There isn't much known about the "first" third party AF lens for Fujifilm GFX medium format platform. It appears to be a 85mm ƒ 1.8 lens. In photos, it looks oddly boring in its design. However, what matters most of course, is optical quality and price. Or how close you can focus.
There is a slight possibility, that this lens is based on their existing Meike 85/1.8 lens for mirrorless fullframe cameras (which has good optical quality !)
Again; time will tell.


Alternative Competitor
Since this is an AF (autofocus) lens - it competes directly with the Fujinon GF 80 mm ƒ 1.7 lens. One that costs around 2500 €, while second hand around in the EU goes for 1550 - 1700 €.
I am sure the Meike AF 85/1.4 G will cost around 599 € or perhaps just 499 €. Surely an interesting proposition, especially given that the Fujinon GF 80/1.7 is slightly "inferior" to the stellar Fujinon GF 110/2 lens. What i meant with "inferior" is, that when used wide open it shows some fringing - which the GF 110mm does not.
So, it might be a worthy comparison between the Fuji 80mm and the Meike 85mm.
A 85 mm lens on a Fujifilm GFX camera is perspective equivalent to the of a 67 mm fullframe. Like a very short "tele portrait", or - a long normal lens.
We also don't know if the Meike 85 mm optical formula resides on a fullframe camera and then is just put into a larger GFX mount. Or if it is an entirely newly created optical entity made for larger sensor cameras, like the Fujifilm GFX system
Out of curiosity
I took out the 1 kilo heavy Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm ƒ 1.4 lens, and put the 11 mm extension ring on it, in order to focus closer. It is a super heavy lens, very soft wide open (and only manual focus). To catch the exact focus point is very difficult.
Once you stop this lens down - it starts to shine by getting sharper. Since it is a genuine larger sensor lens, you get natural soft vignetting - which disappears. So, it ain't an upscaled fullframe lens.
Poetry
You can make extremely poetic images with this lens, when using apertures between ƒ1.4 and ƒ2. If you stop the aperture down further - the "magic" fades quickly, as the lens turns sharper and sharper.
There is a similar lens, the Mitakon 80mm ƒ1.6 lens - also made for Fujifilm GFX, slightly less heavy - but what makes this lens "better" is the much closer minimum focus distance (50 cm), compared to the Mitakon 65/1.4 with 70 cm.
The characteristics are exactly the same for both lenses; soft wide open, and as you stop down - they get sharper and sharper. |