Hong Kong-based company MEIKE have just announced the latest addition to their cine line of manual focus prime lenses: Meet the MEIKE 8mm T2.9 cine mini prime lens for M4/3.
This new 8mm ultra wide rectilinear lens expands the already available range of mini primes for the M4/3 mount to a total of 8 focal lengths:
- ultra wide angle: 8mm T2.9
- wide angle: 12mm T2.2 / 16mm T2.2 / 25mm T2.2
- standard: 35mm T2.2 / 50mm T2.2 / 65mm T2.2
- telephoto: 85mm T2.2
MEIKE 8mm T2.9 M4/3 Cine Mini Prime
MEIKE is known for their very affordable cine lenses and if you’re starting out, telling purely from the specs, these lenses seem to be a decent choice, since they offer proper 0.8 pitched focus and iris rings (the focus ring offers 270° rotation with hard stops).
Full specifications below:
| Lens Mount: | M4/3 |
| Format: | APS-C |
| Min Focus Dist: | 25cm |
| Filter Thread: | ø77 |
| Weight: | 540g |
| Structure: | 17 Elements in 12 Groups |
| Focal Length: | 8mm |
| Aperture Range: | T2.9-T22 |
| Iris Blades: | 10 |
| Focus Rotation: | 270 Degree |
| Dimensions (Ø x L): | Ø 80 × 71.6 mm |
| FOV on S35 cameras: | Diagonal: 108.6° Horizontal: 96° Vertical: 80° |
Weirdly, the MEIKE 8mm does cover APS-C sensors but it is only available with a M4/3 mount for now. MEIKE lists the following camera bodies as compatible:
- Olympus mirrorless camera E-P1 E-PL1 E-P2 E-PL2 E-P3 E-PL3 E-PL5 E-PM1 E-PM2 OM-D E-M5 E-P5 OM-D E-M1 OMD-EM10 and other Olympus Micro 4/3 cameras
- Panasonic Lumix G9 G1 G2 G3 G5 GF1 GF2 GF3 GF5 GF6 GF7 GH1 GH2 GH3 GH5 G6 GX1 GX7 GX8 GH4 GM1 GM5 -D E-M5 E-P5 OM-D E-M1 OMD-EM10 and other Panasonic Lumix Micro M4/3 MFT cameras
- BMPCC (Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera)
Pricing and Availability
The MEIKE 8mm T2.9 Cine Mini Prime will be available in November this year and will sell for $439.99 (374.56 €).
I think this lineup of affordable cine prime lenses might be worth a closer look since proper cine lenses tend to be very expensive, and sometimes it’s better to have a set of entry-level lenses than no lenses at all. The optical performance of this new 8mm prime is yet to be determined and it won’t compete with higher-end offerings for sure, but again: An affordable option is (way) better than no option at all.
Link: MEIKE website
What do you think? Is this lens worth a closer look? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
