It’s interesting, you were a little critical of the IQ, but the image samples looked fabulous to me. I guess the way you view the images plays a big role (high Rez or pixel peep), but viewed as photos in UA-cam video they looked great!
I become addicted to watching the photos and videos in this clip! They are so beautifully coloured on the whole in every picture, and the clarity is at least ok, though when looking into tiny details on the face of people it reveals some soft parts. The videos are also great, the lady in the mill looks very vivid! This is originally a small and dull town but Damian showed it so fabulous in photos and videos!!! The amount of excellent photos and videos also exceeded my expectation! Some photos seem to have chromatic aberration (the man with cap) if I am right, but it looks intentionally added artistic feature, haha. Some other UA-camrs praised a lens with same aperture, the Sigma 30mm 1.4, but the photos and videos they put up are just terrible and unconvincing.
It's actually pretty good, a little slow and soft maybe, but it reminds me of older lenses. Quite cool with the X-T5 sensor 👍 Great video anyway, thanks for sharing. Cheers!
no it's a Meike one 🙂 I don't think they're available any more - at least not new anyway. I use it on some extension tubes for macro with really good results@@DamianBrown
It's tough to get proper info on this lens, so how would you say does this compare to the Viltrox 1.7 now that you reviewed both? Is the 1.4 vs 1.7 noticable? And is the Viltrox that much sharper and cleaner regarding CAs (according to some technical reviewers it beats the Sigma 56 across the board)? I'm tempted to get the Viltrox as it's currently on sale for an insane €135 in Germany, but the Meike with the 1.4 and the aperture ring still gives me doubt. I do have the Sigma 18-50 2.8, so I wonder if the 1.7 is that much of a step from 2.8 or if the 1.4 would be the better option despite some optical flaws that tbf the Sigma 18-50 also has.
It's not that noticeable know. I lean towards this one at this price as the aperture ring is just extra practical for me. I do think going from 2.8 to f1.7 or wider is noticeable though, for me in lower light situations.
Thank you so much for this review! This is basically the second one out there haha, so it's much appreciated. Performance wide open isn't spectacular but what can you expect for the price, otherwise it seems like a great lens and a fantastic value.
Damian, my first look at this lens, which one then, I have looked at reviews for the Viltrox 56 f1.7 and the TTartisans 56 f1.8, which of the 3 would you recommend
I think they are pretty close but I do like aperture ring on the Meike which gives that extra touch of practicality at the price. Viltrox is great for the smallest possible kit, while feeling decent, and the TT is probably a touch faster when it hits af
Damian, great video as always, I like the look of this lens, but, I cannot find out anywhere, what is the length of this lens without the hood on, would appreciate if you or one of your followers could let me know, many thanks, keep up the good work.
Lol, I am dying to try this and the Yongnuo 50mm AF... but I can't buy either of them in Indonesia and I couldn't track down the Yongnuo in Malaysia, either. (Meike wasn't out while I was there). Great review. Cheers :-)
I receive the lens with bug or maybe faulty. The aperture ring cant use to set f2.8 and f8, on f2.8 its skip to f3.2 and on f8 its blinking f8-f11 Meike did sent me a firmware fix but i cant test it because the lens has been return by the rime they fave me the firmware. update 1: return the lens and buy another, still get the faulty lens but this time only missing f11. Not satisfy with the lens, I return it again. ** (f1.4 > f1.6 > f1.8 > f2.0 > f2.2 > f2.5 > F2.8 > f3.2 > f3.6 > f4.0 > f4.5 > f5.0 > f5.6 > f6.4 > f7.1 > f8.0 > f9.0 > f10 > f13 > f14 > f16 update 2: after a month, a new lens is finally arrive, funny..still get a faulty lens and this time missing f11 and double f2.8 ** (f1.4 > f1.6 > f1.8 > f2.0 > f2.2 > f2.5 > F2.8 > F2.8 > f3.2 > f3.6 > f4.0 > f4.5 > f5.0 > f5.6 > f6.4 > f7.1 > f8.0 > f9.0 > f10 > f13 > f14 > f16
Sadly only reviewer get the good lens. I buy twice and both get the same problem, some aperture is missing on the aperture ring. Meike said it was a single case. LOL how come single case on two lens?
It’s interesting, you were a little critical of the IQ, but the image samples looked fabulous to me. I guess the way you view the images plays a big role (high Rez or pixel peep), but viewed as photos in UA-cam video they looked great!
Lovely compositions too. I get the impression you get along with that focal length, so many good images.
Very true! For these kind of applications it's very very useable!!
Thanks Mark, you're right. My wiiiiiide angle times are over and I'm fully short to mid Tele these days
I feel very much the same as Mark.
I become addicted to watching the photos and videos in this clip! They are so beautifully coloured on the whole in every picture, and the clarity is at least ok, though when looking into tiny details on the face of people it reveals some soft parts. The videos are also great, the lady in the mill looks very vivid! This is originally a small and dull town but Damian showed it so fabulous in photos and videos!!! The amount of excellent photos and videos also exceeded my expectation!
Some photos seem to have chromatic aberration (the man with cap) if I am right, but it looks intentionally added artistic feature, haha.
Some other UA-camrs praised a lens with same aperture, the Sigma 30mm 1.4, but the photos and videos they put up are just terrible and unconvincing.
Thanks a lot!!!!
It's actually pretty good, a little slow and soft maybe, but it reminds me of older lenses. Quite cool with the X-T5 sensor 👍 Great video anyway, thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Totally agree!
can't really go wrong at that price. in my experience (50mm f2 manual lens) they're built well enough 🙂
The TT? I do like that lens
no it's a Meike one 🙂 I don't think they're available any more - at least not new anyway.
I use it on some extension tubes for macro with really good results@@DamianBrown
It's tough to get proper info on this lens, so how would you say does this compare to the Viltrox 1.7 now that you reviewed both? Is the 1.4 vs 1.7 noticable? And is the Viltrox that much sharper and cleaner regarding CAs (according to some technical reviewers it beats the Sigma 56 across the board)? I'm tempted to get the Viltrox as it's currently on sale for an insane €135 in Germany, but the Meike with the 1.4 and the aperture ring still gives me doubt. I do have the Sigma 18-50 2.8, so I wonder if the 1.7 is that much of a step from 2.8 or if the 1.4 would be the better option despite some optical flaws that tbf the Sigma 18-50 also has.
It's not that noticeable know. I lean towards this one at this price as the aperture ring is just extra practical for me.
I do think going from 2.8 to f1.7 or wider is noticeable though, for me in lower light situations.
How would you rank this lens next to TTArtisan 56mm/f1.8?
Nice review, Damian!
You too! When I started there was just that one non English, then yours, now mine too. Look forward to your next!
Thank you so much for this review! This is basically the second one out there haha, so it's much appreciated. Performance wide open isn't spectacular but what can you expect for the price, otherwise it seems like a great lens and a fantastic value.
Ye when I started there was only one and it wasn't in English, then while I was editing this the first English one came out. Beat me to it :D
Great video, I'm looking at a Meike 85mm Nikon Z lens, so always good to see Meike on other systems, especially with real world use like you do.
I was looking at that 85mm... would love to see that come to X Mount!
It is on X-mount, I have the 85mm :-) It's actually pretty good for the price. @@DamianBrown
I like aperture rings for x mount, I can get this for $200 or the viltrox 56 1.4 used for $240. The least expensive 56s w/ aperture rings.
Good call!
Damian, my first look at this lens, which one then, I have looked at reviews for the Viltrox 56 f1.7 and the TTartisans 56 f1.8, which of the 3 would you recommend
I think they are pretty close but I do like aperture ring on the Meike which gives that extra touch of practicality at the price. Viltrox is great for the smallest possible kit, while feeling decent, and the TT is probably a touch faster when it hits af
Thanks Damian, keep up the good work
Damian, great video as always, I like the look of this lens, but, I cannot find out anywhere, what is the length of this lens without the hood on, would appreciate if you or one of your followers could let me know, many thanks, keep up the good work.
My lens has been moved on since, but hopefully somebody can measure it for us.
Lol, I am dying to try this and the Yongnuo 50mm AF... but I can't buy either of them in Indonesia and I couldn't track down the Yongnuo in Malaysia, either. (Meike wasn't out while I was there). Great review. Cheers :-)
I met Yongnuo a few days ago, surprisingly. Hopefully I'll get the two 50mm lenses in eventually.
which one you prefer the most, meike or viltrox or TTArtisan on this price range?
Just because the aperture ring is extra useful.. Meike. There are other factors which would make either of the other two very worthy too.
Nice but none of the images have POP - they feel rather flat, but I have to agree that it seems better than the new Viltrox...
Agreed! For the price I have one favourite
I receive the lens with bug or maybe faulty. The aperture ring cant use to set f2.8 and f8, on f2.8 its skip to f3.2 and on f8 its blinking f8-f11
Meike did sent me a firmware fix but i cant test it because the lens has been return by the rime they fave me the firmware.
update 1: return the lens and buy another, still get the faulty lens but this time only missing f11. Not satisfy with the lens, I return it again.
** (f1.4 > f1.6 > f1.8 > f2.0 > f2.2 > f2.5 > F2.8 > f3.2 > f3.6 > f4.0 > f4.5 > f5.0 > f5.6 > f6.4 > f7.1 > f8.0 > f9.0 > f10 > f13 > f14 > f16
update 2: after a month, a new lens is finally arrive, funny..still get a faulty lens and this time missing f11 and double f2.8
** (f1.4 > f1.6 > f1.8 > f2.0 > f2.2 > f2.5 > F2.8 > F2.8 > f3.2 > f3.6 > f4.0 > f4.5 > f5.0 > f5.6 > f6.4 > f7.1 > f8.0 > f9.0 > f10 > f13 > f14 > f16
These comments make a difference, thanks! Definitely sounds like a quality control issue, very annoying.
@@DamianBrown I update my experiance with this lens (3 lenses)
I guess the new F1.7 viltrox is a bit better in few aspects. I actually liked your pictures here
The Viltrox will definitely be easier to buy, at least in the UK
Sadly only reviewer get the good lens. I buy twice and both get the same problem, some aperture is missing on the aperture ring. Meike said it was a single case. LOL how come single case on two lens?
Interesting, somebody else asked me about the aperture ring too so I wonder if there's a quality control problem??? Not good :(
May be an excellent lens, however I will not be moving from my excellent Sigma 56 1.4.
No need sir :)
I use sigma before, comparing the two. Sigma has cool cast. Meike warnmer and for my eyes meike is more sharp then sigma
@@iamfyrushow about af video speed and chromatic abberation?
@@-shakirov no CA, and im not into video
@@iamfyrus thanks
Where to get this lens in Uk ?
I had a look again this morning and so far only on their own site. Amazon usually gets stock but couldn't find any.
maybe not flawless but much character imo.
agreed!
How would you rank this lens next to TTArtisan 56mm/f1.8?
Slightly better for me due to the aperture ring, but not much in it otherwise.