Meike has published an autofocus lens development roadmap, and it is considerably more ambitious than anything the company has attempted before — including its first full-frame zooms and, more surprisingly, autofocus lenses for Fujifilm’s GFX medium format system. The roadmap was reported by Mirrorless Rumors, with product details available via Meike.
The zooms are the significant part
Meike has built its reputation on affordable primes, so the appearance of an AF 24-70mm F2.8 and an AF 70-180mm F2.8 on the roadmap is a genuine step up. Those two focal lengths are the backbone of professional working kits, and they are also considerably harder to design and manufacture than a prime — a zoom has to hold optical performance across its whole range, and autofocus has to remain accurate at every focal length.
If Meike can deliver them at its usual prices, that matters for anyone building a working kit on a budget. Tamron effectively created this segment with its 28-75mm f/2.8, and it has been a profitable one.
Medium format autofocus is the surprise
The two GFX lenses — an AF 65mm F1.4 and an AF 110mm F1.8 — are the entries that made us look twice. Third-party autofocus support for Fujifilm’s medium format system has been almost non-existent, and GFX owners have largely been limited to Fujifilm’s own glass at Fujifilm’s own prices, or adapted manual lenses.
Both are portrait focal lengths with fast apertures, which is exactly where GFX shooters feel the cost most acutely. Whether Meike can achieve reliable autofocus on a medium format mount is the open question — the larger, heavier focus groups are precisely what has made medium format autofocus difficult for everyone.
The rest of the roadmap
Also listed are an AF 50mm F1.2 VCM and an AF 85mm F1.2 VCM — the VCM designation pointing to voice coil motor autofocus, which is generally faster and quieter than the STM units in Meike’s current lenses — plus an AF 35mm F1.4 in the MIX series and an AF 100mm F2.8 macro. The full-frame lenses are set to be offered for Sony E, Nikon Z and Leica L mounts.
The L-mount inclusion is worth noting. Panasonic, Leica and Sigma users have had far less third-party choice than Sony E shooters, so a budget manufacturer committing to the mount is welcome.
The usual caution applies: a roadmap is a statement of intent, not a shipping schedule, and manufacturers routinely announce lenses that arrive years late or not at all. But Meike has been delivering steadily — we looked at its 85mm F1.4 AF recently — and the direction of travel among Chinese lens makers has been consistently towards more capability at lower prices.
Meike autofocus roadmap: the lenses
Full-frame zooms: AF 24-70mm F2.8, AF 70-180mm F2.8 — the company’s first full-frame zoom lenses. Full-frame primes: AF 50mm F1.2 VCM, AF 85mm F1.2 VCM, AF 35mm F1.4 (MIX series), AF 100mm F2.8 macro. Fujifilm GFX medium format: AF 65mm F1.4, AF 110mm F1.8. Mounts: full-frame lenses to be available for Sony E, Nikon Z and Leica L. Note: this is a development roadmap — no pricing, specifications or release dates have been confirmed for any of the lenses listed.
