Meike Introduces a 25mm f/0.95 Lens for APS-C Cameras
Meike has announced a new 25mm f/0.95 manual focus lens for multiple APS-C camera mounts. The $370 optic is currently available for Sony E mount, with the promise of Fujifilm X, Canon EOS M and RF, and Micro Four Thirds coming next month.
The new 25mm f/0.95 has a 35mm full-frame equivalent focal length of about 38mm and a diagonal, horizontal, and vertical angle of view of 59.3, 52, and 35.4 degrees on APS-C cameras and 47.6, 38.8, and 29.5 degrees on Micro Four Thirds.
Meike’s new lens is constructed of 11 elements arranged into nine groups, but the company has not provided any information on what types of glass elements it is using in that optical formula, including if it is using any specially coated lenses or aspherical elements. Meike typically doesn’t provide much information on any of its optics though, so this isn’t particularly unusual for the China-based manufacturer.
While the company has not provided any sample images taken with the lens, its aperture diaphragm looks as though it will be able to provide a particularly nice rendering of out-of-focus areas given the wide-open aperture and the fact it uses a 13-bladed diaphragm. The 25mm f/0.95 has an aperture range of f/0.95 through f/16.
Meike says the new lens can focus as close as 0.25 meters, which is about 9.8 inches. The front filter thread measures 62mm and the optic weighs 600 grams, which is about 1.32 pounds.
The company positions the new lens as ideal for landscapes and portraits, likely because the wide aperture will prove useful to photographers who are working in low-light conditions and it has the additional benefit of helping to create excellent separation between a subject and the background.
The lens is fully manual, which means not only does it not support any kind of autofocus, it also does not have any electronic communication with the camera it is attached to. That is probably why the company feels comfortable releasing the lens for Canon RF mount, as Canon has demonstrated it plans to issue cease and desist orders to any lens manufacturer that reverse engineers electronic communication with its mirrorless cameras.
The Meike 25mm f/0.95 is priced at $370 and is available to order for Sony E-mount for immediate shipping. The company says that it intends to make the Fujifilm X, Canon EOS M and RF, and Micro Four Thirds mounts available in December.
