#meike 18mm

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Veydra LLC, maker of the Veydra Mini Prime manual-focus cinema lenses for Micro Four Thirds, Sony E-Mount and Fujifilm X-Mount cameras, is no more. 

Veydra’s Ryan Avery recently announced the company’s demise on its Facebook page, bringing to an abrupt end the story of this doughty little lens maker, throwing into confusion affordable native geared cinema prime lens choices for independent moviemakers. 

With its mission statement being “Veydra lenses are designed to be premium quality cinema lenses at the absolute minimum retail price”, Veydra gave thousands the opportunity of using cinema lenses instead of the more common stills-oriented  non-cinema zoom and prime lenses we have come to rely upon despite their shortcomings for video use. 

Veydra 50mm and 25mm Mini Prime Cinema manual focus lenses with imperial or metric markings, made by Veydra LLC.

Veydra LLC has gone out of business due to the conclusion of ongoing litigation between the founders of the company.

I offer special thanks to everyone involved in the success of Veydra; first and foremost all Veydra Kickstarter backers and customers. Specific thanks to those who made it possible from the start; Phil Holland, Illya Friedman, Matthew Duclos, Joshua Brown, Alex Jacobs, and all the supporters too numerous to mention here.

It’s been a wonderful journey and I thank you all for your support and kindness.

—Ryan Avery Co-Founder

Social media rumours have it that there was some conflict at Veydra about one partner licensing his lens designs out to another company, Meike, but another factor leading to Veydra’s end may have been the theft of US$200,000 worth of lenses from the company’s warehouse in 2017, after which the company seemed to drop off the radar.

There are cinema prime lens alternatives, however, with SLR Magic releasing an intriguing set of lenses for Super 16 and Super 35  digital cameras in M43, E-Mount and X-Mount.

Another option is Fujifilm’s impressive MKX cinema zoom lenses available in two focal length ranges and now in the same there mounts.

Should Fujifilm continue delivering on its promise to radically improve video functionality on its XF APS-C Super 35 cameras,  SLR Magic’s seven lens collection appears attractive with the lenses’ 18mm, 22.5mm, 27mm, 37.5mm, 52.5mm and 112.5mm equivalence in the 35mm sensor format.

So far Meike has only released three cinema prime lenses and not in all three mounts, in 12mm, 16mm and 25mm focal lengths, so time will tell whether the company is fully committed to supplying a full set of primes in three mounts.

A prime lens alternative? SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema Lenses for Micro Four Thirds, Fujifilm X-Mount and Sony E-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 12mm T2.8 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 15mm T3.5 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 18mm T2.8 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 25mm T1.5 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 35mm T1.3 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 50mm T1.2 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 75mm T1.5 Fujifilm X-Mount.

Andrew Chan of SLR Magic with one of the company’s MicroPrime cinema lenses for X-mount and M43-mount cameras variously made by Blackmagic Design, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and others. SLR Magic also makes an excellent 1.3 to 10 stop variable neutral density filter solution perfectly suited to the MicroPrimes with their 82mm filter diameter as well as adapted to smaller filter diameter lenses via step-up rings.

A cinema zoom alternative? Fujifilm Cinema Zoom Lenses for Micro Four Thirds, Fujifilm X-Mount and Sony E-Mount.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon MKX18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens, rigged for moviemaking.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens.

Fujifilm XH1 with Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens

Fujifilm XH1 with Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens

Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens.

Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens.

Fujifilm XH1 with Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens

Fujifilm XH1 with Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens

Links

4/3 Rumors – Veydra LLC has gone out of business

Duclos Lenses – Veydra Primes

dvinfo.net – New Glass: Veydra Cine Primes for Micro 4/3

Facebook – @veydraoptics

Lens Rentals – Veydra Cine Mini Prime MTF Optical Bench Tests

Meike – Cine Lens

PetaPixel – Over $200,000 in Cinema Lenses Were Stolen from Veydra Optics on Sunday

Veydra – website

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Veydra LLC, Maker of Affordable Manual Focus Mini Prime Cinema Lenses, Is Dead. What Now for Lenses in Their Class? Veydra LLC, maker of the Veydra Mini Prime manual-focus cinema lenses for Micro Four Thirds, Sony E-Mount and Fujifilm X-Mount cameras, is no more. 

[of-two-lands]

44°58'23.5"N 6°03'54.8"E

youtube/oftwolands

www.oftwolands.com

[karingottschalk]

The sudden closure of Ryan Avery’s Veydra cinema prime lens design and manufacturing enterprise several years ago created a huge gap in the affordable ciné lens market and many self-funded independent moviemakers were dismayed if not devastated by the ending of the line. 

Meike Cinema Prime Set in 12mm, 16mm, 25mm, 35mm and 50mm T2.2 lenses with Micro Four Thirds mounts. Meike Cinema Primes in 65mm and 85mm focal lengths are coming later this year, 2020. Image courtesy of Duclos Lenses.

Luckily, HongKong Meike Digital Technology Co., Ltd has ramped up its lens division to the point where the company appears to be rivalling if not outstripping Mr Avery’s noble efforts.

Veydra, thwarted

Duclos Lenses came up with a Fujifilm X-Mount option for Veydra’s Mini Primes that can cover the APS-C format. Image courtesy of Veydra LLC.

I had been planning on obtaining my own set of Veydra Mini Prime lenses for native use in documentary production on Panasonic and Blackmagic Design cameras, spurred on by Duclos Lens’ creation of its interchangeable mount to enable using a subset of the Veydra lenses on Fujifilm X-mount Super 35mm/APS-C cameras.

Two things dampened my enthusiasm, however.

First was the sheer cost of a complete set of Veydra lenses in M43 mount along with the Duclos X-mount kits needed when adapting them for Fujifilm X-mount cameras.

Compare the cost of the Meike primes with the now discontinued Veydra primes by looking at the Duclos Lens product pages for proof of the radical price differences between lens lines.

Compare the Meike lenses’ USD400.00 average price and reported superior quality to the Veydra lenses’ USD1200.00 average price and the conclusion is clear – consider investing in a set of Meike cinema primes.

Meike 4 Lens Cinema Prime Set 12mm, 16mm, 25mm, 35mm T2.2 for Micro4/3 MFT at Revar Cine website. Image courtesy of Revar Cine.

The current price of the four-lens set for Micro Four Thirds as above at Ryan Avery’s Revar Cine website is USD1595.00, about one Meike lens above the cost of just one Veydra lens.

At time of writing, seven focal lengths are available as Meike Cinema Primes in M43 mount :

12mm = 24mm in the 35mm sensor format

16mm = 32mm

25mm = 50mm

35mm = 70mm

50mm = 100mm

65mm = 130mm

85mm = 170mm

A subset of the Meike Cinema Primes is available for Super 35/APS-C cameras in Sony E-mount and Fujifilm X-mount:

25mm = 37.5mm in the APS-C/Super35 sensor format

35mm = 52.5mm

50mm = 75mm

65mm = 97.5mm

85mm = 127.5mm

Meike 65mm and 85mm T2.2 Cinema Primes, listed by Meike as coming later in 2020. Image courtesy of Meike.

Whether for  M43 or Super 35 cameras, the Meike Cinema Primes provide a well-spaced and feature-matched set of focal lengths that should meet most cinematographers’ daily needs.

The Voigtlaender Nokton f/0.95 Micro Four Thirds lens set, minus the matching and more recently released Voigtlaender Nokton 60mm f/0.95 M43 lens. Left to right: 10.5mm, 17.5mm, 25mm and 42.5mm focal lengths. Duclos Lenses offers ciné-modded versions of these stills lenses, making them more suitable for video production. Meike needs to offer a wider lens than its current 12mm.

I would very much like to see Meike release a super wide angle in the 10mm to 10.5mm range, and an 18mm moderate wide angle lens with coverage enough for M43 and Super 35.

I have written before about the need for a professional-quality 18mm lens for stills photography with Fujifilm X-mount cameras, as an alternative to Fujifilm’s quirky and semi-pancake Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R.

Meike’s current cinema prime lens offering for Super 35 goes no wider than 25mm and a complete lens set needs, nay, demands, a medium wide and an ultra wide lens in the equivalent of 28mm and 21mm.

That is, an 18mm and a 14mm.

Veydra 50mm and 25mm Mini Prime Cinema manual focus lenses with imperial or metric markings, made by Veydra LLC.

Ryan Avery had been pursuing an 8.5mm ultra wide-angle Veydra M43 lens design but eventually ruled it out due to cost and size considerations.

And then disaster struck with a break-in at the company’s lens storage facility, followed by a court case with Mr Avery’s Veydra business partner.

Matthew Duclos of Duclos Lenses recently shared all he knows about Veydra’s demise at his personal blog.

Meike Cinema Lenses with Ryan Avery

Meanwhile, Ryan Avery is retailing Meike Cinema Primes at his Revar Cine website.

“Meike Cinema Prime lenses are designed specifically for mirrorless cameras. Available for MFT, Sony E, and Fuji X Mount cameras from Micro4/3 to APS-C size sensors. Compact, lightweight and perfect for a true cinematography experience on most mirrorless cameras.”

Meike Cinema Primes on Fujifilm and Panasonic hybrid and Blackmagic Design cinema cameras

Meike Cinema Prime 12mm T2.2 lens on Blackmagic Design’s Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K aka BMPCC4K with Micro Four Thirds mount. Image courtesy of Meike.

Meike Cinema Prime 12mm T2.2 mounted on Panasonic DC-GH5 Micro Four Thirds camera. Image courtesy of Meike.

Meike Cinema Prime lenses with Fujifilm X-mount in 25mm, 35mm, 50mm and 65mm focal lengths. Image courtesy of meike_global instagram account.

Meike’s cinema lens lineup for Micro Four Thirds, Sony E-mount and Fujifilm X-mount are welcome indeed given their affordability and the absence of OEM cinema prime lenses by brands such as Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony.

After the end of Veydra, I was contemplating the direction to take with video-capable prime lenses for Super 35/APS-C and Super 16/M43.

I grew up relying on prime lenses for filmmaking and still feel most comfortable with cinema primes for video production over the reportedly excellent zoom lenses in several lens mounts made by Fujifilm in its Fujinon MK pairing for X-mount, E-mount and M43.

With Olympus’ recent announcement that it had sold its camera and lens division, and the possible outcome of its excellent M.Zuiko Pro zoom and prime lenses going the way of Veydra, I have been wondering if my beloved Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro should plan on welcoming some M.Zuiko Pro siblings if there was a sudden sell-off of the lineup.

But the M.Zuiko Pro lineup does not answer the need for X-mount cinema lenses whereas Meike appears to be on the right track not only with its current Meike Cinema Prime offerings and possible additional focal lengths but also its coming so-called “full frame” aka 35mm sensor format cinema prime lenses.

More power to Meike’s arm, though I do hope the company will see fit to loaning cinema primes to a range of well-qualified stills photography and video production reviewers so we can get the full measure of these exciting new lenses.

Links

AliExpress – Meike

Amazon.com – Meike

Duclos Lens – Meike

Duclos Lens – Veydra

Duclos Lens – Voigtlander

Facebook – Meike Global

B&H – Meike

Hot Rod cameras – Meike

Instagram – meike_global

Lensrentals – Veydra Cine Mini Prime MTF Optical Bench Tests

Meike Global – Cinema Lenses

Meike Global – Meike Cine lens series (12mm+16mm+25mm+35mm+50mm) – video

Meike Global – Meike Cine Lenses with Veydra Co Founder Ryan Avery – video

Meike Online Store

News Shooter – Meike prime lenses for Micro4/3, Sony E, Fuji X mirrorless mount cameras

Olympus Cameras and Lenses – M. Zuiko Pro

Olympus Global – Regarding Olympus Imaging Business Transfer – press release

Olympus Global – Signing of Memorandum of Understanding for Divestiture of Imaging Business – press release, PDF

Revar Cine – Meike Mirrorless Cinema Prime Lenses

The Cine Lens – RIP VEYDRA: 2014-2019 – excellent and insightful blog post by Matthew Duclos of Duclos Lens.

Veydra

Voosestore.com – Meike 16mm VS Veydra 16mm – great MFT Cinema prime lenses for the Blackmagic Pocket 4K – video

YouTube – Meike Global

Meike Cinema Prime Lenses for Micro Four Thirds & Super 35 Fill the Chasm Left by the Demise of Veydra Mini Primes The sudden closure of Ryan Avery's Veydra cinema prime lens design and manufacturing enterprise several years ago