Meike 10mm F2.0 Ultra Wide Angle APS-C Manual Focus Lens Compatible with Sony E-Mount Cameras A6700 A6600 A6400 A5000 A5100 A6000 A6100 A6300 A6500 NEX3 ZV-E10

The media could not be loaded. When it comes to wide angle, you need it when you need it. Especially true when you are limited by confined spaces with limited movement, like realtors who need to capture a wide view of a small room. This 10mm lens is a solid choice for people who need an affordable wide-angle lens with a reasonably fast aperture. Since most people aren’t experts, watching a YouTube video where people take deep dives into their analysis can be helpful, but totally confusing, and in the end, viewers like often get lost and bored in the jargon about things that basically don’t have much consequence for the ordinary consumer. I like to post my reviews with practical considerations for the regular photographer who doesn’t buy unnecessary ultra fancy glass. A super expense lens won't make me into a professional photographer just as much as an expensive tennis racket won’t make me Roger Federer. I have to keep practicing on the fundamentals and force myself into following proper steps of composition. Also, keep in mind that this is for an APS-C sensor, so the crop factor must be considered. This 10mm is roughly 15mm compared to a full frame sensor.Looking at key elements, I broke them down into categories that most people worry about.Build Quality and ConstructionKeep in mind that this is not plastic, it is made of metal. Heavy, sturdy, and gives you a real sense of durability, unlike lens that are super light and made of plastic. While I am not careless with my equipment, I don’t need something so fragile that it can’t withstand the abuse of ordinary travel, especially where I’m not carrying a heavy foam padded case with me. Holding the lens, I find the focus and aperture ring to be smooth and quiet, which helps with filming so that I don’t hear the lens. But it isn’t that big of deal, since it is rare for me modify that on the fly. The focus range, however, is not huge, so you are never super far out of focus. But if you are trying to swing from super flurry to focus, it may not give you that effect.Manual FocusIt may seem odd to the casual user, but manual focus is preferred amongst many advanced photographers. It forces you to you take into consideration all aspects of photography/videography, controlling the variables that can be controlled. Auto focus can bring the wrong items into focus, and when you are “pulling focus” to bring things in the foreground/background into focus, you have more control with a manual focus lens. Don’t overlook the fact that it is fun to use manual focus. But if you are lazy and simply want to run and gun, stick with auto focus. Organizing the composition of each photo is a great academic exercise for the amateur photographer.Low ApertureOf course, one of the most important features of any lens is the aperture. This lens opens wide for reasonable low light use, and while low aperture normally equates to a shallow depth of field, the minimal focus range isn’t ideal for this purpose. Typically, you want something with a longer focal length to achieve depth of field character, as a wide angle lens tends to distort facial features in an unflattering way. When people are too close to the camera, you get a clown effect, resembling more of a nightmare than anything else. Note that sharpness takes a hit at low apertures, and you generally find pictures sharper when you stop down to f/5.6 or f/8. In any event, having some low light capability is great, especially when you can’t bring additional light sources, like at sunrise or dusk. Having an extra stop or two really opens additional options in less-than-ideal conditions, without always having to tinker with ISO or shutter speed.SharpnessIn terms of sharpness, this lens is adequate, especially in broad daylight where you are not dependent on low apertures settings. With a wide angle lens, I deliberately took photos that I would not normally attempt to take with a 50mm, such as standing in front of a hotel, or beneath giant iconic dinosaurs in the desert. A 10mm served this purpose perfectly! With the hotel, I really put the lens to the test, deliberately depriving it of light shooting it at ISO 3200 and 1/4000th shutter speed at 6:30am in the morning, while standing in the shadow of the hotel. Predictably, the details was a bit noisy, but I’m sure stepping up the shutter speed or the ISO would have easily accommodated the light shortage. My intention was to test the outer perimeter limits, using straight lines from the hotel’s front elevation, sidewalks, and curbs as clues regarding visible distortion. It turned out surprisingly good. Standing under a giant dinosaur posed crazy challenges and the lens handled it like a champ. The sharpness of the dinosaurs were good, although I believe I may have been the cause of some user error, with the brightness making it difficult for me to focus using the rudimentary electronic viewfinder. Sometimes, I run this as a rig with a large 5 inch monitor, but I did not do this on this day. Any lack of perfect sharpness did not take away from the dramatic effect of subject.Barrel DistortionBeing a wide-angle lens, some barrel distortion is expected. This is why you generally use it for close up photography of faces, as I previously mentioned, will be unflattering. This is on the more extreme wide angle, so objects toward the far edges start distorting, mostly in the form of vignetting. Edges get darker and lines bend, but with this in mind, it can create for a very dramatic effect. Stopping down the aperture helps with addressing distortion, but you should figure out ways to use it deliberately in a creative manner, rather than viewing it as a hindrance. I didn’t encounter any significant challenges in this regard.AffordabilityThis is one of the nice parts about buying Meike, you get very good quality at a nice price. While there is a highly competitive landscape amongst many emerging brands at this price range, I chose to stick with Meike to maintain consistency in my collection. When I switch lenses, there is less variance between the look and feel as I go from lens to lens. One of the more overlooked aspects for the casual videographer is the need to maintain consistency. You want to have your project to look consistent, so changing brands is not ideal. And while you can buy some other brand with outstanding performance around the same price, there comes a time where you own 4 different lenses and now none of them look like one another. It gives it an amateur feeling.Overall, I’m happy with having this specialty lens and sticking with a brand that has shown good consistency and affordability at every focal length. Yes, I want OEM glass, but as a basic photographer and videographer, I’m matching my budget with my needs, and this lens is very complimentary to my collection of longer focal lengths. None of my other lens can handle situations where physical space and proportions are my enemy.9/26 update: I took some video footage, testing out the focus pull and focus breathing, and it worked out wonderfully. I pulled focus using my hand, but if I had my rig set up on a tripod, it would look amazing. I also took some pics to test out the flare pattern and got remarkable star results.

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Meike 10mm f/2 lens, and I must say, it has quickly become a standout addition to my photography gear. As someone who appreciates high-quality optics, I've been impressed by Meike's previous offerings, and this lens certainly lives up to the brand's reputation.Right out of the box, the lens feels robust and well-constructed. It’s made of metal and glass, avoiding any cheap plastic parts, which is a significant plus for durability. The built-in hood features a stylish "10," adding a nice touch to the overall design. The lens also comes with a slip-on front cap, a rear cap, and a protective bag, making it easy to store and transport.The 10mm focal length combined with an f/2 aperture makes this lens incredibly versatile. It's perfect for wide-angle landscapes and architectural photography. The depth of field is impressive; at infinity, it captures everything from around 3 meters to the horizon in sharp focus. When shooting at its closest point of 0.3 meters, I found that most of the background remained in focus, which is ideal for capturing environmental portraits or unique compositions.One of the highlights is the lens’s ability to produce stunning starbursts at f/22, adding a creative flair to nighttime shots. I also noticed minimal flare, even when pointed directly at the sun, thanks to the excellent coatings on the glass. The f/2 aperture allows for significant light intake, making it suitable for low-light conditions, and it produces beautiful bokeh that enhances the subject without overwhelming the background.This lens is purely manual, meaning it doesn’t communicate with the camera. However, I found that using it with my modern camera was straightforward. Switching to manual or aperture priority mode worked seamlessly, and focus peaking made achieving sharp focus a breeze. While manual focusing may seem daunting, the lens's design and responsiveness make it quite manageable.

I'm using the Sony Mount of this lens.The lens feels like a nicer build quality - with an all metal construction. The included sunshade doubles as a 77 filter mount, which is nice. The focus and aperture rings are knurled, providing easy access, even while wearing gloves. The operation is smooth.The aperture ring is declicked and seamless, which is great for video. It is easy to bump though - especially while mounting the lens. There is no way to lock the aperture.The lens is entirely manual. So your camera won't be able to use auto-features, like focus, shutter/aperture control, or similar features. You'll need to manually set everything. This is expected for a lens at this price point.The 10mm APC sensor work out to about a 15mm (FF) - so distortion is minimized and easily corrected for in most places. There is heavy vignetting in the corners.I struggled with focusing beyond 15 feet. I used several techniques, including focus assist magnification (5.9x), focus peaking, and chimping. I could easily get a sharp focal plane from 1-15 feet, but could not get a sharp image beyond that distance. I repeated this process at the extremes (f/22, f/2, as well as f/8) with the same results.Chromatic abberations are present in very high contrast areas, which is expected for this price point.This lens would be great for doing real estate photography. I would not use it for landscape or astrophotography due to the focus issues (which is what this lens is designed to excel in).