Chinese producers have proven time and again that they are completely able to design and put into production really sharp lenses. The tested Meike model is an excellent example of this truth. What's interesting, currently construction of lenses providing high resolution is not such a big challenge. Gone are the days when a well-put-together construction depended mainly on experience and intuition of its designer. Now we dispose of advanced software that is able to analyse thousands of possible variants and, using the 'ray tracing' method, choose the best one. If additionally the producer 's requirements concerning the weight and dimensions of the lens are not especially demanding, the best variant also proves to be outstanding when it comes to resolution.
What about the performance against bright light? Here the situation is a bit different. Firstly, a lot depends on the technology behind anti-reflection coatings and in this case the best and the most expensive producers on the market still prevail over the less experienced ones. Secondly, in order to design a properly ribbed, blackened inner tube that is also properly layered with apertures, you have to show a lot of knowledge and practical skills. Both these factors mean that many constructions produced by relatively new market players experience a lot of problems in this area.
The Meike 85 mm f/1.4 FF STM might be a perfect example. Its performance against bright light is very weak. Not only you can catch different light artifacts but also the photos are not properly contrasted. As if it wasn't enough, when the source of bright light is positioned a bit outside the frame you are able to get a diagonal flare that is able to spoil the whole image. If you are a fan of portraits shot against the light you have to be really careful with your settings.
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