Meike has officially released the 85mm T2.1 FF-Prime Cine Lens. This is the third lens in the series and it now joins the 50mm and 35mm T2.1.
The 85mm T2.1 FF-Prime Cine Lens is available in Canon EF, Sony E, Leica L, Canon RF, and PL mounts.
The lens covers a large image circle of 45mm. The optical design consists of 12 Elements in 8 Groups and the lens features 11 iris blades.
It has industry standard 0.8 pitch gears on the focus and iris and it weighs in at 1.1kg (2.42 lb). Speaking of focus, the rotation is 330 degrees.
It has a close focus ability of 85cm and a front filter diameter of 82mm.
I previously reviewed the 35mm T2.1 on the site and found that as far as price v’s performance is concerned, the Meike was very hard to beat if you are looking for an affordable purpose-made cine lens that covers full-frame and larger sensors.
Above you can see the timeline for the other four lenses that will be coming.
Competition
Competition comes the direct for of the DZOFilm VESPID 75mm T2.1.
| Meike 85mm T2.1 | DZOFilm VESPID 75mm T2.1 | |
| Lens Mount | PL/EF/RF/E/L | PL/EF |
| Image Circle | 45mm | 46.5mm |
| MFD | 33.46″ / 85cm | 23.62″/ 30cm |
| Iris Blades | 11 | 16 |
| Filter Thread | 82mm | 77mm |
| Focus Rotation | 330° | 270° |
| Weight | 39.04 oz / 1108g | 29.4 oz / 834 g |
| Price | $958 USD | $1,249 USD |
Optically I have no idea how these lenses compare as I have not had a chance to try out any of the DZOFilm VESPID primes.
The advantage DZOfilm has over Meike is that all of its focal lengths are already available. With Meike, there are currently only three lenses available.
Price & Availability
The 85mm T2.1 FF-Prime Cine Lens is now available for $998 USD. Meike is offering a $30 USD discount on pre-orders placed before May 10th, 2021
