Meike 60mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 lens for Nikon Z-mount review

Meike 60mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 lens for Nikon Z-mount review by John Hall (additional information on the lens can be found here and here):

This lens has a .175m (6.9″) minimum focus distance. It has 11 elements in 8 groups. The aperture range is f/2.8 to f/22 with 9 diaphragm blades.



It is APS-c with a field of view of diagonal 26.6 degrees, horizontal 22.5 degrees, and vertical 14.5 degrees. This is a manual lens with no chip. Your Z camera will work in M or A modes and focus peaking makes manual focusing easy. The lens has a 49mm filter thread. It has no hood or a mount for one. It weighs 300g (.66lb).



I have several Meike lenses and this one, like all of them, is well-made. It is heavy and made from metal and glass. The focus and aperture rings work smoothly and stay in place after you move them. Of course, 60mm on APS-C is equivalent to a 90mm full frame. That means that this lens works pretty well as a portrait lens. 85mm is a very popular length for portraits. However, this is a dedicated macro lens giving a 1:1 magnification and that was my main interest.



The sample images reflect this, with most of the examples being macro. With f/2.8 the DoF is really shallow, as expected. The sweet spot seems to be f/8, with nice sharpness balanced with good DoF. The animated gif shows DoF based on f stop.

This lens is listed on Amazon for $189.99. In the box – lens, front and rear caps, user manual, product card:








 



Meike lenses discount codes – they work only if you purchase directly from Meike’s website (international shipping available):