Meike 25mm f/0.95 Lens Review

Meike 25mm f/0.95 Performance

Sharpness centrally is very good even at f/0.95, excellent by f/2 and outstanding from f/2.8 to f/8. F/11 is still excellent, and even f/22 gives a very good account of itself. This is a very satisfactory performance and results are beautifully crisp. That bright aperture really is usable.

The edges start off quite soft, but by f/2 results are good, very good at f/2.8 and f/4, excellent by f/8 and then remaining very good at f/11. The next marked aperture is f/22, by which time results have dropped to good. The most even aperture from edge to edge is f/8.

MTF
 

How to read our charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges. 

The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution as LW/PH and is described in detail above. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. 

For this review, the lens was tested on a Panasonic Lumix G6 using Imatest.

As expected for a fast “standard” lens, there is some barrel distortion, measuring -2.74%. This can be addressed in software. Likewise, CA (chromatic aberration) can be removed using software. Centrally, CA is very well controlled anyway, and even at the edges is rather less than one pixel. This is not an issue with most subjects.

CA
 

How to read our charts

Chromatic aberration is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Panasonic Lumix G6 using Imatest.

Bokeh, also as expected, is really smooth, especially at the wider apertures. This is a combination of the bright f/0.95 aperture, but also the 12 bladed diaphragm. Despite the wide aperture, the lens is remarkably free from flare issues, even with light sources included in the picture area.

Overall, this is a very impressive performance and the lens is indeed a high-quality offering.

Value For Money

This is a unique market segment, with just a handful of optics with the 25mm f/0.95 specification. The Meike is priced at £455 and its competition will be the Zhongyi 25mm f/0.95 (£261), the Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 II (£742) and the SLR-Magic 25mm T0.95 Cine Lens (£579).

Considering the optical quality of the Meike it is well priced and probably the main contender in the f/0.95 lens group.

For more options have a look at the Top 7 Best Panasonic lenses, Top 5 Best Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses, or have a look at the Top 27 Best Portrait Lenses. 

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