Meike—the Chinese optical specialty brand rapidly expanding its global third-party market share with incredibly aggressive pricing—has unveiled its next-generation medium-telephoto portrait prime, boasting significantly upgraded resolving power and striking new color configurations. According to reports published by the global camera specialty outlet NikonRumors, Meike has officially announced the ‘Meike AF 85mm F1.4 MIX II’ for full-frame mirrorless cameras, starting commercial sales immediately.
Retailing at an astonishingly low $569, this second-generation revision integrates high-end aberration correction and cinema-oriented physical controls that are typically reserved for lenses costing multiple times as much.
1. “10K Video Ready”... A 2nd-Gen Optical Core Built to Resolve 67-Megapixel Sensors
The most significant evolution of the MIX II is its redesigned optical architecture, engineered from the ground up to squeeze every ounce of performance out of today's highest-resolution mirrorless sensors.
- Built for 67MP Sensors: Meike highlights that this updated optical design effortlessly resolves 67-megapixel stills and handles demanding ultra-high-resolution video capture up to 10K with absolute fidelity. The lens delivers razor-sharp center-to-corner rendering even when shot wide open at f/1.4.
- APO-Tier Chromatic Aberration Suppression: To combat the purple and green color fringing that notoriously plagues large-aperture portrait telephotos, Meike has implemented a highly advanced optical correction structure reminiscent of Apochromatic (APO) designs. This ensures exceptionally clean, high-contrast imagery under harsh backlighting.
- Stunning Bokeh via an 11-Blade Aperture: Rare for a lens in this price class, the MIX II incorporates an 11-blade circular aperture. This produces buttery-smooth, perfectly rounded out-of-focus background highlights (bokeh) that beautifully isolate portrait subjects.
2. Pro-Grade Physical Interface and Silent STM Autofocus Built for Video Creators
To satisfy modern hybrid content creators, Meike has upgraded both the physical lens barrel interface and the internal focus drive mechanism to a flagship standard.
- Hybrid Aperture Ring Design: The barrel is equipped with a physical aperture control ring featuring a Click/De-click switch and a dedicated aperture lock. This allows photographers to enjoy tactile, clicky feedback while letting videographers seamlessly and silently rack depth of field. A customizable Function (Fn) button has also been added to maximize user control.
- Silent, Reliable Hyperb STM Autofocus: Powered by an upgraded high-precision stepping motor (Hyperb STM), the autofocus group delivers rapid, quiet performance. The system flawlessly locks onto subject eyes via Eye-AF and runs virtually silent to avoid picking up motor noise on dedicated microphone tracks.
- A Lightweight 650g Footprint: Utilizing a durable metal mount combined with high-strength engineering plastics for the outer barrel, Meike has kept the weight of this fast f/1.4 telephoto to a highly manageable 656g, drastically enhancing field mobility.
3. Three Striking Color Configurations to Match Your Style
Departing from the industry-standard plain black aesthetic, Meike is offering three distinct physical colorways to perfectly match a photographer's camera body setup and personal style:
- The traditional, professional ‘Classic Black’
- The clean, highly aesthetic ‘White Edition’
- The striking, contrasting ‘Panda Mix’ (featuring a distinct black-and-white color layout)
✍️ Editor's Note
"An 85mm f/1.4 is the ultimate dream lens for portrait photographers, but looking at first-party flagship options often results in sticker shock due to their four-figure price tags. Meike has stepped into this gap beautifully. At a miraculous $569, they have delivered an optically refined prime packed with an 11-blade aperture, APO-tier aberration suppression, and a physical de-clickable aperture ring! Furthermore, by offering rare lifestyle aesthetics like the 'White' and 'Panda Mix' colorways, Meike is targeting both performance seekers and creators who care deeply about the visual style of their gear. For Nikon Z-mount shooters who previously compromised on f/1.8 primes due to the steep cost of S-line glass, or budget-conscious wedding and event videographers, this is an incredibly sweet alternative. If you want to capture stunning, dreamlike portraits with gorgeous subject isolation this season, Meike's clever new release is well worth adding to your kit bag!"
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