The Explosion of the Northern Lights with the MEIKE 35mm Full Frame f/2.0 Multicoated AF SE Series
Over the past month, I had the chance to thoroughly test the Meike 35mm f/2.0 lens, a compact, bright, and very lightweight lens designed for full-frame and APS-C cameras. It’s available for Nikon Z, Sony E, and L-Mount systems.
I used this lens in various photographic situations, from portraits to landscapes, as well as street photography, and I was pleasantly surprised by its overall performance. The most intensive use was during my recent PNH (Photography Needs Heroes – www.photographyneedsheroes.com) trip to Iceland. We were quite fortunate, as not only were we surrounded by unique and breathtaking landscapes, but we also saw and photographed the Northern Lights every night. As if that weren’t enough, we witnessed one of the strongest auroras in recent decades! While we were seeing photos from Italy on social media showing incredible auroras, we were right in the heart of the event, where we admired the dance of colors at its peak. To give you an idea, even with a cheap smartphone and a couple of seconds of exposure, we captured surprising images.
With the Meike 35mm’s maximum aperture of f/2.0, it was very easy to frame, focus, and shoot. I used this lens on the new Nikon Z6III, Z8, and Z9, and thanks to the autofocus and the excellent low-light focusing capabilities of the latest Nikon cameras, it was hard to miss focus on subjects, even in very dark conditions. The high brightness allows for shooting at low ISO, maintaining good image quality and reducing digital noise. With a 9-blade diaphragm, the lens provides beautiful bokeh, especially in portraits, where subjects stand out naturally from the background, thanks to the smoothness of the blur. This is particularly useful for portrait photographers or those who want to create artistic effects by playing with depth of field.
The optical construction of the lens consists of 9 groups and 11 elements, with multicoated lenses that reduce flare and unwanted reflections. This multi-layer coating is particularly effective when shooting against the light, allowing you to achieve sharp, contrasty images, even in challenging conditions. Detail rendition is excellent across the frame, especially from f/5.6 onwards. Even at maximum aperture, it performs decently, with sharpness and contrast more than adequate in the center but dropping off significantly towards the edges. Sharpness becomes very good when stopping down a couple of stops. For astrophotographers, the performance on coma and astigmatism is already good wide open, considering it’s a very affordable autofocus lens. There’s some vignetting at wide apertures, and it suffers from some focus breathing when shifting focus from minimum distance to infinity. You also need to be cautious with strong backlighting, as halos and flares can be generated. However, chromatic aberrations are very well controlled, even at wide apertures. There is a USB-C port on the back for possible firmware updates.
Another important feature is the minimum aperture of f/22, which provides excellent control over the depth of field. This makes the lens highly versatile, suitable for those seeking shots with blurred backgrounds and a three-dimensional effect, as well as those needing uniform sharpness, such as in landscape or architectural photography, where every detail, from the foreground to the horizon, must be perfectly sharp.
In terms of construction, the lens is quite compact and, most importantly, very lightweight (only 306g on my scale), with compact dimensions and a 58mm filter thread, making it easy to pair with many existing accessories. The lens comes with a petal-shaped hood that finally snaps on securely with a click. The minimum focus distance isn’t great, starting at 0.45 meters, making it sufficient for close-up shots but not specifically designed for macro photography.
The autofocus performs very well in AF-S mode (single focus), being fast and accurate in most situations. AF-C (continuous focus), although generally good, shows some hesitation with fast-moving subjects, which is common with lenses in this price range. Nevertheless, for normal use or with moderately moving subjects, the autofocus is more than adequate, both for photos and videos. I also appreciated the ability to quickly switch from automatic to manual focus using the AF/MF switch on the side—a feature not all budget lenses offer. This is very handy in situations where quicker control is needed.
Regarding build quality, the lens is a mix of high-quality plastic and metal components, such as the mount. While not fully weather-sealed, it has a red rubber gasket to reduce water and dust ingress. I must admit that during the trip, I didn’t spare the 35mm from rain and harsh weather. During one intense Northern Lights display, I got so caught up in the excitement that, in a moment of emotion, I accidentally dropped the poor Meike down a rocky and grassy slope for about 20 meters. Incredibly, the lens didn’t seem to suffer any physical or optical damage, just a few scratches, and as you can see from the photos, the front plastic chipped a little. I continued using the lens for the following days without any issues. Thumbs up for the lens’s robustness!
The focus ring, made of ridged plastic, offers a good grip and smooth movement, perhaps even too smooth. As it’s an automatic lens, there is no aperture ring, which is controlled through the camera body.
One of the aspects I really appreciate about 35mm lenses is their versatility: although designed for full-frame cameras, they can also be used on APS-C bodies, where the equivalent focal length becomes about 52mm. This makes it perfect for those looking for a “normal” lens for APS-C cameras or simply by activating the DX crop mode on Nikon full-frame cameras.
Optically, distortion is well-controlled and almost nonexistent, while vignetting, though present at maximum aperture, reduces significantly from f/2.8 and almost disappears by f/4. Flare control is good, though it doesn’t match the performance of more expensive lenses. I only noticed a slight halo in strong backlighting, but nothing too intrusive. Additionally, at smaller apertures, the lens produces pleasing starbursts on pinpoint light sources, especially in backlit situations with the sun, nighttime landscapes, and cityscapes with artificial lighting.
In conclusion, the Meike 35mm f/2.0 AF is a lens that offers excellent value for money. It’s ideal for those looking for a bright and versatile everyday lens, with more than satisfactory image quality and solid construction. Despite some minor limitations in continuous autofocus and a few compromises with flare, at the price it’s offered, it’s an excellent choice for those looking to expand their photography gear without spending a fortune. Perfect for landscapes, portraits, and street photography, it suits a wide range of uses, making it a lens that shouldn’t be missing in the kit of any amateur or semi-professional photographer.
The sample photos below are all single exposures and have been post-processed, but any issues like aberrations, vignetting, flare, etc., have not been removed.
You can find the lens on Amazon at this link for €239.99: https://amzn.to/3UjObGQ
It’s also available on the Meike Global website: https://meikeglobal.com/en-it/products/3520?variant=45550769340644
