Meike’s New 85mm f/1.8 Lens

credits: Meike

Meike has rolled out an updated version of its budget portrait prime, the 85mm f/1.8 SE II, a full-frame autofocus lens now available for Sony E, L-Mount, and Nikon Z. It replaces the original AF 85mm f/1.8 from 2022 and continues a line that actually goes back to Meike’s first autofocus lens in 2018, which was an 85mm for Canon DSLRs. This new version keeps the same general idea as earlier models but brings a handful of practical upgrades that should make it a bit nicer to use day-to-day.

Meike says the SE II has better control over chromatic aberration, cleaner overall image quality, faster autofocus, and a noticeably shorter minimum focusing distance. The lens can now focus down to 0.65 meters (2.1 feet), shaving about 20 centimeters off the previous version. That may not sound dramatic, but it gives a bit more flexibility for portraits and close details where the older one felt slightly limiting.

The internal design has been reworked too. The SE II moves from nine elements in six groups to 11 elements in seven groups, and the aperture now uses 11 blades instead of nine, which should help with smoother out-of-focus areas. Even with the added glass, the lens ends up a little lighter than before (369 grams instead of 386 grams) and the filter thread shifts to 62mm.

Meike’s own description of the rendering leans into the usual language about sharp details and soft backgrounds, though the real appeal here is that it offers the classic 85mm f/1.8 look without requiring a big investment. The shorter focusing distance, new aperture design, and faster AF all help round out a lens that aims to be accessible without feeling like a bare-bones compromise.

In the broader landscape, the SE II sits up against first-party 85mm lenses from Sony, Nikon, and Panasonic, all of which cost several times more. Those models are known for their consistency and image quality, but they are also priced in a different bracket entirely.

The Meike 85mm f/1.8 SE II is available now for $229.99.