Will it be a lens for dental photography that everyone can afford?

You thought 1:1 magnification was big – this lens gives you 1.5 times life size on the sensor!

Meike is one of the new brands of independent lens manufacturers, which continue to provide low-cost, innovative designs, and, sometimes, unusual specifications. This new 85mm f/2.8 macro lens is unusual in that it focuses down to 1.5x life size.  As announced by the manufacturer, the lens is a functional macro but it is also suitable for portrait photographs. It seems that this is a perfect combination for dental photography.

The heart of this fully manual lens is the optical system composed of 11 elements in 8 groups. Individual elements are covered with special nano-technology multi-layer coatings, which effectively prevent light reflection, minimising the formation of hot spots and flares. The new Meike provides the magnification ratio of 1.5:1, which coupled with the minimum focus distance of 25 cm, focal length of 85 mm, aperture range of f/2.8 and 12-blade diaphragm results in an exceptional depth of field with an appropriately blurred background and the separation of the primary object of the photograph, which will be appreciated also by dentists who would like to take artistic photographs.

There are two focus rings. The first, closest to the front, uses internal focusing and operates down to 0.25m, giving a magnification of 1:1. This means that a 1 cm long object will be recorded as 1 cm long on the sensor. When set to the closest setting, the second ring can be used to continue down to a magnification of 1.5:1, meaning a 1 cm long object will now be recorded as 1.5 cm long on the sensor. This is a significant difference and a fairly unique feature.

Key features:

• Focal length: 85 mm
• Open F value: F 2.8
• Filter Size: 55 mm
• Lens construction: 8 groups of 11 elements
• Number of diaphragm blades: 12
• Minimum aperture: F22
• Maximum aperture: F 2.8
• Minimum photographing distance: 250 mm
• Maximum magnification: 1.5x
• Weight: 500 g

Meike 85 mm f/2.8 Macro is available for sale with the Canon EF, Sony E, Nikon F, Fuji-X and M43 mounts. The suggested price is 299 dollars.

You can find more information on the manufacturer’s website

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