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It’s not fairly a pancake lens, however the TTArtisan 50mm f2 lens is nearly compact sufficient to be known as one. Just a little greater than an artisanal macaron, the lens doesn’t really feel low cost in any solution to maintain. With a full metallic physique and clicked aperture ring, you’d be shocked to know that the lens retails for lower than $80. However can it carry out in addition to it seems to be and feels?
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Once I opened up the lens bundle and noticed what was inside, my thoughts instantly thought – “hmm… is that lens absolutely manufactured from plastic?” A thought that was shortly dismissed as soon as I picked up the lens. It felt extremely properly made for one thing that, at first look, regarded like a toy. The physique was all metallic and on no account felt low cost. The TTArtisan 50mm f2 Z mount lens that was despatched to me had a tremendous chilly metallic contact. I’d even go as far as to say it felt premium in some methods. It’s an f2 aperture manual-focus lens about half the scale of my Nikon Z 50mm f1.8 S lens. Among the different lenses from this model are a bit unconventional in design, however this one appears to take inspiration from Leica’s Summicron mannequin.
The Massive Image
Professionals
Compact and lightweightGood construct high quality with a premium really feel to the bodyGreat worth at simply USD $79Comes in a spread of lens mount choices for mirrorless camerasAccurate coloration renditionClicked aperture ring
CONS
Not too sharp under f4Images don’t have a lot distinction when utilized in common to brilliant sunlightManual focus and aperture rings have switched locations in comparison with conventional Nikon F-mount guide focus lenses. Seasoned Nikon guide lens customers will take a while to regulate to thisNo lens hoodThe lens cap is a screw-on mannequin that makes it cumbersome to shortly cowl or open your lensNo digital contact factors for transferring EXIF information to your digital camera
It’s a kind of lenses the place you possibly can’t complain a lot about a number of optical flaws for its fantastically low worth and compact dimension. Photographs can lack distinction even when stopped down when taking pictures instantly into daylight, or if there’s intense gentle from both aspect. As with all guide focus lenses, it takes some time to grasp the candy spot for sharpness. In case you’re a zone focus fanatic or knowledgeable, you’ll profit from this lens. Cease down the aperture previous f5.6, set your digital camera to Auto-ISO, and take it out to the streets for an excellent time. However in any other case, be ready to take care of delicate particulars exterior the primary focus areas.
Not so sharp but in addition not unusable at wider apertures, the lens may be enjoyable to make use of for those who don’t count on the world from it. I’m giving the TTArtisan 50mm f2 lens three out of 5 stars.
Gear Used
I used the TTArtisan 50mm f2 Nikon Z-mount lens with a Nikon Z6 II. We’re allowed to maintain the lens and the Nikon Z6 II is a earlier buy of ours.
Improvements
None to report. Until you think about that poker-chip sized lens cap as progressive
Ergonomics
The aperture ring has stable clicks if you flip it (half stops from f2 till f5.6, and from then on, full stops till f16). The main target ring isn’t stiff however doesn’t flip too quick if you wish to go from infinity to the closest focus distance. You’ve acquired focal distance markings on there, however it’s not one thing I paid a lot consideration to whereas utilizing it. Most of the time, I used to be nearly centered at infinity to get the topic in higher focus. I really feel that photographers with greater fingers than me may not take pleasure in focusing utilizing this tiny lens.
The lens cap actually shouldn’t have been a screw-on sort. I usually prefer to cowl the entrance component of my lenses with the lens cap once I’m strolling in crowds, particularly when there’s no lens hood. With this lens, it was simply an excessive amount of of a problem to unscrew the cap every time I wished to take a photograph. I made a decision to go away it off at some stage in my outside assessments. It’s additionally manufactured from the identical metallic high quality as the remainder of the lens exterior and has corrugated edges for straightforward gripping. It’s solely useful once I wish to stow away the lens in my bag. A lens hood may need been useful for some sort of safety in opposition to bumps whereas utilizing outdoor, however that might have elevated the already apparent vignetting within the photos (extra on that later).
Construct High quality
You wouldn’t count on this sort of high quality from a sub-100 USD lens, and I definitely wasn’t ready for this lens’s ending high quality. I used to be anticipating it to really feel gentle, nearly hole, however the density of this tiny lens was spectacular.
The lens mount felt stiff once I tried to mount it to my Z6 II, however it does click on into place fairly audibly. General, for this worth, the lens feels actually price it with regards to the standard of supplies used and the general really feel of the lens in your palms.
Ease Of Use
As a Nikon person, I discovered the swapped positions of the aperture and focus ring complicated to make use of. The aperture ring is closest to the physique on all my Nikon guide focus lenses. Through the first day of utilizing the lens, I usually turned the aperture ring once I meant to regulate the focal distance. This took a number of hours to get used to, however it’s not one thing that I’d think about a deal breaker if I wished to purchase this lens.
Handbook focusing with this lens is way simpler if you use your digital camera’s focus peaking function. However for no matter motive, I discovered it robust to nail focus at f2, even when the main focus peaking indicated that the topic was in focus. At f2, something even barely exterior the world of focus appeared delicate upon shut inspection. It’s a lens that wants quite a lot of endurance to work with to grasp get the very best out of it.
Neither does TTArtisan’s product web page state something about climate sealing/resistance nor would I actually count on that at this worth vary. There don’t seem like apparent locations the place mud might seep in and attain your digital camera’s sensor. My sensor remained as clear after utilizing this lens because it was earlier than I first mounted it onto the digital camera.
Focusing
It seemed to be in focus, and the main focus peaking indicators on my Z6 II would say that it was, however I usually noticed that the main focus was off within the ultimate picture. And this wasn’t simply at f2; I noticed this all the best way till f4 even. With each different guide focus lens I’ve used on this digital camera, even at f1.4, the main focus peaking was correct. Even when the depth of subject was shallow, it was all the time correct. If it was off, it was both as a result of the topic had moved out of the focal aircraft or I did. Now at f2, I used to be keen responsible myself for not being regular sufficient to nail the main focus. However when there was adequate focal vary at apertures like f4, I used to be stumped over why the main focus could be off.
It didn’t matter if the topic was near me for portraits or far-off within the distance. I noticed the main focus to be off in over 1 / 4 of the photographs I took with the TTArtisan 50mm f2 lens. Whereas I’m keen to take the blame for a few of these photos, I really feel there are different contributing elements too. While you get the main focus proper, it’s acceptably sharp all through the middle and solely barely drops off on the corners. However getting it proper usually wasn’t one thing I managed throughout my assessments. It was quite a bit simpler getting the give attention to the tremendous shallow Laowa 45mm f0.95 lens. Possibly I simply acquired a nasty copy of the lens.
Picture High quality
In case you’re affected person with guide focusing for shallow apertures or simply cease down the aperture for extra depth, you’d get some fairly first rate photos out of this lens. Simply keep in mind to steer clear of rays of daylight, in any other case your pictures will lack distinction for probably the most half. Most autofocus mirrorless lenses nowadays produce photos which might be good and contrasty. I noticed none of that when utilizing the TTArtisan 50mm f2 lens outdoor at noon. When there’s a little bit of shade and no daylight hitting the lens, the general really feel of the pictures this lens produces is far more spectacular. However I usually needed to preserve reminding myself that it’s meant to be a price range lens, and I must dial down my expectations from it. And once I did, I believe I used to be extra glad with what I acquired out of it.
The standard isn’t gentle years away from what I get within the photos taken with my Nikon 50mm f1.8 S lens. I’ve seen worse picture high quality from dearer lenses, and TTArtisan has managed to place some good optics right into a low-priced lens that feels dearer. The heavy vignetting wasn’t one thing I used to be anticipating although. It’s fairly evident even when taking pictures at f2, and that’s odd contemplating I didn’t have a filter or a lens hood on the lens.
Bokeh
The standard of the bokeh that this lens produces is nice.
Shade Rendition
So long as you don’t overexpose and keep away from direct daylight, you’ll discover the colours produced by this lens to be correct. Do count on the often washed-out picture, such because the one under. These can simply be saved with the Dehaze function in your post-processing software program of selection. The shadows appear to retain higher colours than the highlights for many of my photos.
Unedited picture
Lens Character
A number of flare when stopped down and pointed on the solar.
The dearth of purple fringing is outstanding for a lens at this worth level. I used to be anticipating to see quite a lot of this, however I hardly noticed any. No matter lens coatings they’ve utilized in listed here are controlling the fringing properly.
Picture distinction is certainly decrease than what you’d see on competing 50mm lenses within the mirrorless class. It’s simply corrected throughout modifying however be ready to must take care of this in quite a lot of the photographs you’d take utilizing this lens.
Vignetting is noticeably heavy on the corners, even at f2. In case you managed to get a screw-on hood for this lens, it’d most likely be approach worse.
Sharpness
An excellent instance of when the sharpness actually stood out
While you handle to get your focus proper, the sharpness is definitely good. The sharpness falloff can be fairly cool if you search for shut. Sadly, getting the main focus proper on the lens I acquired wasn’t as simple as I assumed it will be. I’d usually take a shot and test it, then discover out it wasn’t centered appropriately on the topic. When repeated takes would miss the main focus this fashion, I’d cease the aperture down for higher outcomes.
If pin-sharp photos are one thing you chase, keep away from this lens please. It’s not you could’t get them utilizing it, it’s simply that you simply’d spend approach an excessive amount of time making an attempt to get it with this lens.
Further Picture Samples
From day one, The Phoblographer has been enormous on transparency with our viewers. Nothing from this overview is sponsored. Additional, a number of people will submit critiques and present a number of modifying within the pictures. The issue then turns into that anybody and everybody can do the identical factor. They’re not exhibiting what the lens can do. So we have now a bit in our Further Picture Samples space to indicate edited and unedited pictures. From this, you may make a choice for your self.
Unedited
Edited
Who Ought to Purchase It?
In case you’re contemplating getting a quick 50mm lens for his or her mirrorless digital camera and are keen to tackle the challenges of guide focusing and a little bit of picture softness at a extremely reasonably priced worth, go for this. Like most guide focus lenses, the TTArtisan 50mm f2 has its personal traits. These have to be wholeheartedly embraced as you get to know its flaws intimately. However getting this construct high quality at such a low worth looks like an actual discount. And the photographs you get from this aren’t dangerous in any respect. While you actually nail the main focus correctly, quite a lot of the pictures are keepers. It’s a superb walkabout, every day outside images lens. Do not forget that you’ll be correcting distinction usually and sharpness often.
tech Specs
These have been taken from the Pergear product itemizing web page:
Focal Size: 50mmMaximum Aperture: f/2Minimum Aperture: f/16Lens Mount: X-mountAngle of View: 45°（Full Body）; 32°(APS-C)Minimal Focus Distance: 1.6′ / 50 cmOptical Design: 6 Components in 5 GroupsDiaphragm Blades: 10Focus Kind: Handbook FocusImage Stabilization: NoFilter Dimension: 43 mmDimensions (ø x L): 60mm x 35mmWeight: 190-212g
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