Meike 55mm F1.4 Standard Aperture APS-C Frame AF STM(A Stepping Motor) Auto Focus Fixed Prime Portrait Lenses Nikon Z Mount Mirrorless Cameras Z5, Z6, Z7, Z9, Z30, Z50, Z fc

This review is for the Z mount Meike 55mm f/1.4 APS-C autofocus lens. Specification This lens is an APS-C lens so the 55mm field of view is 'equivalent' to an 82.5mm full frame lens - an ideal portrait lens. The aperture of f/1.4 means it lets in a lot of light so you can use faster shutter speeds. This is great for APS-C Nikon Z cameras like the Z30 , Z50 and Zfc as they do not have in-body image stabilization, so faster shuttler speeds help reduce blur due to camera movement. The f/1.4 aperture also allows for pleasing blurring of the foreground and background making your subject stand out. The depth of field of an APS-C lens at f/1.4 is similar to a full frame lens at f/2 , again , very appropriate for people images. This lens is autofocus , which is rare on a sub $200 lens for the Nikon Z system. I was able to confirm that Autofocus works on a Nikon Z30, top of the range Z9 and the newest Nikon Z6iii on the latest firmware (the Nikon Z9 and Z6iii in crop mode) The Meike 55mm f1.4 has a USB-C port on the base for future firmware upgrades . Handling Unlike Nikon Z mount lenses the Meike 55mm 1.4 has an aperture ring (yay), with clicks every third of a stop. I like being able to glance at the lens and see the settings without having to wait for the screen to switch on. If you want to use the standard control wheel on the camera , you can set the lens to A and it behaves like other lenses. The lens is a good compact size for the smaller Z30 body (the first image shows it in the middle between a Nikon 40mm F2 and a Nikon 50mm F1.8) I like that it is a slightly longer focal length than the Nikon 50mm 1.8 and also approx 2/3 stop faster , all in a smaller , lighter lens, although the Nikon lenses are both full frame lenses. In Use. I was very pleased with the handling and the eye autofocus worked well, tracking the eye even when the subject was not looking straight at the camera. Initially I thought the auto focus was slower than the Nikon lenses , but this was only apparent when moving from close focus to long distances. When shooting portraits, once the subject was found, it stayed on them and I was not missing focus even wide open at F1.4, so excellent. I tested against backlit subjects in near mid-day sun and didn't suffer from lens flare, the contrast was good and both foreground and background blur looks pleasing. Some CA (chromatic aberrations) visible on the leaves. Lightroom has a setting to remove CA. Lens sharpness , especially in the central area , was more than good enough for portrait use with eyes , eyelashes and hair strands all clearly defined in the in-focus areas. Minimum focus distance was fine for portrait use , although I sometimes had to back up for close up product photography. The lens hood travels about 1/8 turn to click into place and I found it needs a bit of pressure applied towards the lens while you turn it. Once in place it stays locked and adds protection to the front glass. Summary, A very good compact , fast aperture , autofocus portrait length lens for APS-C Nikon Z mount cameras that I really enjoy using with the lightweight Nikon Z30 . This will be my goto people lens for my travel Nikon Z30, when I don't want the bulk of a full frame camera or full frame lenses. The price of just under $200 makes this an easy recommendation 5/5

This lens is exactly what I wanted. It is small, light, and feels great on the Z50II. Autofocus is decent with only the occasional miss. Its quite a bit sharper than the 16-50 kit lens and the bokeh at f1.4 looks very smooth. I grabbed it during the Black Friday sale for $159 which is literally a 1/3 of the price of the Sigma 56mm or the Nikon 50mm f1.4! For what you pay its an easy recommendation as a budget portrait lens for special occasions and for getting that nice background blur.

Love this lens. Fast, sharp, good in low light. Quickly became my everyday favorite.

This lens has a noble heft in it, it makes a perfect portrait and street lens. This lens has clickable aperture ring with 1/3 stops. I tried this lens only for photos, and it is perfect starting from wide open. AF is good, fast and snappy for taking photos. This lens is not for close-up shots, also it comes without pouch, nevertheless, I give full 5 stars

I love this lens