I miss the tiny smaller aperture lens of film days. They were so great for landscape. I earned my living for awhile with primes f/3.5 and slower. And I kept some to decorate my listening read room.
Regret I can’t agree. I was given the lens to test over a month by a large retailer. it looks the business but even when the lens was recalibrated I found that when the lens was locked not infinity on the lens body, infinity was out of focus. I so wanted to like the lens but it really wasn’t up to the job. The retailer told me I could keep it but I returned it as what’s the point of having a lens which doesn’t keep focus in lock at infinity.
Hi Jimmy, Because of this video you made, I bought this lens, when I was going to buy the m. zuiko 17mm f 1.8, and I think I will not regret it. this TT ARTISAN lens looks so beautiful
Actually I use this as my 28mm for my Leica M4-P. I find I like the look on a whole. I generally don't like and therefore do use out of focus backgrounds much. So, the shape of out of focus balls of light don't matter to me. Also, I find sun stars a total cliche so my style doesn't include that need either. So, it matches much of how I use the 28mm on my camera. I'll save up for a nice summicron and maybe before I die I will have a little time to use that Leitz 28mm (they are gorgeous). However, for now and for how I use the 28mm in my photography on my Leica film camera the TTartisan provides a useful tool.
Cheers from Atlanta! It’s Sean and I may have to purchase another Pen F just to have this little gem! It’s beautiful and clearly an homage to Leica! Darn it Jimmy! I just pre-ordered the OM1 yesterday and now you’re making me spend even more money than I should! On a personal note, are you being treated fairly by OM System? After looking at the video reviews of the new camera and understanding that Robin Wong is no longer an Ambassador, it appears OM System is only focusing on “action” photographers. That’s a huge mistake in my humble opinion! Enough waffling on. Please let me know that you are well and treated fairly. It’s because of your artistry and reviews that I have plunged down the Olympus rabbit hole! Sean
Thanks Sean and always good to have your support and care. I truly appreciate it. This lens really is a collector's piece, from the making to the old school performance. It isn't a lens for daily use but man, isn't it just super cool to look and operate? It's a Leica lens without the name and price in my opinion. On the other topic. I can't say for Robin and he will make an announcement soon. I am well (though I have been ill on and off after recovering from Covid, and I've heard that in some cases, this will continue for weeks if not months in some rare cases, but I just hope I can back 100% soon. OM wise, I am treated fairly but you are right that their focus has switched and I can understand that I am no longer on the same priority list as before despite what I do. However, that does not mean I am not involved with OM at all, just I may not have the first call when it comes to new stuff. Yet, if one is not hurry, I will still get gear to review, just a bit later than launch/annoucement. I intend to continue but as you can probably see that my focus has also switched to reflect that over the past couple of months, to anticipate this change.
@@Red35Photography Ok! I made almost all of my Olympus decisions after exhausting your videos so many times about a particular Olympus item. On a personal note, my brother died from COVID this past November and I watched him suffer in a terrible way before the doctors turned his oxygen down and he left this world. It was a death I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! So be safe and careful! Maybe this coming autumn I will be back in London and I can take you to lunch? Sean
Not interested - why didn't they just offer it as LTM? Easy to adapt to M and any other mirrorless system. If LTM, I would've considered it for my Leica IIIf …
It has to be good to beat the Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 and to beat their old film camera lenses like the 85mm f/2, the 100mm f/2, the 21mm f/2.5 and the 16mm f/3.5 full frame fisheye.
Thanks for this review. Always nice to hear others opinion on lenses I own. I received mine late last month (I joined the Pre-Order mob back in late November 2021). It is a beautiful tiny lens of superb construction quality that I am really enjoying. I use mine on my Leica M Type 262 and my Ricoh GXR-M mount cameras. I won't bother to use it on my Olympus Pen F since I don't need a 56mm f/5.6 equivalent lens. Stay frosty.
Oh yes... but then if you use this lens for street... at least old school guys like me, stop down to f8 for hyper focus... it's fun hahaha and man, I can't say how much I love a full brass vintage lens like this!
Amazing looking lens, I am interested however, I have an Olympus Pen-f, and I need to know what type of adapter would accommodate my Olympus. Attartisan Can anyone help? 😊
Dang~! I have a soft spot for collapsible(ish) lens like this ... probably will buy one just for the sake of having a modern collapsible(ish) lens without breaking (or robbing) a bank XD
it's gorgeous right? Full brass construction, including the hood!!! It's not a collapsible though, but a very tiny lens that has similar construction to the famous Leica 28mm 5.6
@@mjb5025 Oh I see what you mean now. That's weird, ok, sometimes adaptor doesn't really line up the lens and sensor. so I wouldn't rely on the distant scale for that. I would prefer to use peaking assist in camera or use magnify to if critical focus is important. I tried this lens on my Leica M and PEN-F. It lines up infinity in Leica, so it isn't the lens, but like you, it focuses infinity just before the mark, so you just need to test it a bit.
I don't know. I don't really respect manufacturers who live off somebody else's brand and designs. They could have at least given that lens a different font type which they also copied from Leica. Chinese copy cat - this is my first thought when I look at that lens and TT Artisan as a brand. Their quality is good enough. Why don't they take the leap and carve out their own brand and design that are distinct to them? Voigtlaender managed. They can too.
Appreciated your comment mate. I think there are a few things to know. First, Voigtlander you mentioned also have their own history way before many know about the name. They started after Leica but their lenses were known before many living photographers knowledge. Their designs are derived (and modernised) from their old lenses and more an evolution. TTArtisan on the other hand, a new, small company who start out without much heritage and more importantly, resources, to develop new lenses. Their target is to get their foot in the door and also why they just joined the M43 alliance. This process takes time. Laowa is a prime example what has been done in long term. The early Laowa lenses were quite poor, many looked copies from other brands, but now, they are much bigger, so they can really design their lenses, not just optically but also externally. I support these brands because you need to start somewhere, I've been there myself as a nobody photographer and I know it can be frustrating and disappointing but keep doing what they love to do, one day, things will be better. Lastly, this lens is actually pretty cool, at least in my eyes, yes, it looks Leica, but they are different, optically. I don't mind it as it's a fun collector piece that I want, as mentioned in my video. It seems this echo to many comments here. I don't think anyone would like to spend £2000 for a similar looking and performing lens, just because of a badge. Final word, I think TTArtisan can eventually be a great lens maker, they are in a much better position than others. On that note, I have a few other little lenses here waiting to be reviewed, these are from even smaller companies.
TT Artisan is by no means living off the Leica brand/design. If they were then they should have priced this lens 5x higher and it would still be less expensive than the Leica by half. As a Leica film and digital M camera owner/user I saw no point paying near US $3k for a redo of an ancient design, as much as I might like it. For $300 I welcome this lens, and it is not a copy of the Leica, close examination will bear that out, not to mention a different optical formula.
This isn't a normal vintage style lens. It's more a replica of a very old lens. this lens was known during the old street photography era on the Leica III rangefinder. The compact size was nothing but amazing during that time. 5.6 allows it to be this size. It's not a modern lens so don't expect it to be one. It's for those who want to collect and take out occasionally. For the price, I can't recommend enough if you like things like this.
@@Red35Photography I know what lens this imitates but I still dont buy the f5.6 aperture since there are similar sized things like the Meike 28mm f2.8. And if you want a lens that specifically imitates the Leica foldable lens just get the Industar-10 (which is f2!). This one is just silly. But this quirky thing aside I do think TTartisan is making some interesting lenses.
@@MasterSekeyi I know set it hyperfocal all that, but a 2.8 lens can always be stopped down to 5.6, but not other way around, not to mention if they were not after the ultimate quality there isnt a problem to make a small 2.8 lens, so I really see no reason for it to be 5.6 and no reason to buy one
I agree. Jimmy mentioned in his video there were some peculiar optical properties around focus and edge to edge sharpness at 07:31 in the video. This matches my experience with 2 EOS M lenses I purchased (50mm f1.2 and 35mm f1.4) . In my case the optic issues with my 2 lenses were bad enough that it threw off the focus peaking on my EOS M50.
@@Moonrakerd I get what you mean but making a 2.8 lense, doesn't matter how small, needs more glas and a minimum size, that would throw of the size factor of this lense and this is clearly not a "serious" lense but rather a tribute to leica vintage
This lens is so disappointing, do not buy it. It's a waste of money. Let me explain it more. I bought this lens once and when I used my mobile flash light to check the lens I saw many little spots and dusts inside the lens, so I returned the lens and asked them to replace it with another brand new lens. In the second brand new lens, I could still find many spots, so this time i totally returned it and got a full refund. China knows how to mass produce a thing without troubling themselves to do quality check!!! I'm going to buy a vintage lens instead.
I miss the tiny smaller aperture lens of film days. They were so great for landscape. I earned my living for awhile with primes f/3.5 and slower. And I kept some to decorate my listening read room.
Regret I can’t agree. I was given the lens to test over a month by a large retailer. it looks the business but even when the lens was recalibrated I found that when the lens was locked not infinity on the lens body, infinity was out of focus. I so wanted to like the lens but it really wasn’t up to the job. The retailer told me I could keep it but I returned it as what’s the point of having a lens which doesn’t keep focus in lock at infinity.
Hi Jimmy, Because of this video you made, I bought this lens, when I was going to buy the m. zuiko 17mm f 1.8, and I think I will not regret it. this TT ARTISAN lens looks so beautiful
Actually I use this as my 28mm for my Leica M4-P. I find I like the look on a whole. I generally don't like and therefore do use out of focus backgrounds much. So, the shape of out of focus balls of light don't matter to me. Also, I find sun stars a total cliche so my style doesn't include that need either. So, it matches much of how I use the 28mm on my camera. I'll save up for a nice summicron and maybe before I die I will have a little time to use that Leitz 28mm (they are gorgeous). However, for now and for how I use the 28mm in my photography on my Leica film camera the TTartisan provides a useful tool.
Cheers from Atlanta! It’s Sean and I may have to purchase another Pen F just to have this little gem! It’s beautiful and clearly an homage to Leica! Darn it Jimmy! I just pre-ordered the OM1 yesterday and now you’re making me spend even more money than I should!
On a personal note, are you being treated fairly by OM System? After looking at the video reviews of the new camera and understanding that Robin Wong is no longer an Ambassador, it appears OM System is only focusing on “action” photographers. That’s a huge mistake in my humble opinion! Enough waffling on. Please let me know that you are well and treated fairly. It’s because of your artistry and reviews that I have plunged down the Olympus rabbit hole!
Sean
Thanks Sean and always good to have your support and care. I truly appreciate it. This lens really is a collector's piece, from the making to the old school performance. It isn't a lens for daily use but man, isn't it just super cool to look and operate? It's a Leica lens without the name and price in my opinion. On the other topic. I can't say for Robin and he will make an announcement soon. I am well (though I have been ill on and off after recovering from Covid, and I've heard that in some cases, this will continue for weeks if not months in some rare cases, but I just hope I can back 100% soon. OM wise, I am treated fairly but you are right that their focus has switched and I can understand that I am no longer on the same priority list as before despite what I do. However, that does not mean I am not involved with OM at all, just I may not have the first call when it comes to new stuff. Yet, if one is not hurry, I will still get gear to review, just a bit later than launch/annoucement. I intend to continue but as you can probably see that my focus has also switched to reflect that over the past couple of months, to anticipate this change.
@@Red35Photography Ok! I made almost all of my Olympus decisions after exhausting your videos so many times about a particular Olympus item. On a personal note, my brother died from COVID this past November and I watched him suffer in a terrible way before the doctors turned his oxygen down and he left this world. It was a death I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! So be safe and careful!
Maybe this coming autumn I will be back in London and I can take you to lunch?
Sean
Great review!
Love Lenses that actually target street photography. I also love the fact it's aperture seems to trigger a lot of people 🤭
Oh yes, Canon's f11 lenses also make people wonder!
I use one of these on my Leica M range finder and really enjoy using it. It produces great images and so damn sexy..... Thanks Jimmy
Thanks to Chinese firms for making these classic style quality lenses available to amateurs at affordable prices
Not interested - why didn't they just offer it as LTM? Easy to adapt to M and any other mirrorless system. If LTM, I would've considered it for my Leica IIIf …
A new temptation for me, just looks absolutely beautiful with Pen-F, hmm ...!
need to see how it will look on my sigma FPL :) but I might get one :)
It has to be good to beat the Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 and to beat their old film camera lenses like the 85mm f/2, the 100mm f/2, the 21mm f/2.5 and the 16mm f/3.5 full frame fisheye.
Thanks for this review. Always nice to hear others opinion on lenses I own. I received mine late last month (I joined the Pre-Order mob back in late November 2021). It is a beautiful tiny lens of superb construction quality that I am really enjoying. I use mine on my Leica M Type 262 and my Ricoh GXR-M mount cameras. I won't bother to use it on my Olympus Pen F since I don't need a 56mm f/5.6 equivalent lens. Stay frosty.
It’s pretty but 5.6? It’s good only for great light.
Oh yes... but then if you use this lens for street... at least old school guys like me, stop down to f8 for hyper focus... it's fun hahaha and man, I can't say how much I love a full brass vintage lens like this!
Plenty of other lenses out there for low light. The TT 28/5.6 targets a specific market, which is not you (no offense intended).
Amazing looking lens, I am interested however, I have an Olympus Pen-f, and I need to know what type of adapter would accommodate my Olympus. Attartisan Can anyone help? 😊
You only need a Leica M mount to Micro 43 adaptor, usually labelled as "LM - M43", you should be able to find them really cheap on Amazon.
Dang~! I have a soft spot for collapsible(ish) lens like this ... probably will buy one just for the sake of having a modern collapsible(ish) lens without breaking (or robbing) a bank XD
it's gorgeous right? Full brass construction, including the hood!!! It's not a collapsible though, but a very tiny lens that has similar construction to the famous Leica 28mm 5.6
@@Red35Photography Yes..... I do own some those WWII era lenses 😂 one of them did dig some noticable hole in my pocket 😂
just bought on for my m8
That lens would look beautiful on my silver Pen F
Isn't it :)
4:48 I've got a photo of those steps taken a few years ago with COME ON UP! in big red letters, but I don't think they want you to any more 🙁
hahaha.. I took it because it's yellow. I remember those words!
Hey there, what M mount to M43 converter are you using? Does it change the focal length? Many thanks x
Ok...I just ordered the 23mm 1.4 for my pen F too ..
23 1.4 is a great lens, you will like it. This is more a collector's piece.
Why didnt you put it on your leica m?
cool
56mm ,f11.2 equiv. Boring lens on m43
I mounted ttartisan 28mm f5.6 and Pen-F using the K&F adapter. But the focus is only visible at 1m. What went wrong?😂
This is an M-Mount lens, and like most M-Mount lens, their closest focusing distance is between 0.7-1m.
@@Red35PhotographyIf set the distance to infinity, it will be out of focus.
@@mjb5025 Oh I see what you mean now. That's weird, ok, sometimes adaptor doesn't really line up the lens and sensor. so I wouldn't rely on the distant scale for that. I would prefer to use peaking assist in camera or use magnify to if critical focus is important. I tried this lens on my Leica M and PEN-F. It lines up infinity in Leica, so it isn't the lens, but like you, it focuses infinity just before the mark, so you just need to test it a bit.
@@Red35Photography thank you for your kind reply.
I don't know. I don't really respect manufacturers who live off somebody else's brand and designs. They could have at least given that lens a different font type which they also copied from Leica. Chinese copy cat - this is my first thought when I look at that lens and TT Artisan as a brand. Their quality is good enough. Why don't they take the leap and carve out their own brand and design that are distinct to them? Voigtlaender managed. They can too.
Appreciated your comment mate. I think there are a few things to know. First, Voigtlander you mentioned also have their own history way before many know about the name. They started after Leica but their lenses were known before many living photographers knowledge. Their designs are derived (and modernised) from their old lenses and more an evolution. TTArtisan on the other hand, a new, small company who start out without much heritage and more importantly, resources, to develop new lenses. Their target is to get their foot in the door and also why they just joined the M43 alliance. This process takes time. Laowa is a prime example what has been done in long term. The early Laowa lenses were quite poor, many looked copies from other brands, but now, they are much bigger, so they can really design their lenses, not just optically but also externally. I support these brands because you need to start somewhere, I've been there myself as a nobody photographer and I know it can be frustrating and disappointing but keep doing what they love to do, one day, things will be better. Lastly, this lens is actually pretty cool, at least in my eyes, yes, it looks Leica, but they are different, optically. I don't mind it as it's a fun collector piece that I want, as mentioned in my video. It seems this echo to many comments here. I don't think anyone would like to spend £2000 for a similar looking and performing lens, just because of a badge. Final word, I think TTArtisan can eventually be a great lens maker, they are in a much better position than others. On that note, I have a few other little lenses here waiting to be reviewed, these are from even smaller companies.
TT Artisan is by no means living off the Leica brand/design. If they were then they should have priced this lens 5x higher and it would still be less expensive than the Leica by half. As a Leica film and digital M camera owner/user I saw no point paying near US $3k for a redo of an ancient design, as much as I might like it. For $300 I welcome this lens, and it is not a copy of the Leica, close examination will bear that out, not to mention a different optical formula.
I love vintage style lenses... But why would anyone buy this? F 5.6?
This isn't a normal vintage style lens. It's more a replica of a very old lens. this lens was known during the old street photography era on the Leica III rangefinder. The compact size was nothing but amazing during that time. 5.6 allows it to be this size. It's not a modern lens so don't expect it to be one. It's for those who want to collect and take out occasionally. For the price, I can't recommend enough if you like things like this.
@@Red35Photography I know what lens this imitates but I still dont buy the f5.6 aperture since there are similar sized things like the Meike 28mm f2.8. And if you want a lens that specifically imitates the Leica foldable lens just get the Industar-10 (which is f2!).
This one is just silly. But this quirky thing aside I do think TTartisan is making some interesting lenses.
@@emilnilsson7991 hahah agreed. Well, like I said I this video, this lens is not for everyone.
For the same reason I bought a vintage (1930's) Leica 28mm f/6.3 Hektor lens. Its character.
@@d30gaijin Please don't compare this to a Leica lens from the 1930's.
Should I be proud of all the out of focus pics?
Is this lens Sharp Enough ??
yes, it's pretty sharp, especially centre region. corners are a little soft, but on a M43, you only get the centre portion, which is the sharpest bit.
@@Red35Photography I wonder how it will perform on a Sony A7 With the focus peaking …
@@T-Prime848 It should be fine. You may experience more vignette but this is a full frame lens to start with.
5.6 :D why people whyyy ? :D if this would be 2.8 it would be interesting, at 5.6 this is just stupid
In streetphotography you commonly use f 5.6 or 8 and this kind of lenses, especially leica lenses were designed for this purpose so... It is useable
@@MasterSekeyi I know set it hyperfocal all that, but a 2.8 lens can always be stopped down to 5.6, but not other way around, not to mention if they were not after the ultimate quality there isnt a problem to make a small 2.8 lens, so I really see no reason for it to be 5.6 and no reason to buy one
I agree. Jimmy mentioned in his video there were some peculiar optical properties around focus and edge to edge sharpness at 07:31 in the video. This matches my experience with 2 EOS M lenses I purchased (50mm f1.2 and 35mm f1.4) . In my case the optic issues with my 2 lenses were bad enough that it threw off the focus peaking on my EOS M50.
@@Moonrakerd I get what you mean but making a 2.8 lense, doesn't matter how small, needs more glas and a minimum size, that would throw of the size factor of this lense and this is clearly not a "serious" lense but rather a tribute to leica vintage
@@MasterSekeyi yea lens for people who dont like logic :D and as for the size look at canon 28mm 2.8 ltm
This lens is so disappointing, do not buy it. It's a waste of money. Let me explain it more. I bought this lens once and when I used my mobile flash light to check the lens I saw many little spots and dusts inside the lens, so I returned the lens and asked them to replace it with another brand new lens. In the second brand new lens, I could still find many spots, so this time i totally returned it and got a full refund. China knows how to mass produce a thing without troubling themselves to do quality check!!! I'm going to buy a vintage lens instead.
best looking lens? Just a copy from the Leica lens with a terrible quality. I sold my TTArtisan after 2 weeks of testing.