Meike 7.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye Review
The Meike 7.5mm f/2.8 is a one-trick pony, but it's a really fun trick. It gives you an insane fisheye view and can focus surprisingly close, all for just $149.
Overview
The Meike 7.5mm f/2.8 is a weird little lens, and that's exactly why you might want it. It's a fisheye prime for Micro Four Thirds that gives you a crazy-wide 15mm equivalent field of view, but it's also surprisingly sharp up close for a bit of macro fun. Just know going in: this is a one-trick pony, but it's a really fun trick.
Performance
What surprised me is how well it pulls double duty. You'd expect a fisheye to be soft, but its macro performance lands in the 84th percentile, meaning you can get right up close to your subject and still get a decently sharp, wildly distorted image. It's not a true macro lens, but for a fisheye, it's impressive.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Wild, unique fisheye perspective you can't get from other lenses. 84th
- Surprisingly competent close-focusing 'macro' capability. 80th
- Solid build quality feels better than the price suggests. 74th
- Compact and light for what it is, easy to toss in a bag.
Cons
- It's a fisheye. The extreme distortion is its whole thing, but it's useless for normal shots. 11th
- No autofocus. You're manually focusing everything, which can be tricky with such a wide angle.
- Not versatile at all. You buy this for one very specific look.
- Minimum aperture is only f/16, so your depth-of-field control is limited.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Focal Length Min | 8 |
| Focal Length Max | 8 |
| Elements | 11 |
| Groups | 9 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/16 |
Build
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format | Micro Four Thirds |
| Weight | 0.3 kg / 0.6 lbs |
AF & Stabilization
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 150 |
Value & Pricing
At $149, it's a steal if you're looking to experiment. You're paying for a single, unique creative tool, and it delivers that perfectly. Just don't expect it to be your everyday lens.
vs Competition
This lens doesn't really have direct competitors because it's so niche. The Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 is a more versatile, fast prime for portraits and low light, and the Panasonic 14-140mm is the ultimate all-in-one travel zoom. But neither of them can give you that insane fisheye look. If you want that distorted, wide-angle view, the Meike is basically your only budget-friendly option in the MFT system.
| Spec | Meike 7.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye | Viltrox Air VILTROX 35mm F1.7 f/1.7 Air AF Lens for Fuji X | Fujifilm VILTROX 56mm F1.4 STM APS-C Frame Auto Focus | Sirui Sniper Sirui Sniper 56mm f/1.2 Autofocus Lens (Sony E, | Yongnuo YONGNUO Upgraded YN50MM F1.8S DA DSM II Lens, for | Nikon NIKKOR Z Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7 Lens (Nikon Z) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 8mm | 35mm | - | 56mm | 50mm | 24mm |
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/1.7 | f/1.4 | f/1.2 | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Fujifilm X | Fujifilm X | Sony E | Sony A, Sony E | Nikon Z |
| Stabilization | false | true | true | true | true | false |
| Weather Sealed | false | false | true | false | false | false |
| Weight (g) | 261 | 400 | 320 | 422 | 198 | 136 |
| AF Type | - | STM | STM | Autofocus | STM | Autofocus |
| Lens Type | - | - | - | - | - | Prime |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Af | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meike 7.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye | 46.4 | 48.4 | 83.7 | 80.3 | 74 | 54.6 | 37.5 | 10.8 | 37.9 |
| Viltrox Air 35mm F1.7 f/1.7 AF Compare | 95.6 | 73.6 | 63.4 | 93.2 | 74 | 80.5 | 37.5 | 95.1 | 87.8 |
| Fujifilm VILTROX 56mm F1.4 STM APS-C Frame Auto Focus Standard Prime Compare | 95.6 | 81.8 | 88.8 | 85.3 | 34.6 | 88.1 | 37.5 | 86.7 | 87.8 |
| Sirui Sniper 56mm f/1.2 Autofocus Compare | 46.4 | 96.7 | 73.8 | 53.4 | 79.8 | 95.9 | 37.5 | 98 | 87.8 |
| Yongnuo Upgraded YN50MM F1.8S DA DSM II Compare | 95.6 | 68.8 | 90.1 | 90.6 | 34.6 | 75.8 | 37.5 | 86.7 | 87.8 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7 Compare | 46.4 | 73.6 | 96.9 | 83 | 78.2 | 80.5 | 37.5 | 98 | 37.9 |
Verdict
Buy this lens if you're a Micro Four Thirds shooter who wants to play with extreme perspectives and doesn't mind manual focus. It's a fantastic creative toy for the price. But if you need an all-rounder or even a standard wide-angle, look at the Viltrox 35mm or a kit zoom instead. This is a specialty item, and it's great at its one job.