Thanks, that was the intention. There are plenty of tech based reviews, but these are very much based on impressions using the lenses and hopefully that answers a lot of the questions filmmakers generally have. New reviews soon for the Meike FF / 135 50mm T2.1 and the Laowa 9mm T2.9
I'm glad the review were helpful in making your decision. We're not paid to make the reviews, they are our honest opinions from shooting with them. I think for the price they are almost unbeatable for MFT users who want uniform mini cine primes.
i wish more gear and camera reviewers would follow your format, literally answered everything i was looking. shooting autofocus this whole time i am now confident enough to shoot manual and move onto a cine lens after watching this,
Thanks, when we review a lens we try to produce the type of review that would be helpful to us. There are much flashier ways of reviewing, but we try to make the content a fair reflection of the lens and place its use in a real world context. Good luck with your shooting. Manual focus once you get the hang of it is 10x as creative - it simply takes practice and that is free :-)
@@montereycalifornia I was very impressed with the 12mm on the P4k. I like it better than the 35 and the 50 (which we also reviewed)... something I wasn't expecting.
Well a 12mm will be a 12mm on your BMPCC (HD)... the focal length is constant. It would give the same AOV as a 24mm on S35 or 35mm on FF / 135... a very useful angle of view. The 12mm was a very surprising lens - probably still my favourite of the Meike MFT range.
Anyone watching in the know, I’ve got a G7 and looking for a lens for indoor studio use mainly - talking head and shoulders with camera about 2 foot in front of me and looking for blurred background in medium to low light with key light on the face. Is this a good one as a prime?
You could use the 12mm for this... it really depends on the type / look of shot you want. I'd say the 16mm is possibly a better option for that type of framing.
Yes absolutely, just be aware on the BMPCC HD the lens will have a narrower angle of view than on MFT. I'd also recommend the 8mm Meike in the same range, which is a touch slower, but also an excellent lens.
Amazing review and beautiful footage of this wonderful lens. I have a question. If one could only have one lens and they were going to film an independent movie, do you think the Meike 25mm T2.2, 16mm T2.2, or 12mm T2.2 would be the most versatile and quality choice?
How you shoot and the style you like is a large part of that type of choice... however... A 25mm is a normal lens on MFT. Same AOV as a 50mm on FF / 135 and a 35mm on S35 / 35mm. That is a lot of people's go to - as it offers a very natural perspective. The AOV however won't be wide enough for all shooting (you will struggle with tight interiors). The 16mm is a good compromise, same AOV as a 32mm on FF / 135 and a 22mm on S35 / 35mm, offers you the ability to shoot both close-ups and wides and enough background separation. It's a shame Meike never made a 19mm for MFT as Veydra did. That would hit the sweet spot between 25 and 16mm
@@TstopGear Thank you so much for the info and advice. I cannot wait to get the Meike 16mm T2.2 Lens. I currently have a Panasonic GX7. I want to upgrade to a BMPCC 4K eventually. Down the line I will also get the Meike 25mm T2.2.
@@scottmcclure4855 we've had the P4k since it launched a despite some quirks, it's a great camera. 25mm is considered a normal lens on MFT so very usable, great for faces.
Perfect video friend, but you should upload this on Vimeo, or upload it in 4K- because youtube have copletely weird FHD, must say that youtube 4K is good FHD.
@@WaveRiderMusic We've not heard of that issue. There are several BMPCC4k groups on Facebook that might be worth asking on. We use our cameras mainly with PL lenses and any looseness to the mount would be very obvious using those lenses.
If you wanted the same field of view but with a better image and more feature proofing I'd look at the Venus Optics Laowa 12mm cine lens, due out next month. That lenses covers up VistaVision and comes in PL and EF mount. The Meike 12mm is a great lens is great and cheap at £399... but the Laowa is a different class of lens.
@@RobinParmar EVA Films asked "with a little more money, what would you buy?" and the answer to that is simple, the Laowa 12mm T3 cine lens. This comes in EF mount which can be speedboosted on MFT, or on PL which is easily adapted to MFT. The Laowa 12mm is a totally different class of lens, one which is already being used on Arri and Red cameras on films and TV shoot. Also Laowa do have two MFT cine lenses due out next month, the 9mm F2.8 and the 7.5mm F2.
I think there's just some terminology confusion here. The phrase "different class" is usually used to mean something significantly superior. I suppose we can wait and see, but it's hard to imagine anything knocking these Meike lenses off their throne. What I have seen of footage has convinced me of their quality. I presume the new Laowa lenses are the same optical formula as the SLR variants, just rehoused for cine.
@@RobinParmar the Laowa 12mm cine lenses is already out there and being used on film and television productions. It's a lens that costs almost 4x as much as the Meike 12mm - and for good reason. It covers VistaVision rather than MFT, better build quality and even lower distortion. In fact it's been tested against much more expensive lenses and performed astoundingly well. You might want to check out the piece by Duclos Lenses. thecinelens.com/2020/01/14/laowa-12mm-zero-d-now-shipping/
Crop factor simply tells you what lens will match the angle of view... referring focal lengths to a 135 sensor camera is a photography idea. For filmmakers S35 (35mm motion picture film) is "full frame", while FF / 135 is called VistaVision. Compared to FF / 135 the crop factor depends on the camera you are using, not the lens. So on the P4k it's 1.9 while on most MFT cameras it's 2. But a 12mm is always a 12mm - that never changes. What changes is the lens you use to achieve a specific angle of view. On MFT you use a 12mm On S35 you use a 16mm Ob FF / 135 you use a 24mm All these lenses have the same AOV. So a 12mm on MFT is a 12mm.
Focal lengths don't change on different size sensors, only the field of view changes. If you wanted to replicate the field of view this lens gives on a so called "full frame" camera, ie: one with a full 35mm sensors, you'd want to use a 23mm lens. If you wanted to replicate the field of view this lens gives on a Super35 sensor camera (still the cinematic standard), you'd want to use a 14mm lens. Full frame is not the baseline or the standard for lens field of view, it is simply a popular one due to DSLR.
@@Bvideo105 Equivalency is useful, if you're used to a certain field of view, it helps you understand what lens on your FF or S35 camera this lens would roughly match, (in terms of field of view). But remember the focusing characteristics are completely different. So while a 25mm might roughly match the field of view you'd get using a 50mm on a "full frame" camera, the 25mm on MFT would have much closer focusing and a totally different field of focus. The best thing you can do with any camera, is get the lens on the camera and learn how they works together and not worry about comparing it to another format.
@@TstopGear i think the reason most people compare to full frame is to know what field of view youl get with the lens. If u used to shooting a 24 mm on full frame u know u can shoot in a small room and see a lot... That 24mm on m43 will only show you field of view close to that of a 50mm so that might be a problem in tight spaces... So i think knowing what field of view ul get from a lense is very important
@@johnaart For over 100 years DPs have shot on all types of formats, 8mm, 16mm, S16, academy, S35, 65mm, IMAX. DPs have shot numerous documentaries and dramas on S16 since 1969... often in very small rooms. A 24mm on S16 is a lot tighter than even MFT... but we've only had these conversations since the Canon 5D hit the market. It needs to be remembered that full frame / 135 is a photograph standard. Using "full frame" as a reference for lens FOV might be useful for photographers... but not for anyone who's been trained as a filmmaker, where S35 would be FOV standard. The issue is people go beyond using full frame a a field of view reference for field of view...and the conversation develops to ... a 12mm "is" a 24mm on MTF... or that a 12mm F2 lens on MFT is "really" a 24mm F4 lens... which is entirely inaccurate and has caused no end of confusion and bad camera / lens choices. Th article linked below is well worth a read. David Mullen is one of the clearest minds in these discussions, as well as being up for an Emmy this year. This quote from David is key: "Stopping thinking of it as "a 50mm becomes an 80mm on a cropped camera" because that just leads to confusion. A 50mm stays a 50mm on any camera. It just has a narrower view on a smaller format. Or to put it another way, the 50mm has a more telephoto image on a smaller format, a wider-angle image on a larger format. But it is still a 50mm." cinematography.com/index.php?/topic/59423-full-frame-35mm-vs-aps-c/
Great review! Answered a number of real-world questions that most reviews don't answer. Thank you.
Thanks, that was the intention. There are plenty of tech based reviews, but these are very much based on impressions using the lenses and hopefully that answers a lot of the questions filmmakers generally have.
New reviews soon for the Meike FF / 135 50mm T2.1 and the Laowa 9mm T2.9
Ok you guys are amazing! Professional and well made review. Just bought 3 lenses based of your review!
I'm glad the review were helpful in making your decision. We're not paid to make the reviews, they are our honest opinions from shooting with them. I think for the price they are almost unbeatable for MFT users who want uniform mini cine primes.
Wow lot of in depth and straight to the point info i like it :D
The first of many reviews we hope. More videos coming soon.
i wish more gear and camera reviewers would follow your format, literally answered everything i was looking. shooting autofocus this whole time i am now confident enough to shoot manual and move onto a cine lens after watching this,
Thanks, when we review a lens we try to produce the type of review that would be helpful to us.
There are much flashier ways of reviewing, but we try to make the content a fair reflection of the lens and place its use in a real world context.
Good luck with your shooting. Manual focus once you get the hang of it is 10x as creative - it simply takes practice and that is free :-)
Excellent review!!!
Great review. Thank you.
excited to see another addition to the wide angle lens lineup.
It's an impressive wide angle lens. If you own Meike lenses, well worth checking out.
Very impressive content. Thank you.
Thanks. We have two new videos being edited, which we hope to release soon, and are shooting a third in the coming few weeks.
Nice video, I just got one too recently and I love it. Great information, thanks.
Glad it was of help. It's a great wide angle lens for MFT.
Perfect for my old bmcc.
Tks. Subscribed.
Great review and video:)
Subbed
@@montereycalifornia I was very impressed with the 12mm on the P4k. I like it better than the 35 and the 50 (which we also reviewed)... something I wasn't expecting.
@@TstopGear That helps, Thank you:)
Excellent and very professional review. The 12mm will be aprox 35mm in my bmpcc og and i am thiknking to buy it soon.
Well a 12mm will be a 12mm on your BMPCC (HD)... the focal length is constant.
It would give the same AOV as a 24mm on S35 or 35mm on FF / 135... a very useful angle of view.
The 12mm was a very surprising lens - probably still my favourite of the Meike MFT range.
Anyone watching in the know, I’ve got a G7 and looking for a lens for indoor studio use mainly - talking head and shoulders with camera about 2 foot in front of me and looking for blurred background in medium to low light with key light on the face. Is this a good one as a prime?
You could use the 12mm for this... it really depends on the type / look of shot you want. I'd say the 16mm is possibly a better option for that type of framing.
What is that Edelkrone handle called? That looks super useful... have you got a link?
The Edelkrone shoulder kits are great.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114759969298
Cheers for the Video... could u recommend this Lens for the bmpcc OG? Cheers
Yes absolutely, just be aware on the BMPCC HD the lens will have a narrower angle of view than on MFT.
I'd also recommend the 8mm Meike in the same range, which is a touch slower, but also an excellent lens.
@@TstopGear hey thx alot! I see what I can get 😉👌🏼 cheers and greets from Switzerland 🇨🇭🎉
Amazing review and beautiful footage of this wonderful lens. I have a question. If one could only have one lens and they were going to film an independent movie, do you think the Meike 25mm T2.2, 16mm T2.2, or 12mm T2.2 would be the most versatile and quality choice?
How you shoot and the style you like is a large part of that type of choice... however...
A 25mm is a normal lens on MFT. Same AOV as a 50mm on FF / 135 and a 35mm on S35 / 35mm.
That is a lot of people's go to - as it offers a very natural perspective. The AOV however won't be wide enough for all shooting (you will struggle with tight interiors).
The 16mm is a good compromise, same AOV as a 32mm on FF / 135 and a 22mm on S35 / 35mm, offers you the ability to shoot both close-ups and wides and enough background separation.
It's a shame Meike never made a 19mm for MFT as Veydra did. That would hit the sweet spot between 25 and 16mm
@@TstopGear Thank you so much for the info and advice. I cannot wait to get the Meike 16mm T2.2 Lens. I currently have a Panasonic GX7. I want to upgrade to a BMPCC 4K eventually. Down the line I will also get the Meike 25mm T2.2.
@@scottmcclure4855 we've had the P4k since it launched a despite some quirks, it's a great camera.
25mm is considered a normal lens on MFT so very usable, great for faces.
Perfect video friend, but you should upload this on Vimeo, or upload it in 4K- because youtube have copletely weird FHD, must say that youtube 4K is good FHD.
Man I wish the aputure was just a bit lower. I had the 16mm and yes very clean image very accurate colors as well
Lens speed is always a compromise. The Voigtlander MFT are faster, but more expensive.
does your pocket 4k have a loose mount?
We have two BMPCC4ks and neither have a loose mount. Why do you ask?
mine has and others too, so I don't know if having one with a tight mount is possible
@@WaveRiderMusic We've not heard of that issue. There are several BMPCC4k groups on Facebook that might be worth asking on. We use our cameras mainly with PL lenses and any looseness to the mount would be very obvious using those lenses.
@@WaveRiderMusic Did you figure this out? My brand new Pocket 4k has this issue. Meike 25mm and Laowa 7.5.
@@RayLevang they all have this issue, no fix that I know of, maybe tape?
Hi, what do you think of these lenses? is worth ?
with a little more money, what would you buy?
with a more captivating and precise image?
thanks
If you wanted the same field of view but with a better image and more feature proofing I'd look at the Venus Optics Laowa 12mm cine lens, due out next month. That lenses covers up VistaVision and comes in PL and EF mount. The Meike 12mm is a great lens is great and cheap at £399... but the Laowa is a different class of lens.
@@TstopGear In what way is the Laowa "a different class of lens"? Besides the fact that they have no cine MFT lenses.
@@RobinParmar EVA Films asked "with a little more money, what would you buy?" and the answer to that is simple, the Laowa 12mm T3 cine lens. This comes in EF mount which can be speedboosted on MFT, or on PL which is easily adapted to MFT.
The Laowa 12mm is a totally different class of lens, one which is already being used on Arri and Red cameras on films and TV shoot.
Also Laowa do have two MFT cine lenses due out next month, the 9mm F2.8 and the 7.5mm F2.
I think there's just some terminology confusion here. The phrase "different class" is usually used to mean something significantly superior. I suppose we can wait and see, but it's hard to imagine anything knocking these Meike lenses off their throne. What I have seen of footage has convinced me of their quality.
I presume the new Laowa lenses are the same optical formula as the SLR variants, just rehoused for cine.
@@RobinParmar the Laowa 12mm cine lenses is already out there and being used on film and television productions. It's a lens that costs almost 4x as much as the Meike 12mm - and for good reason. It covers VistaVision rather than MFT, better build quality and even lower distortion. In fact it's been tested against much more expensive lenses and performed astoundingly well. You might want to check out the piece by Duclos Lenses.
thecinelens.com/2020/01/14/laowa-12mm-zero-d-now-shipping/
what the crop factor to ff
Crop factor simply tells you what lens will match the angle of view... referring focal lengths to a 135 sensor camera is a photography idea.
For filmmakers S35 (35mm motion picture film) is "full frame", while FF / 135 is called VistaVision.
Compared to FF / 135 the crop factor depends on the camera you are using, not the lens. So on the P4k it's 1.9 while on most MFT cameras it's 2.
But a 12mm is always a 12mm - that never changes. What changes is the lens you use to achieve a specific angle of view.
On MFT you use a 12mm
On S35 you use a 16mm
Ob FF / 135 you use a 24mm
All these lenses have the same AOV.
So a 12mm on MFT is a 12mm.
Looks like a nice lens. I have a fujifilm cant Find iT for the camera i have
Sadly I think this lens only gives MFT coverage, so it's available for Fujifilm cameras.
Bro, you need to be doing voice over! 1 T stop away from the David Attenborough guy
Always available for voice-over work, might help to pay for some of these lenses ;-)
Is this truly 12mm on MFT or closer to 24mm?
Focal lengths don't change on different size sensors, only the field of view changes.
If you wanted to replicate the field of view this lens gives on a so called "full frame" camera, ie: one with a full 35mm sensors, you'd want to use a 23mm lens.
If you wanted to replicate the field of view this lens gives on a Super35 sensor camera (still the cinematic standard), you'd want to use a 14mm lens.
Full frame is not the baseline or the standard for lens field of view, it is simply a popular one due to DSLR.
TstopGear thank you so much for that info!
@@Bvideo105 Equivalency is useful, if you're used to a certain field of view, it helps you understand what lens on your FF or S35 camera this lens would roughly match, (in terms of field of view). But remember the focusing characteristics are completely different. So while a 25mm might roughly match the field of view you'd get using a 50mm on a "full frame" camera, the 25mm on MFT would have much closer focusing and a totally different field of focus. The best thing you can do with any camera, is get the lens on the camera and learn how they works together and not worry about comparing it to another format.
@@TstopGear i think the reason most people compare to full frame is to know what field of view youl get with the lens. If u used to shooting a 24 mm on full frame u know u can shoot in a small room and see a lot... That 24mm on m43 will only show you field of view close to that of a 50mm so that might be a problem in tight spaces... So i think knowing what field of view ul get from a lense is very important
@@johnaart
For over 100 years DPs have shot on all types of formats, 8mm, 16mm, S16, academy, S35, 65mm, IMAX.
DPs have shot numerous documentaries and dramas on S16 since 1969... often in very small rooms. A 24mm on S16 is a lot tighter than even MFT... but we've only had these conversations since the Canon 5D hit the market.
It needs to be remembered that full frame / 135 is a photograph standard. Using "full frame" as a reference for lens FOV might be useful for photographers... but not for anyone who's been trained as a filmmaker, where S35 would be FOV standard.
The issue is people go beyond using full frame a a field of view reference for field of view...and the conversation develops to ... a 12mm "is" a 24mm on MTF... or that a 12mm F2 lens on MFT is "really" a 24mm F4 lens... which is entirely inaccurate and has caused no end of confusion and bad camera / lens choices.
Th article linked below is well worth a read. David Mullen is one of the clearest minds in these discussions, as well as being up for an Emmy this year.
This quote from David is key:
"Stopping thinking of it as "a 50mm becomes an 80mm on a cropped camera" because that just leads to confusion. A 50mm stays a 50mm on any camera. It just has a narrower view on a smaller format. Or to put it another way, the 50mm has a more telephoto image on a smaller format, a wider-angle image on a larger format. But it is still a 50mm."
cinematography.com/index.php?/topic/59423-full-frame-35mm-vs-aps-c/
Nice... Just got one for £93... Bargain!
That's an excellent price for this lens.
Great review!