Meike’s AF 85mm f/1.8 For GFX Is Here

credits: Meike/Fujifilm

After a brief delay, the Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 for Fujifilm GFX is officially here, giving GFX users one of the first third-party autofocus prime lenses built specifically for the system. One of the biggest highlights is its size and weight. At 406g, it is almost half the weight of Fujifilm’s own GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR, which comes in at 795g. That is quite a noticeable difference on a medium format camera, especially when carrying the camera around all day. On Fujifilm’s 44×33mm sensor, the 85mm focal length provides a field of view roughly equivalent to 67mm on full frame.

Inside, the lens features an 11-element, 7-group optical design along with an 11-blade aperture, which should help produce smooth, rounded background blur. Autofocus is powered by Meike’s own STM motor, which the company says delivers quiet and smooth focusing for both stills and video while keeping up with moving subjects. Other key specs include a minimum focusing distance of 0.65m, 0.17x maximum magnification, and support for 62mm filters, a relatively modest filter size compared to many native GFX lenses. Meike also says the optical design is intended to keep purple and green colour fringing under control, although that claim is currently based on the company’s own specifications.

The lens barrel is made from metal, and an A/C switch on the outside lets you choose how the aperture is controlled. In the A position, aperture control is handled automatically by the camera, while the C position changes behaviour depending on the selected shooting mode, allowing manual aperture control when shooting in manual mode. The Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 for Fujifilm GFX is priced at $389.