Meike Meike 55mm F1.4 Large Aperture Auto Focus APS-C Review

This lens is a portrait machine on a budget, but it's not for everyone. The Sony Meike 55mm F1.4 gives you that classic 85mm full-frame equivalent look on your APS-C camera, and the f/1.4 aperture is fantastic for creamy bokeh. It's sharp where it counts, focuses fast and quietly, and feels solid in the hand. But you need to know one thing going in: this is a one-trick pony. It's brilliant for portraits and decent for close-ups, but it's a terrible choice for anything else, especially landscapes.

What surprised me was just how good the autofocus is. With a ranking in the 96th percentile, it's snappy, accurate, and almost silent thanks to that STM motor. It locks onto eyes reliably, which is huge for a lens at this price. The other surprise was the macro performance, landing in the 90th percentile. That 55cm minimum focus distance lets you get pretty close for some nice detail shots, which adds a bit of unexpected versatility.

At around $190, this lens is absolutely worth it if your goal is shooting portraits on a Sony APS-C camera. You're getting pro-level autofocus and a great aperture for a fraction of the cost of a Sony or Sigma lens. Just don't expect it to be your only lens.

The most direct competitor is the Meike 55mm F1.8 Pro for full-frame. It's more versatile if you plan to upgrade your camera body later, but it's also more expensive. For a different focal length, the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 is a better 'do-it-all' lens if you shoot more than just people. It's wider, lighter, and cheaper, but you lose that classic portrait compression and the blazing-fast autofocus of the Meike 55mm.

Buy this lens. If you own a Sony A6000-series camera and want to take your portrait game to the next level without spending a fortune, this is the easiest recommendation I can make. Just keep your kit lens handy for everything else.