Meike is popular with independent video creators for its budget-friendly cinema lenses. However, if you use an L-Mount camera, then you are currently out of luck. This is because the company has removed all of its L-Mount lenses from the website. Is this the end of L-Mount lens options from Meike?
What has Meike done?
The website DP Review was recently alerted by one of its members, with the user name MrAndreas, who had attempted to buy a Meike 35mm F1.8 Pro lens with an L-Mount. Their order for the lens was unexpectedly cancelled by the AliExpress seller, and they couldn’t find any other traders offering L-Mount lenses either. MrAndreas then went to the Meike website, only to find that the entire L-Mount lens category had been removed.
What has Meike said?
By using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, DPReview found that Meike had listed L-Mount lenses as recently as September 18. But, at the time of writing, the category is still absent from the Meike website. When DP Review contacted Meike, the company only replied that its website was being updated.
However, Reddit user NoNinja7470 got a more positive response from Meike when they reached out to the company.
Meike responded, “Hi, Thank you very much for your attention. The L-Mount lens is currently out of stock. After the upgrade and calibration of our L-Mount lens are completed, it will be relisted. Thank you.”
Why has Meike done this?
Meike hasn’t offered any explanation as to why it has stopped selling its L-Mount lenses as yet. However, there have been a number of theories circulating online. Some users have reported focusing issues and other bugs with older Meike lenses when used on newer L-Mount camera bodies. It was also suggested that Meike might be upgrading its L-Mount lens portfolio so that the company can join the L-Mount Alliance. The L-Mount Alliance is a collaborative venture between Leica, Panasonic, Sigma and other brands including Ernst Leitz Wetzlar and DJI. The Alliance aims to promote a unified lens mount standard for mirrorless cameras.
What we think
Meike’s cinema lenses are popular with independent video makers, delivering good image quality for relatively low prices. With the increasing prevalence of the L-Mount, it was concerning to see that Meike had dropped that entire category from its lens range. Therefore, it’s a relief to hear that it’s only a temporary hiatus in production. In addition, the company’s promise of “upgrade and calibration” should mean that any compatibility issues found with older lenses will be a thing of the past. Hopefully, it won’t be long before Meike L-Mount lenses are available again.
