, Sony is really a TV and electronics company so this doesn't surprise me.
Thank you!
Still big , would like to see 1.4 lens which is the size of compact lenses.
Mark, could you compare the Meike fullframe and the Sigma 56 f1.4. apsc?
I also love to see this comparison