Meike Launches a New $400 8mm f/2.8 for MFT Cameras

Meike has announced a new ultra-wide 8mm f/2.8 fisheye lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The fully manual lens provides a full-frame equivalent focal length of 16mm and offers a minimum focusing distance of just under 10 inches.

The latest in the growing line of still image lenses, the new Meike 8mm f/2.8 is a fast ultra wide angle lens that the company promises has little distortion or chromatic aberration. The lens is constructed of 17 multi-coated elements arranged in 12 groups. The company doesn’t specify any kind of special optics in the formula.

It has a diagonal angle of view of 109 degrees, a horizontal angle of view of 96 degrees, and a vertical angle of view of 80 degrees. The 8mm f/2.8 features a 77mm filter thread and a built-in petal-shaped lens hood to protect the bulbous fisheye front element from both side impact and lens flare.

Other features include a knurled focus ring with standard distance calculations printed on the barrel for easy reference and an aperture control ring that controls an aperture range of f/2.8 through f/22. The lens is designed with a standard micro-four thirds lens mount and weighs one pound.

The Meike 8mm f/2.8 comes with a lens cap and mount cover and is available for $400 either through Meike directly or through a set of authorized resellers.

Meike has been on a run of recent announcements, including a 7.5mm f/2.8 lens for Micro Four Thirds, Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Canon EF-M mounts that was released at the end of May and a 12mm f/2 APS-C lens announced last week that is available for Sony E-mount APS-C cameras, Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Micro Four Thirds.

Releasing several lenses all at once seems to be Meike’s production strategy. In 2020, Meike dropped four lenses in quick succession: a 50mm f/1.2, an 85mm f/1.8, an EF to RF adapter, and a 25mm f/1.8. After that, the company went relatively quiet until this past May. Given that schedule, it’s possible Meike has one or more lenses planned for 2022 before the company slips off for a while to work on its next batch of optics.