Meike 25mm F 1 8 Review | 54 Data compared

The Meike 25mm f/1.8 is a highly compact, budget-friendly US$75 manual focus lens designed for Nikon Z DX-mount cameras, offering a 37.5mm full-frame equivalent focal length. Structurally, it features a durable all-metal build, smooth knurled focus and de-clicked aperture rings, and a lightweight 6-ounce profile that makes it ideal for low-profile street photography. Optically, the lens delivers good sharpness in the center when shot wide open, which peaks into very good performance between f/2.8 and f/4. Chromatic aberration remains low enough for easy post-processing correction, and the bokeh is generally well-behaved without onion-skin artifacts. However, the lens suffers from notable ergonomic and optical limitations. Because there are no electronic contacts, users are restricted to total manual exposure on cameras like the Z50, and the physical aperture ring is cramped too close to the large lens mount for comfortable operation. Performance drawbacks include poor sharpness in the extreme corners wide open, over two stops of corner vignetting at f/1.8, and visible 1% barrel distortion. Furthermore, it is highly susceptible to ghosting and veiling flare from in-frame light sources, lacks rounded aperture...

The Meike 25mm f/1.8 is a highly compact, $75 manual-focus lens designed for Nikon Z DX-format cameras, delivering a 37.5mm equivalent focal length suitable for casual street photography and video. On the positive side, its durable all-metal construction is incredibly lightweight at just 6 ounces, and both the de-clicked aperture ring and knurled focus ring offer smooth, retro-style handling. Optically, the lens delivers good central sharpness wide open that sharpens to "very good" by f/2.8, peaks at f/4, and exhibits low chromatic aberration that is easy to correct. Additionally, its focal length works well for video application, offering a natural field of view that prevents human features from distorting. However, the lens has several physical and performance drawbacks. Because it lacks electrical contacts, users are forced into strict manual exposure modes without aperture-priority or non-CPU data support, which becomes especially difficult to shoot without sensor-based image stabilization. Its small size also makes the narrow aperture ring difficult to grip against the wide camera mount, and it lacks clear lens alignment marks for mounting. Optically, it struggles with poor extreme corner...

The Cameraderie forum review evaluates the Meike 25mm f/1.8 lens for infrared photography, finding it highly functional when using a 720nm filter. Pros include excellent performance when wide open or slightly stopped down, with usable IR color up to f/5.6 and black-and-white up to f/8-f/11, alongside a compact design with a classic feel. Cameraderie Cons include a prominent center hotspot in color photography when stopped down to f/8-f/16, which is absent at wider apertures. Additionally, the lens features a "logarithmic" aperture ring where the spacing between f/5.6 and f/16 is cramped, presenting a minor mechanical quirk in an otherwise capable budget lens. Cameraderie

The Radojuva review of the Meike 25mm f/1.8 Multi Coated lens highlights this budget-friendly manual prime as a robust, all-metal option for APS-C mirrorless cameras, offering a versatile focal length and pleasant bokeh from a 9-blade aperture. The lens provides surprisingly decent center sharpness even at maximum aperture and boasts a smooth focus ring in a very compact, affordable package. Conversely, the review notes that the lens exhibits soft corner performance when shot at f/1.8 and suffers from poor flare control under strong light, indicating less effective multi-coating. As a fully manual lens, it lacks electronic contacts, but the review concludes it is a highly capable option for its low price point.