A 35mm is supposed to be simple: quick to focus, sharp enough wide open, and predictable in mixed light, but that often comes with a big price tag. This lens promises to offer all that at a much more affordable price.
Coming to you from Dirks Focus, this practical video puts the Meike 35mm f/1.8 Pro AF lens through the kind of checks that reveal whether it’s ready for paid work or only casual walks. Dirks starts by treating firmware like part of the unboxing, not an afterthought, and the lens’ built-in USB-C port makes that painless. If you have ever been burned by early autofocus quirks, that alone is a useful habit to steal. He also points out a simple weather-sealing cue: a rubber ring at the mount meant to help keep moisture and dust out. Then he gets into handling details that sound small until they cost you shots, including an aperture ring that can be bumped if you’re not paying attention.
Dirks moves fast into real images and you get a clear read on what the lens does wide open at f/1.8. Center sharpness wide open is where a lot of affordable 35mm lenses stumble, and he shows why this one surprised him. Corners are discussed too, along with how they improve as you work through f/2.8, f/4, and f/5.6, and he notes vignetting that eases as you stop down. With in-camera corrections turned off, he calls out barrel distortion, which matters if you shoot architecture, interiors, or anything with straight lines near the edge. He also flags focus breathing as basically absent and describes autofocus as confident and quiet.
Key Specs
Focal length: 35mm
Maximum aperture: f/1.8
Minimum aperture: f/16
Mounts: Nikon Z, Sony E
Format coverage: full frame
Minimum focus distance: 13.8″ / 35 cm
Maximum magnification: 0.13x (1:7.7)
Optical design: 12 elements in 10 groups
Aperture blades: 9
Focus type: autofocus
Image stabilization: none
Filter size: 58 mm
Dimensions: ø 2.9 x L 3.7″ / ø 74 x L 93 mm
Weight: 0.9 lb / 404 g
Where the video gets more interesting is in the practical “can you live with it” stuff that spec sheets ignore. Dirks talks through sunstars at f/8, f/11, and f/16, along with flare control, which is where some third-party coatings still fall apart. He also spends time on bokeh and separation at normal working distances, not just close-focus blur that flatters any fast prime. Chromatic aberration is addressed in plain terms, including a note that longitudinal aberration can show up at f/1.8 and fades as you stop down. You also hear about the minimum focus distance and what that means in practice: it is not a macro lens, but it can still get close enough for the kind of detail shots that show up during travel, street, and small events. There’s even an odd, real-world gripe about the lens cap bayonet direction, the kind of annoyance you only discover after a week of muscle memory fights. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Dirks.
