If you’re familiar with TTArtisan, you’ll know they’re more than just a lens manufacturer; they also create a range of camera accessories. TTArtisan has consistently explored ways to make photography more enjoyable, adaptable, and practical through thoughtful accessory design.
M01 Camera FlashLeft to right: Single Color LED, M01 Camera Flash, Full color RGB LEDLeft to right: Single Color LED, M01 Camera Flash, Full color RGB LED
This time, they’re launching not one but two new accessories: the M01 and the J01. One serves as the primary accessory, while the other is designed to complement it.
Before I proceed further, I would like to thank the good people at TTArtisan for sending this beauty to me. Having said that,my thoughts and experiences shared in this post remain completely unbiased.
M01 Let’s talk about the M01 camera flash. Like the other two light accessories TTArtisan released earlier, it comes packaged in a film canister-style case, which is a nice touch. It’s a bit larger than the previous ones, but still small enough to fit in your pocket. Unlike those earlier lights, though, this isn’t an LED or multi-LED light; it’s a proper xenon flash. However, it doesn’t have a magnetic mount this time, which is a bit of a letdown, but understandable because of the hot shoe.
Single Color LED, M01 Camera Flash, Full color RGB LED
The M01 is super lightweight, coming in at just 35 grams. It’s made of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap. There’s just one button that controls both power and flash intensity—simple and straightforward. The flash has a Guide Number (GN) of 12, and a color temperature of 5600K with a margin of about ±200K. You get four power levels: 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and full power (1/1), with recycle times of continuous, 2, 3, and 4 seconds, respectively. Given its compactness, I am impressed with the recycling times.
Using the M01 is easy. Just slide it into the hot shoe of any compatible camera (whether it’s Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Sony, OM System, Leica, or Ricoh) turn both the camera and flash on, enable flash in the settings (if needed), and you’re good to go.
X-M5 with M01 Camera FlashX-M5 with M01 Camera Flash
Since it’s a manual flash and not TTL (Through-The-Lens), getting the right exposure might take a bit of trial and error. That said, it is rated for around 800 flashes per charge, which is pretty solid. In my testing, even at the lowest power (1/8), it was strong enough for close-up shots, so 800 flashes should be more than enough for casual use. Oh yes, the maximum sync speed is at 1/250s.
If you want another way to trigger the flash, that’s where the J01 comes in.
J01
This is a new kind of accessory from TTArtisan, a lightweight plastic flash trigger designed specifically for the M01. It weighs 18 grams, about half the weight of the M01.
Left: J01 Wireless Trigger – Front Right: J01 Wireless Trigger – Back
The good news is that it can trigger multiple M01 flashes at once, not just one M01. As for controls, it has two buttons. One for the power on/off switch and the other for testing the flash.
Like the M01, the wireless trigger works with most cameras that have a standard hot shoe mount.
What’s great is that there’s no need to pair it manually with the M01. Just turn on both devices, and they’ll connect automatically. Keep in mind, though, that the recommended working range is up to 3 meters for reliable performance.
X-M5 with J01 Wireless TriggerX-M5 with J01 Wireless Trigger
Others
Both accessories have a USB-C port for charging, which is super convenient! The M01 has a 350mAh battery, while the J01 has a 200mAh battery. This makes sense, considering the size of the J01.
M01 Camera FlashM01 Camera FlashM01 Camera Flash
Price Point
M01 is priced at 29 USD, and J01 is priced at 10 USD.
Conclusion
Both the M01 and J01 are simple, easy to use, and compact enough to carry in your pocket. They’re probably one of the most affordable ways to start exploring the art of flash photography.
X-M5 with Brightin Star 50mm f1.4 and M01 Camera Flash
X-M5 with Brightin Star 50mm f1.4 and M01 Camera Flash
With their attractive price point, I can’t help but think how well they pair with cameras that lack a built-in flash, like the upcoming Ricoh GR IV (not the Fuji X-Half), without putting a dent in your wallet. They also make great gifts for photographer friends.
X-M5 with TTArtisan 23mm f1.8 and M01 Camera Flash & J01 Wireless Trigger
X-M5 with Brightin Star 50mm f1.4 and M01 Camera Flash & J01 Wireless Trigger
X-M5 with TTArtisan 23mm f1.8 and M01 Camera Flash
So far, I’ve really liked what TTArtisan has been putting out, and I can’t help but wonder what exciting accessory they’ll come up with next.
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
The XF35mm f1.4 holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the first three lenses ever released for the X-mount, but I didn’t get my hands on it right away. I finally picked it up when I bought my X-T3, and it’s been with me ever since.
7Artsians 35mm f1.4
Over time, I’ve come to see why it’s such a beloved classic in the Fujifilm community. There’s something almost magical about the way it renders images; there’s a certain characteristic that’s hard to describe but easy to feel. Sure, the autofocus is a bit noisy, and everyone talks about that, but the images it produces more than make up for it. It’s a lens that truly connects with how I see the world.
7Artsians 35mm f1.4X-M5 with 7Artsians 35mm f1.4
Intro
When 7Artisans unexpectedly released their own 35mm f1.4, I couldn’t help but pause and think—could this really hold its own against a lens that’s been loved by so many, including myself, for over 14 years? There was only one way to find out: I had to try it for myself.
Size-wise, it’s pretty similar to a typical compact lens. It’s nice and lightweight too, coming in at just 228 grams. The 62mm filter size is also pretty standard, which makes finding filters and accessories a breeze.
The build is all plastic, which doesn’t exactly scream premium; it definitely feels a bit cheap in the hand. The lens hood doesn’t help either; it feels even flimsier.
One thing to note: there is no aperture ring. It’s a bit of a letdown, especially for those who like that extra bit of manual control. But considering the price, it’s a compromise that’s easy enough to overlook.
Image Quality
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with the image quality. I had hoped for something sharper, with better contrast. Unfortunately, when shot wide open, the results were quite the opposite.
Chromatic aberration is noticeable, and the vignetting is quite pronounced. The sharpness is on the softer side, not entirely unusable, but definitely lacking that crispness I was expecting. Contrast is also underwhelming. While some photographers might appreciate this softer, more vintage look, it’s just not my style.
Things do improve when stopping down; I found f2 to be noticeably better, and in my opinion, the lens performs best at f2.8.
The background blur at wide open isn’t particularly pleasing either. It feels a bit messy, harsh, and nervous. Unfortunately, it is not the smooth, creamy bokeh I personally enjoy.
As for the sunstars, they didn’t impress me much either. The rays are soft and undefined, lacking that clean, sharp look around light sources.
Focusing
When it comes to focusing, it’s quiet but not particularly accurate. Even in good lighting conditions, it often hunts and struggles to lock focus, sometimes requiring me to refocus on a different area before it regains proper focus. Occasionally, it completely misses focus even when the green focus lock is displayed.
At $159, this is the only f1.4 lens currently available on the market. No other manufacturer, not even TTArtisan, has released a fast lens at this price point yet.
It features a USB-C port, but the placement of this port is somewhat uncommon for a third-party manufacturer. It is located at the side of the lens barrel instead of the rear of the lens element. While it does come with a silicone cover for dust and water protection, the cover feels like it could be easily lost.
7Artsians 35mm f1.4 – USB-C port
Who is this for?
For beginner photographers on a tight budget, this lens can be a solid introduction to prime lenses. While it’s not the top performer on the market, it offers a decent glimpse into the benefits of using a fast aperture lens. If you find yourself enjoying this focal length, you might eventually want to upgrade to a higher-quality option like the XF 33mm f1.4. That said, I would not recommend the Sirui 33mm f1.4 as an alternative.
I had hoped that the 7Artisans would deliver something impressive with this attractive price tag, particularly in terms of image quality, but sadly, it doesn’t quite measure up. While I don’t believe image quality can be improved through a firmware update, I do hope that 7Artisans will work on enhancing the autofocus performance in future firmware upgrades.
How does it compare to the XF 35mm f1.4? Honestly, the overall user experience and image quality fall well short of what the XF35mm f1.4 delivers. That said, the key selling point of the 7Artisans 35mm f1.4 is clearly its affordability. Something a $600 lens simply can’t compete with in terms of price point.
In the end, using the 7Artisans 35mm f1.4 served as a reminder of why the XF 35mm f1.4 remains so highly regarded among photographers. It truly stands the test of time as a classic. As for the 7Artisans 35mm f1.4, it is a missed opportunity.
X-M5 with 7Artsians 35mm f1.4X-M5 with 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 and Godox Lux Junior
Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
Battery charging case is not a new product accessory in the market. There are quite a few manufacturers doing similar battery charging cases for the NP-W126S and NP-W235 battery including many other popular camera battery models and brands.
Unfortunately, none of the manufacturers are familiar to me, but they are probably well-known in their home country, China. This is also why I am glad that Viltrox decided to design their own camera battery case, as I am familiar with the brand and have used several of their lenses, which I believe should have the same level of quality in their accessories.
Before I proceed further, I would like to thank the good people in Viltrox for sending this power bank to me. Having said that,my thoughts and experiences shared in this post remain completely unbiased.
Design and Build Quality
First off, it looks blocky & bulky and it does feel bulky when I holding it on my hand. But that’s totally understandable because it is designed to charge 2 x NP-W235 batteries (the battery isn’t any Smalley either) at any one time.
It is made of plastic, not the best plastic material but not the worse one either. Overall, I feel it’s an average build with decent weight (about 320 grams).
It comes with a protection cover that can magnetically snap close. Surprisingly, it gives out satisfying closing sound when the cover closed.
Capacity and Charging Speed
It is equipped with 5500mAh (40.7 Wh). With the recent airlines power bank ban, it is safe from the regulations limitations from 100 Wh. So you are safe to bring it onboard in your carry-on bag.
It is equipped with a decent 30W PD charging USB-C port and it is capable to full charged the power bank within 80 minutes. The power bank can also charge a mobile phone too. All you need is a cable but I think that it is not the main purpose, rather a good addition function to do so.
Oh yes, it takes about an hour to charge an empty NP-W235 to charge to 100%. Pretty decent in my option. The powerbank has a balance of 62% which, assuming no power loss during charging the battery, is about 3410 mAh juice left. In short, this power bank is capable to charge two full NP-W235 batteries and still have some remains. How great is that!
Who is this for?
I can’t deny this power bank is bulky to carry around and it is not pocketable. But I asked myself is that the purpose of this powerbank? After some thought, it is suitable for camping photographers, travel photographers and event photographers who need to juice up their batteries but there are no charging source available at their disposal.
I know there are camera batteries that come with a USB-C port for direct charging. It is a good alternative battery solution without the need for a charging dock and charging case. I think no harm in having more solutions for us to choose from based on our preferences and using behaviors.
Conclusion
This is a great attempt by Viltrox. This power bank battery charger case is available for Nikon (BT-EL15), Canon (BT-E6) and Sony (BT-FZ100) as well. However, it is priced at 70 USD. Pretty steep in my opinion but I believe the quality from the brand gives me a certain level of assurance. I hope there will be a bigger capacity like 10,000 mAh in the future.
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since I last got my hands on a tilt lens. Back then, as I packed it away after testing, I remember thinking, ‘This might actually be the last time I see a new tilt lens come out.’ It felt like that chapter was quietly closing, and I wasn’t sure if anyone would try something new with this quirky, beautiful niche again.
A tilt lens isn’t quite the same as a tilt-shift lens, but they are definitely in the same quirky, niche family. When TTArtisan dropped the 50mm f1.4 Tilt back in 2023, it caught me by surprise—in the best way. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was just a one-off experiment or if they were quietly working on something new to follow it up. Part of me hoped it wasn’t the end of the road for creative tilt lenses.
If you are familiar with its sibling, this TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt has the same design language and sturdy metal construction build quality. You will still get to see 2 extra knobs (one silver and one black) which you don’t see it on a typical lens. These two knobs are the main key roles for the tilt function.
The black knob is to control the tilt mechanism with a tilt angle of ± 8°. It’s where is the tilt effect comes in.
The silver knob is the rotation lock knob which allows the rotation mechanism to rotate the lens 360° with 15° rotation per step. This helps to orient to which focus plane where the tilt effect will be.
Typically how I use them is that I will adjusted the black knob first, then I used the silver knob to adjust to the my desired focus plane. All this is with the focus peaking, to visualize and easily notice where my plane of focus is.
At 341 grams, I have feel the weight on my hand. It comes with a sizable 52mm filter size which is smaller than it’s sibling.
The aperture ring is clickless which means I have look at the aperture value when I am changing. This is something I missed the most as I am quite rely on the click when change aperture value.
At f1.4, image quality feels quite soft—there’s a noticeable lack of contrast and sharpness in both normal and tilt modes. In tilt mode especially, the extreme shallow depth of field makes the shots pretty much unusable, at least in my opinion.
Considering where lens design is these days, the amount of vignetting and chromatic aberration wide open feels like a bit of a throwback—and not in a good way. It’s the kind of look that might work for a specific aesthetic, but definitely not something I’d rely on for consistent results.
That said, once you stop it down to around f2.8, things begin to turn around. The contrast improves, sharpness gets noticeably better, and the overall rendering feels more dependable. Even tilt mode starts to feel a bit more manageable at smaller apertures, though it still requires a lot of care to get the most out of it.
One thing I really did enjoy, though, was the way it renders sunstars. Compared to many other manual lenses I’ve used, the sunrays feel a bit more refined and clean right at the source of light. They do taper off and lose some of that definition toward the tail end, but overall, it’s a nice touch—especially if you’re someone who enjoys shooting into the light.
The focus throw from minimum focus distance to infinity is about 160°, which gives you plenty of room for precise focusing. I have to say, the focus ring feels great in use—it has just the right amount of resistance, making it both smooth and reassuring to operate.
One thing to note: the front element does extend outward when focusing at the minimum distance and retracts as you move toward infinity. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s something to be aware of, especially when working up close.
Also, like many manual lenses I’ve tested, the infinity mark isn’t perfectly accurate. Whether you’re shooting normally or using tilt mode, focusing all the way to the infinity stop usually results in slightly soft or missed focus. To get a truly sharp image at infinity, you’ll need to dial it back just a bit before the marking.
Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)
It’s MFD is 35cm which makes it similar to most 35mm APS-C lenses offered. Unfortunately or fortunately, the image quality isn’t any better or worse at wide-open. At least the characteristics remains the same.
It is priced at 169 USD. If you are comparing with the same “manual 35mm f1.4” category, we have the TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 at 73 USD and the Artralab 35mm f1.4 at 419 USD. On the other hand, 7Artisans just launched the autofocus 35mm f1.4 at the same 169 USD.
Is the TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt considered expensive? That really depends on the individual. If you want certain shots that only this lens can achieve, I think you will get them eventually.
Others
This lens comes with various mounts such as E-mount, Z-mount, RF-mount, M43-mount, and of course the X-mount. If you are from the Z-mount and RF-mount, this lens is awesome, given that there isn’t any similar kind of lens available in the market.
Like other manual lenses, this lens can also experience a shift in white balance as you change the aperture values. However, this can be resolved in post if you are taking in raw format.
It is a niche lens, and there are not a lot of choices in the market. In terms of versatility, this 50mm focal length (in full frame equivalent) is a better focal length and easier to adapt to those photographers who are attempting to use it in both the normal mode and the tilt mode. I am glad that TTArtisan isn’t slowing down and they are trying to explore more lens options for all kind of photographers to choose and I hope they don’t stop it here.
This is definitely a niche lens, and there aren’t many options like it out there. That said, the 50mm focal length (full-frame equivalent) makes it one of the more versatile choices as it is a better focal length and easier to work with for photographers who want to use both the normal and tilt functions. I really appreciate that TTArtisan is continuing to push into this space, exploring creative lens designs for more choices for the photographers. I just hope they keep going and don’t stop here.
Fuji X-M5 with TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
Lens caps that can shoot aren’t exactly new to the market, but they are certainly a niche, unique, and interesting product. If you’ve been using Fujifilm for a while, you might recall that they released the XM-FL before.
Viltrox 28mm f4.5
You can even make one yourself using a plastic lens from a disposable camera and a lens cap. While not many third-party manufacturers venture into this, 7Artisans and FunLeader are among those who create manual lens caps that shoot. These lenses are fun to use with no high expectations for image quality, typically featuring a slow aperture.
Then Viltrox shook things up by introducing something entirely different—a lens cap with autofocus. A concept so unique, no one else had even thought to try it.
Intro
The Viltrox 28mm f4.5 for X-mount officially launched on January 20, 2025. If you recall, Viltrox initially introduced this lens cap concept through an Indiegogo campaign—but that version was exclusively for Sony E-mount. Thankfully (no surprise), the campaign was a success, which eventually led to the release of the X-mount version.
Before diving deeper, I want to express my gratitude to the awesome team at Viltrox for sending this lens cap over. That said, my thoughts and experiences shared in this post remain completely unbiased.
Design and Build Quality
Weighing in at just 60 grams, this is the lightest autofocus lens I’ve ever used. Despite its featherweight, the lens features a full metal build—nothing about it feels flimsy or cheaply made.
Like most lens cap-style lenses, it offers only a single aperture setting. In this case, it’s fixed at f4.5 and there is no adjusting it beyond that.
If you prefer manual focus, the lens does include a tiny focus ring, giving you a bit of control when needed.
Image Quality
Image quality is fairly decent and nothing groundbreaking, but it delivers acceptable contrast and sharpness that’s more than enough for casual or social media use.
At f4.5, vignetting is definitely noticeable, though thankfully, chromatic aberration remains minimal and isn’t too distracting.
Given the fixed aperture of f4.5, background and subject separation isn’t as pronounced compared to faster lenses. That said, with the right composition, you can still achieve a pleasing bit of background blur.
Focusing
To my surprise, the autofocus performance is better than I have expected. There are occasional hiccups where it doesn’t lock focus on the first try, but it usually kicks in by the second or third attempt.
When it does work, the focusing speed is reasonable. Transitions between the minimum focus distance and infinity are decent—not lightning-fast, but perfectly acceptable for a lens of this kind. All of this is driven by a Voice Coil Motor (VCM), which gets the job done for a compact, chip-style lens.
Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)
No lens is without its flaws, and this one is no exception. It features a minimum focus distance (MFD) of 34cm—which, considering its compact size, is actually better than expected. Fortunately, image quality doesn’t take a hit at this distance. However, the depth of field remains fairly shallow and not particularly impressive.
At just 99 USD, this is likely the most affordable autofocus lens you can get your hands on. With no direct competitors in its category and price range, it really stands out. Honestly, it’s a no-brainer for any photographer looking for a lens cap they can actually shoot with—practical, fun, and ready to go.
This lens doesn’t come with a separate external lens cap—instead, it has one built in. A sliding lever lets you open it up for shooting or close it to protect the glass. It’s a pretty clever design. But the real question is: would you want to see this kind of innovation carried over to future lenses?
Lens: Fuji X-M5 with Viltrox 28mm f4.5 – open lens cap Right: Fuji X-M5 with Viltrox 28mm f4.5 – close lens cap
Like other Viltrox autofocus lenses, this one also features a USB-C port at the rear. It’s there for potential firmware updates. You might wonder what kind of updates a tiny “chip-sized” lens would even need—possibly improvements to autofocus performance or compatibility tweaks for newer camera bodies. Either way, it’s a handy feature to have.
Viltrox 28mm f4.5 USB-C port
Who is this for?
Everyone. Honestly, this lens is so affordable that I can’t help but recommend it to everyone, just for the fun of it. It’s the kind of gear that’s easy to enjoy without overthinking. In fact, it even makes for a great gift that won’t hurt your wallet.
This lens isn’t perfect by any means. The lack of adjustable aperture values can limit your shooting options and flexibility. However, I find it enjoyable to explore and shoot with this 42mm (full-frame equivalent) focal length.
While the fixed aperture is small, I do wish Viltrox could have made it a bit brighter—maybe around f3.5. That said, I also understand that a brighter aperture would require a larger, heavier design, which could defeat the purpose of creating a compact, lens cap-style shooter.
Fuji X-M5 with Viltrox 28mm f4.5Fuji X-M5 with Viltrox 28mm f4.5
Overall, this is a fun and unique lens to experiment with. I’m looking forward to seeing more creative lenses from Viltrox for the APS-C and Fujifilm community.
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me. 5. If you are interested in this lens and also wish to support me, this is the affilinate link to purchase
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I went on a trip to Japan with my family in mid-March. Just days before the trip, I was still trying to figure out which lens to bring. Then, Mr. Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) reached out to me, asking if I’d be interested in testing the Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS lens. This opportunity came at the perfect moment, resolving my lens dilemma.
Sigma 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS
Intro
The Contemporary 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS is Sigma’s first lens with an 18.8x zoom ratio. It is also the second long zoom lens made available to the Fuji X-mount community. This lens is offered in a variety of mounts, including RF-mount, E-mount, L-mount, and of course, X-mount. It was announced on February 13, 2025, alongside the stunning Sigma BF camera.
Before continuing, I’d like to extend my thanks to Mr. Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me this lens for review, and to Kai for coordinating everything. I truly appreciate their generous support in making this review possible.
The lens is built with the familiar “Thermally Stable Composite” (TSC) polycarbonate material, the same used in Sigma’s 10-18mm f2.8, 23mm f1.4, and other Contemporary lenses. This construction ensures a solid, high-quality feel while keeping the lens lightweight. Weighing in at 615 grams, it is well-balanced with the X-T5, even though when it’s at the longer zoom.
Handling-wise, it’s generally good. The zoom ring is a bit stiff at first but loosens up with use. When collapsed at 16mm, the lens measures 123.7mm in length. When extended to 300mm, it stretches to 200mm, nearly doubling in size. Shooting at 300mm can be a bit challenging, as I found myself wobbling slightly when framing the shot with the X-M5. However, with the X-T5, the lens feels more balanced, providing better overall stability.
Left: Sigma 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS before extension Right: Sigma 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS extended to 300mm
The focus range from minimum focus distance to infinity is just 90°, which is quite efficient for a long-zoom lens. This allows for quick adjustments to the focal length without needing to turn the ring too much. It comes with 67mm filter size.
No lens is perfect. When you have the versatility of a wide focal length range, other aspects are often compromised, and in this case, it’s image quality. In my opinion, the image quality isn’t the best Sigma has delivered. It’s acceptable with nice contrast, but the sharpness tends to be soft at most focal lengths. The softness is particularly noticeable when shooting close to a subject and when viewing the image at 100%.
Chromatic aberration is generally well-controlled, with little to no noticeable issues in my photos. As for vignetting, it is present when shooting wide open, though it’s not very noticeable.
Regarding sun stars, I was able to capture them at 16mm, but not at 300mm. The result is soft but acceptable, without any dramatic effects.
Sigma employs a High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) motor for the autofocus system in this lens. Overall, the autofocus locking is quite fast across most focal lengths. However, at the telephoto end, particularly from 180mm onwards, there are occasions where the lens struggles to lock focus. Sometimes, I have to attempt to focus a few times before I lock onto the subject. On some occasions, I even need to refocus at a wider focal length before it can focus properly at the telephoto end. I hope this issue can be addressed with a future firmware update.
At 16mm, the minimum focus distance (MFD) is 17cm, which means I have to remove the lens hood to get close enough to the subject. At 300mm, the MFD is 105cm, making it a bit tricky to frame the shot with my shaky hands.
However, Sigma notes that the best magnification ratio of 1:2 is achieved at 70mm. In my testing, though, the image quality remained consistent across all focal lengths, with the same characteristics as mentioned earlier.
At 699 USD / 1088 SGD, the price is highly competitive. It’s clear that this lens directly competes with the Tamron 18-300mm, which is priced at 699 USD / 1099 SGD.
(I’m aware that Tamron Singapore currently has a promotion offering an attractive price of 991 SGD, and on Amazon Singapore, it’s available for 768 SGD.)
Others
This lens features an Optical Stabilizer (OS), which, according to the specifications, provides up to 6 stops of stabilization at the wide end and 4.5 stops at the telephoto end. In real-world use (I turned off the IBIS on the X-T5 during this trip), I had no issues shooting in daylight at any focal length. However, in low-light or challenging conditions, the OS performs well at wide focal lengths but is less effective at the telephoto end, where I experienced some handshake. This is likely due to the lens’s smaller aperture.
This lens is designed for travel photographers who prefer to carry just one lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths, even if it means sacrificing some image quality and adding a bit of weight. It’s also ideal for photographers who want to simplify their lens setup.
When Tamron released their 18-300mm f3.5 – f6.3 lens, many Sigma fans were hoping for a Sigma version, and now it’s here. I believe Sigma has delivered a great response to that demand.
To quickly compare, the Sigma 16-300mm (24mm to 450mm in full frame equivalent) offers a slightly wider focal length at 16mm, compared to Tamron’s 18mm. However, the Sigma lens has a slightly smaller aperture at the 300mm end, but in my opinion, this difference is negligible and doesn’t significantly affect shutter speed or other settings. The Sigma lens is also just 5 grams lighter than the Tamron, which again, is insignificant. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you prioritize a wider focal length or a lower price.
In my view, the wider focal length is more important, as it’s always handy to have that extra 2mm for those “just-in-case” situations.
Thank you for reading.
Fuji X-M5 with Sigma 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS Left: Sigma 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS with lens cap Right: Sigma 16-300mm f3.5 – f6.7 DC OS extended with lens cap
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
We all know that 50mm is a very popular focal length among manufacturers, and many Chinese manufacturers are doing the same focal length with a slight difference in aperture value. To name a few that I have shared before: TTArtisan 50mm f0.95, Artralab 50mm f1.2, AstrHori 50mm f1.4 tilt, and even their released not all ago Brightin Star 50mm f1.4.
Brightin Star 50mm f0.95
Intro
While I thought Brightin Star was focusing on producing more autofocus lenses, they decided to release this manual lens. So I guess there is still demand for manual lenses in the market.
Brightin Star 50mm f0.95
Before I proceed further, I appreciate the kind people in Brightin Star for their continuous support for sending me this lens for a sharing session opportunity. Having said that, Brightin Star has no influence on my opinion.
Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the bold, bright yellow brand immediately grabs attention—a clever way to stand out in a crowd. Upon closer look, you’ll notice the lens body is made of metal with a matte finish, giving it a sleek, modern look that helps it stand apart from the rest.
Brightin Star 50mm f0.95
Like all manual lenses, it features an aperture ring, and it’s clickable. I’ve had a great experience with this ring, as it provides a light and smooth tactile feedback when you adjust it to different aperture settings.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/11,000″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative Left: Fuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Weighing in at 443 grams, the lens feels surprisingly dense. You can definitely sense its weight, especially when paired with a smaller camera like the X-M5, where the unbalanced heft becomes more noticeable. And, by the way, it has a 62mm filter size.
Image Quality
Like the Brightin Star 35mm f0.95, the image quality is soft and lacks contrast when shot wide open but slightly usable. Some photographers may appreciate this look, but it’s not quite to my taste. I find that stopping down to f2 or higher gives me better contrast and sharper results that is within my acceptance. Additionally, for the best optical performance, it’s ideal to center your subject, as the corners tend to be much softer.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/140″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/680″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f4. 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
When it comes to background or foreground blur, I am not particularly fond of the rendering. It feels a bit busy to some (but very busy in my own opinion) and can be quite distractive from the main subject. One notable issue is barrel distortion, which becomes quite apparent when shooting wide open. If you’re particular about distortion, this could be a concern for you.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/680″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2.8. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative
On the plus side, I didn’t notice any chromatic aberration in the shots I took. Vignetting is present at wide open, though it’s relatively mild.
As for the sun stars, the lines are visible but not as well-defined as I would have liked.
Fuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f16. 1/125″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative
Focusing
The focus ring is smooth, but I can feel slightly damp when I rotate. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable experience.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
As for the focus range between MFD to infinity, the focus throw is approximately 90°. The focus throw is similar to Brightin Star 35mm f0.95, giving a fair amount of “traveling” for precise focusing.
Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)
50cm minimum focus distance is decent, fair, and also similar to many other lenses of the same focal length. However, the softness and lack of contrast have elevated, even more obvious for wide-open shots.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Price Point
The introductory price is 199 USD, and then it will be priced at 219 USD thereafter. I have no idea how long this introductory price will last. But if you really like this lens, I think you can act quickly.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative
However, this is a very competitive price point. Because Meike 55mm f1.4 is selling very similarly at this price point, and Brightin Star 50mm f1.4 is trading at 239 USD. Both are autofocus lenses, and they have a pretty good IQ.
Others
One standout feature of this lens is its built-in lens hood, a unique touch I haven’t encountered before. Typically, manual lens manufacturers rarely include a lens hood with the lens itself, but Brightin Star goes a step further by not only providing one, but also integrating it directly into the lens body. However, there is a small downside: the hood feels a bit flimsy. Hopefully, Brightin Star will refine this innovative design in future lenses.
Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 with lens hood extended.
Like the 35mm f0.95, this lens doesn’t have an f5.6 option. Instead, it jumps from f/4 to f/8, skipping two full stops of light. However, this may not be a significant issue if you’re looking for a brighter lens.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/10500″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/3500″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative
There’s one more distinctive feature that I haven’t fully tested yet: it’s the first time a Chinese manufacturer has added luminous paint to the numbers on the scale marks of APS-C lenses, making it possible for photographers to see the numbers in low-light conditions.
Who is this for?
If you are looking to experience manual handling experience, this 75mm (equivalent to 35mm format), is a nice-looking manual portrait lens for someone who is looking for one. When it comes to genres, it is suitable for most typical ones like street, documentation, product shots, etc.
Fuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/5000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Conclusion
I had a very positive impression of the Brightin Star 35mm f0.95, the 50mm f0.95 is no exceptional.
Fuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/2000″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic NegativeFuji X-M5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/2400″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic NegativeFuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f4. 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
The Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 is a decent lens, but given its price, I might find it hard to recommend, especially for those looking for a portrait lens. There are several solid alternatives in a similar price range that offer autofocus. Unless you’re specifically attracted to its design, the unique lens hood, or you love its sibling, it may not be the best choice. On the bright side, the handling experience is quite enjoyable.
Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 @ 50mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative
I’m hopeful that Brightin Star will continue to innovate and improve, and I’m particularly looking forward to seeing more autofocus lenses from them in the future.
Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 with X-M5 Brightin Star 50mm f0.95 with X-M5
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Capture One. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
After the release of the TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 and the recent TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II, I always believed that TTArtisan would eventually complete the f1.8 trinity, and that day has finally come.
TTArtisan 23mm f1.8
TTArtisan has consistently launched new lenses without any leaks or teasers, and this release is no different. I appreciate this straightforward approach to marketing—just announce it and launch the product.
TTArtisan 23mm f1.8
Intro
23mm, or 35mm in full-frame equivalent ,is one of my favorite focal lengths and this focal length is always with me wherever I go for a holiday.
I was so excited when TTArtisan contacted me and informed me about this lens, and they managed to send the lens to me one day before my holiday trip to Guangzhou. Just nice for me to bring it along and shoot.
Before I begin, I’d like to express my gratitude to the good people at TTArtisan for sending me this lens. I truly appreciate their ongoing support. That said, their involvement has no impact on my review—this is entirely based on my personal experience with the lens.
The design language of this lens is consistent with its siblings, featuring the same high-quality metal build and minimalist aesthetic. That said, it lacks an aperture ring, with only the manual focus ring available.
The manual focus ring rotates smoothly, without any resistance or tactile feedback. Photographers who rely on feedback for precise manual focusing may find this lens less suitable for their needs.
Visually, the lens is slightly taller than the 35mm f1.8 II but a bit shorter than the 56mm f1.8. It weighs 210 grams, placing it in between its siblings in terms of weight.
TTArtisan 23mm f1.8
The lens comes with the same distinctive squarish petal hood as the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II, offering a refreshing departure from the typical round petal hoods. It also shares the same 52mm filter thread size with its siblings, allowing photographers to interchange filters across all three lenses.
TTArtisan 23mm f1.8 with lens hoodTTArtisan 23mm f1.8 with lens hood
Image Quality
For those who pixel-peep, the image quality is slightly soft in the center when shot wide open, with the corners being a bit softer. However, I find the results to be quite decent and more than acceptable for a budget lens. It retains a respectable level of sharpness and contrast.
The lens does exhibit noticeable vignetting when wide open, but chromatic aberration is minimal. Regarding the sun-star effect, the rays are clean and accompanied by some distinctive flares. If you’re not a fan of lens flare characteristics, you may want to avoid this. Additionally, there’s some soft blooming when a strong light source is directed towards the lens, but I actually enjoy this effect. During my holiday, I found that I preferred shooting at f2.8, as it offers a nice balance of sharpness, contrast, and depth of field.
With a maximum aperture of f1.8, it doesn’t offer the same level of subject separation as lenses with f1.2 or f1.4 apertures. However, the separation between the focused subject and the background is more than sufficient for my needs. As for background rendering, I find it quite pleasing, producing smooth, non-distracting bokeh.
When it comes to focusing, I have close to zero focusing issues. The Stepper Motor (STM) performs quite decent and fast enough. I do encounter once or twice focusing issues at night, but it is acceptable as it recovers and focus locked onto the subject on the second attempt.
A 30cm minimum focusing distance feels somewhat distant for a 35mm (full-frame equivalent) focal length. For comparison, the XF23mm f1.4 has a 20cm focus distance, the XF23mm f2 is 22cm, and the Sigma 23mm f1.4 is 25cm. While this isn’t a direct comparison to the TTArtisan 23mm f1.8, it’s understandable given that it’s a budget lens.
USD 127 is really an attractive price point and affordable for photographers of all groups. Budget-friendly for newcomers and professionals who want to go out for a holiday.
Like all TTArtisan autofocus lenses, the rear cap is a dock for the lens for future firmware updates. Another to note is that this lens does not come with any form of weather and dust resistance. I think this is acceptable given the price point.
This is one of the two focal lengths I frequently recommend to beginners. Its versatility provides excellent adaptability, allowing newcomers to experiment with various styles of photography. Additionally, it covers a broad range of genres, making it an ideal choice for anyone just starting out.
Oh yes, this lens matches the X-M5 well. The combination of the camera and the lens gives a well-balanced weight for handling. If you are a new X-M5 user, consider this lens your arsenal.
I spent 10 days on this lens during my holiday, and with each passing day, I grew more fond of it. During these 10 days, I took over 1,000 shots with this lens—and only this lens. Although I brought one prime and one zoom lens, I hardly used them.
My only complaint is the absence of an aperture ring, but its lightweight design and good image quality make up for that. Traveling light is always my priority on holidays, and the reason is simple: I’m no longer as young as I once was, and carrying heavier lenses with my camera for extended periods can cause shoulder pain.
TTArtisan has made a solid entry into the budget lens market. This is an excellent, affordable prime lens that offers great value without breaking the bank. The image quality is good enough for everyday use, with satisfactory autofocus performance. At this price point, there’s no direct competition for this focal length (just yet).
I’ve been anticipating this lens since the release of the TTArtisan 56mm f1.8, and it’s finally here. It provides newcomers with a versatile trio of prime lenses to begin their collection.
The new year has just started, and TTArtisan has already laid the foundation for this lens category. I’m curious to see what they have in store for 2025. Could they be gearing up for “Pro” prime lenses, or are they possibly eyeing the mid-range market? What are your thoughts?
Fuji X-M5 with TTArtisan 23mm f1.8Fuji X-M5 with TTArtisan 23mm f1.8
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
In the blink of an eye, a year has gone by, and the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 has just celebrated its first anniversary. Unexpectedly shortly after its first anniversary, TTArtisan released a new autofocus lens, without any teasers or hints beforehand. They simply announced it out of the blue. The new lens is none other than the successor to the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8, marking the second iteration of this affordable lens.
TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II
Before I continue, I’d like to thank the generous people at TTArtisan for sending me this lens for review. Please note that they had no influence over the review I’ve provided here.
TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II
Design and Build Quality
If you have the first-generation lens, you will notice how incredibly short version II has become. It is now even more compact with a height of 49mm as opposed to 65mm in version I.
TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II
Similarly to the weight, it has reduced to 177 grams (according to my kitchen weighing scale), from 199 grams. The good thing is that TTArtisan maintained the same metal-built quality for this lens. Handling is good and I cannot find any complaint about this lens.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1700″ . ISO 320 . Classic ChromeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/28000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1100″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
What I like about this lens is the minimalistic, simple, clean design, and it’s cute (due to the compactness of it). This also means that this lens does not come with an aperture ring. Oh yes, it is still the same 52mm filter thread size.
Image Quality
I have a positive impression of the Mark I, and its successor maintains that same level of quality. The images captured at wide-open are impressive, showing decent sharpness (not clinically sharp though) and a good contrast.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/350″ . ISO 320 . Classic ChromeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/20000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome
Chromatic aberration is surprisingly well-managed (at least it’s not noticeable in my photos). While some vignetting is present, it’s not overly pronounced.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f16 . 1/125″ . ISO 500 . Classic Chrome
For sun star lovers, I think this is only one of rare lenses that I actually like its sun star result. The lines are well defined to my liking. Do note of the flares if you want to avoid, but I like how the flare creates and introduces to my images.
Focusing
With Stepper Motor (STM), the focusing speed is fast but not instantaneously snappy in most situations. This is within my expectation since this is not in the same category as the XF33mm f1.4.
In rare situations, I do encounter some focus pulling when I focus from MFD to infinity and vice versa. This can be happens on the good light condition as well. Also, focusing on MFD can be a little challenging when shooting indoor with average lighting availability around the subject. The focus will still succeed after a few tries. Apart from these phenomenons, everything is just fine.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 3200 . Classic ChromeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/25000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f8 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
For videographers or photographers who intended to use this lens for videography purposes, the focus breathing is seems to be significantly far between the MFD and infinity. However, this is not a deal breaker for me.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 320 . Classic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f8 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Update: On 17 December 2024, TTArtisan released a firmware update (FUJI-X AF 35mm F1.8 Mark II V1.0.1). While they did not mention what are the changes made, the focusing speed seems to have a good improvement over what I mentioned earlier, especially on the focus pulling.
Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)
If you compare the MFD with other lenses with similar focal lengths, you will notice that 40cm may not be a good MFD. But I have to praise the engineers that they have reduced from 60cm to 40cm and that is a 33% decrease in MFD.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1250″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Nonetheless, the image quality isn’t compromised much at MFD. The sharpness and contrast are slightly reduced but not affecting the overall much.
Price Point
Another pleasant surprise from TTArtisan is that the new lens is priced at just 125 USD, slightly cheaper than its predecessor, which was already a great deal at 149 USD.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/7500″ . ISO 320 . Classic NegativeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/12800″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
This could be the most affordable autofocus lens available for the X-mount system. For comparison, the XC 35mm f2 costs 199 USD, the Viltrox 33mm f1.4 is priced at 238 USD, the Meike 33mm f1.4 is 229 USD, and the Sirui 33mm f1.2 is 280 USD.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Classic ChromeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/12800″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
While I understand that for an additional 100 USD, I could get a brighter, higher-quality lens, the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II is ideal for photographers who need to stretch their budget as far as possible.
Others
There is one phenomenon that switching on the camera with this lens is slower (at least when I compared it with the Mark I). TTArtisan is aware of this and they are looking into fixing it.
Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II Right: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II with petal hood Right: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 with square hoodLeft: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II with square hood Right: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 with petal hood
If you are a TTArtisan user, you should be aware that TTArtisan autofocus lenses come with a rear lens cap that includes USB-C port for future firmware upgrades. This lens is no exemption.
Who is this for?
If you’re new to photography and have chosen Fujifilm as your camera, trying out a prime lens could be a great way to start, and I think this lens is definitely worth considering. At 125 USD, there’s little reason not to give it a try. The 50mm focal length (full-frame equivalent) is highly versatile and suits a wide range of photography styles.
Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Classic ChromeLeft: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f5 . 1/10″ . ISO 125 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f5 . 1/3″ . ISO 125 . Classic Chrome
For professionals looking for a compact and budget-friendly lens for everyday use, this could be a solid choice.
Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Classic ChromeLeft: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Classic Chrome
For those already using the first-generation lens, there’s no immediate need to upgrade unless the improvements genuinely meet your needs and contribute to your photographic growth and vision. If you are a new X-M5 user, you may consider pairing up this lens as the combination of the camera and the lens gives a well-balanced weight in terms of camera handling.
Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/45″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Chrome
Conclusion
No doubt the Viltrox 35mm f1.7 is a direct competition to TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II with performance, specifications and price very close to each other especially image quality. Given that almost everything is comparable (Viltrox has the upper hand for MFD at 30cm), I prefer TTArtisan than Viltrox because of the metal-built body. The handling feels better with metal-built quality.
Fuji X-M5 with TTArtisan 35mm f1.8
I was caught by surprised how fast TTArtisan update their lens. TTArtisan do listen to the photographers’ feedbacks about the first generation lens, they improved it and then giving us a better one. Although this lens is not a perfect by any means, it is still a worthy upgrade from it successor. Will there be Mark III next year? I don’t know but we will see.
Fuji X-M5 with TTArtisan 35mm f1.8
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:
It seems like 2024 has been a busy year for ArtraLab, with several lens releases, and the ArtraLab NONIKKOR 11mm f1.8 is the latest addition to their lineup. Announced in November 2024, the 11mm f1.8 is not only their newest lens but also the widest they’ve released so far. Like their previous models, this lens draws inspiration from the iconic 1980s Nikkor lens design.
ArtraLab 11mm f1.8
Before I proceed further, I would like to thank the good guys from ArtraLab for sending me this lens for review. Having said that, ArtraLab has no influence on this review and the opinion is purely my personal view.
ArtraLab 11mm f1.8
Design and Build Quality
Like I mentioned earlier, this lens is greatly inspired by the classic vintage aesthetic Nikkor lenses. That said, it comes with colorful aperture values and colorful markers.
Visually, the lens looks small and compact. In fact, I can feel how dense and heavy the weight of this metal build lens is when I hold it on my hand. 350 grams worth of glasses.
The aperture ring gives gentle click feedback similar to the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7 and ArtraLab 50mm f1.2. I love it. As for the manual focus ring, the rotation is smooth without any grip or feedback. Is it a bad thing? I think it is up to individual preference. For me, I do prefer some feedback as it gives me some level of sense when I do focus peaking.
The front element of the lens is protruded, so it comes with a built-in lens hood to protect it.
Image Quality
Wide-open shots result in a pleasant, soft, glowing flare from the light sources (similar to the results from obtaining a cine-blooming filter or the black-mist filter). This also results in a softer contrast. This is also consistent with the rest of the ArtraLab lenses I have tested thus far.
In terms of image quality, it is acceptable but not the best. It has good sharpness and contrast when wide open at the center. You can observe distortion at the corners and a slight drop in image quality. Vignetting is pretty strong here. Fear not, the image quality does improve when you step down by at least 2 stops. Surprisingly, this lens has a very good chromatic aberration.
As for the background blur, I think it is acceptable. The separation between the focused and non-focused subjects is good enough. The bokeh render is just fine but not the most beautiful one among the ArtraLab lenses. Do not forget that an ultrawide lens is capable of receiving flares, and a circular one, too.
The focus throw, from end to end, is about 170°of rotation. For reference, the Meike 12mm f2 is about 110°. In my opinion, it gives a fair amount of travel distance, which gives me a more precise focus for shooting.
For focus breathing, it has a very minimum focus breathing, which is hard to notice. if you wish to use this lens for videography purposes, I think you will like it.
Also, it is just a minor detail. The lens does extend out 1mm ish at MFD.
Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)
At 16.5mm (in 35mm format) focal length, it is equipped with 18cm MFD. It has pretty good MFD compared to the others, like TTArtisan 10mm f2 (MFD at 25cm). If the photographers ever need such a close MFD for creative shots, you will know which one to look out for. Luckily, the image quality remains the same and not anything else off.
It is now selling at 386 USD on the ArtraLab website. Is it expensive as compared to the other third-party manufacturers? Yes, it is but if you are looking for a nostalgic ultrawide lens, there isn’t much choice out there just yet.
For photographers who want to include a filter for this lens, it is possible to do so. The metal lens cap comes with a special element. We can remove the front piece of the lens cap by unscrewing it and then we have a filter thread of 62mm. Very similar concept from TTArtisan 7.5mm f2.8.
Also, there is a change in white balance when you shoot at the same spot with different aperture values. Please don’t be alarmed by this, there are many manual lens manufacturers that have this behavior.
Lastly, this lens omits f5.6, resulting in a jump of two full stops from f4 to f8.
Who is this for?
This lens isn’t for everyone. To be honest, if you’re looking for a similar focal length, there are plenty of more affordable options out there compared to what ArtraLab offers. However, ArtraLab does have a clear advantage: its distinctive, nostalgic lens design.
That being said, this lens is perfect for those who don’t mind spending a bit more for aesthetics. After all, a beautifully designed lens can motivate us to take it out and shoot more often.
The ArtraLab 11mm f1.8 features solid build quality and decent image performance, though it might not be the most affordable option. Nevertheless, it will certainly appeal to those who value craftsmanship and aesthetics in their equipment.
I’ve focused quite a bit on the lens design rather than its image quality. To be clear, the image quality isn’t bad—it’s definitely usable, in my opinion. It’s just that the lens design really stands out to me, and I can’t help but highlight that.
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: 1. All the shots taken here are shot by me. 2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing and Capture One. 3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment. 4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
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