GET THE LENS HERE: SONY - geni.us/mEOWw or geni.us/zSuS FUJI X - geni.us/loqpEG or bit.ly/3tpgcCL CANON EF-M - geni.us/2MNpW or bit.ly/3tpgcCL CANON RF - geni.us/1JdaqIE or bit.ly/3tpgcCL NIKON Z - geni.us/WO4PBVe or bit.ly/3tpgcCL MICRO 4/3 - geni.us/yOmBF or bit.ly/3tpgcCL L MOUNT - geni.us/idob4N8 or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
The infinity stop is adjustable via the three small set screws. Search other videos to see/hear about details. I did it on my copy and my TTArtisan 50mm f/1.2. On this lens, it was difficult to break free the focus ring because they used too much lock tight during assembly. But I got it after warming up the lens a bit. Anyway, once you adjust the infinity stop to exactly infinity focus, it’s nice for when to shoot distant subjects like landscapes or sunsets.
I like this manufacturer quite a bit for quality and value, and have purchased their products previously. My minor complaint is no aperture setting/stop between F8 and F16 on many of their lenses.
Ive noticed this as well, although on most aps-c lenses I've used, begin to show the effects of diffraction around f/8. Generally i don't go past f/5.6 for this reason anyway.
This lens is AWESOME. It's been a month since I got it and it is one of my favorite lens (I own about 10 Fuji X mount lens). It produces flares when pointed directly to light sources but the effects are absolutely lovely. It transforms your Fuji camera into a manual focus film camera. Thanks Mark for your amazing work!!
I highly recommend this lens. I picked it up to pair with my XE4 and I took it to a studio photoshoot out and I was blown away by the results I was getting!
For $5 or $10 more, I'd go with the Brightin Star 25mm f/1.8. It's only 2mm thicker (33mm vs. 31mm). But it has a 7-element lens (vs. 6), closer focus (20 cm), distance markings in meters and feet, and even a depth-of-field scale.
I generally like TTartisans' offerings, having several of them now. This is one of my favourites. The size and build quality is just perfect for me and the FOV is great. It offers a hint of wideness without being obviously wide like a 23mm or wider. I find my copy has a very good IQ and I have no complaints on that front. Pair it with the similarly designed 50mm f2 and you have a perfect travel duo. I really wish TTartisans would release a 35mm f2 in the same body style. The hard infinity stop on many TTartisans lenses are not accurate. No worries. It is a simple job to calibrate them oneself if required.
I paired that lenses with my xt4 and love it. I was looking for a pancake lens and chose that one to force me to practice manual focus more often, and obviously the 40$ price here is Asia was attractive. As someone mentioned as soon as you direct it to some source lights, it creates some very nice flares. the image is soft, i love to use it for some documentary style projects and it’s my everyday day lens to shoot my family.
I have this lens and it has basically replaced my Fujinon XF27 F2.8. It's the same size, better aperture, easy focus (or zone focus with F8) and is a pleasure to use. I too am shocked that it's not more popular
Excellent video. I haven't been inspired by a lens video in a while, and so often the photos that people share in their lens reviews look like garbage. These photos are excellent and show what can be done with a good eye.
Love these reviews ! I really appreciate the fair treatment and how you cover all aspects that in my opinion matters when it comes to actually using the gears. All the best !
TTA are killing it at the moment, and it's even more impressive considering the company is only a few years old. I have the AF 27mm f2.8 and really enjoy it, basically lives on my camera. Another awesome review, thanks!
I really love and appreciate all your content. Some us just can’t afford to spend $$$ on this hobby. Thank you for helping me make better purchasing decisions to get the best value. I’m excited to try this out, even with the manual focus.
Yes, although right now the cost of used lenses has dropped a lot, and you really don't need very many lenses as long as you choose wisely. It's probably the biggest benefit to all this mirrorless nonsense that the previous lenses have become extremely inexpensive on the used market and often the bodies as well. This is probably one of the best times to get into photography that folks will ever have.
Thank you for the introduction to this lens, Mark. FYI, as of today (4/4/2024), there is no Canon model of this lens listed at Amazon or TTArtisan. Neither EF-M nor RF. The TTArtisan site shows these two camera options greyed and crossed out.
Yes, i was SHOCKED! my photos were beautiful. I watched your review before i bought this, then i got it went to Vietnam and just had a great time! This review helped me a lot and i enjoyed shooting with it with my 8 year old camera. Thank you!
I have this lens too and like it. One tip for Fuji shooters, the plastic screw on lens hood from the 35 f2 Fuji Lens are 43mm and fit perfectly on the TT Artisan 25 f2. I use the one from my 35 f2 and the Fuji lens cap all the time on the TT 25 f2. My copy the focus goes way past infinity. I tried to adjust it but two of the screws appeared to have some sort of thread lock applied as they would not budge.
After loosening the screw you got to push the focus ring away from the mount side. It have some sort of strong glue between focus ring and the mechanism If it's the screw which won't turn it's a different story
Totally agree with everything you said about those budget-friendly lenses. I have 7Artisans 25mm 1.8f and after two years of using it, it never ceases to amaze me with the footage I get with that little fellow. You get double the amount of satisfaction with your work when you use one of those.
Oh, this is perfect! Long time fan here, I bought some canon M6 MII gear a while back before taking a journey with Fuji. I was thrilled to see you do more videos for aps-c camera lenses. I’ve been hankering for a 35mm equivalent and have been trying to make my Fuji X-t1 more pocketable. Thanks so much for the great video! Can’t wait to play with it! I tend to really enjoy f1.4 lenses, but this looks too good to pass up. Thanks again!
Last week I got the TTARTISAN 23mm f/1.4 for z50ii - Very nice lens! Today I received the special, strange, and cheap 7ARTISANS 18mm f/5.6 pancake - went shooting (z500ii) and am amazed at the image quality and the ease of use of a lens that has a fixed (f/5.6) aperture. There are some very interesting new lenses out there, if you don't mind shooting manual.
Great video! I agree with you about personal safety concerns, especially when traveling, getting robbed on vacation is painful enough, but getting robbed with an authentic bag is even worse. To me, it makes sense to travel with a fake kislux bag and not carry any valuables that you would miss. Also, if your bag gets damaged by dust, stains, accidents, whatever it is, it doesn't matter even if it's fake.
I watched this video about 5x’s and took a lot of notes, which made it more comprehensible. I’m a newbie that is biting off more than I can chew at the moment, but I eventually chew it. Thanks for the exceptional in-depth review.
I bought this lens about 2 months ago and use it almost every day. I use zone focusing for street photography at f/8.0 and I am constantly amazed at image sharpness and overall image quality--with the exception of flare. But as Mark mentions, it's easy to avoid.
I’ve had three copies of this lens, one X-mount (sold when I sold my XE-3), one EOS M mount (sold when I sold all my M mount gear) and finally back to X-mount where it lives permanently on my X-Pro 2. All have been excellent and for me, this lens is an essential purchase. It’s an absolute bargain and for what I want performs well above its price point. Oh, and I also have the 50mm too!
I bought the Canon 24mm pancake lens for my 50D ten years ago and it's the best lens I have for that camera, super build quality and only cost £105.00 with twenty pounds cash back. You don't have to pay a fortune for a great lens.
A decent lens in this size range can be a very special one. Size-wise they are light and small yet they have a very nice range of view. I have an older Tokina 28mm f/2.8 that I love. It works from almost macro range on up and is very sharp. It is manual but very easy to use on a DSLR.
Off topic, but I really like how you create your background. The left side of the screen is tech and color filled with dark lighting, and the right side is lighter colored and more spartan with you as the dividing line. I can only imagine this was purposeful and to my neophyte videographer's eyes very, very effective. Thanks! Great video.
Your comments are spot on by my experience with the lens! Great on my Nex-7 : on manual set an f stop, judge the exposure with the histogram then set an iso to suit.
This is the first lens I picked up for my XE-1. Using it with the first gen xtrans sensor has been just a lovely experience. This camera and lens combo have really scratched my itch for wanting to get back into film. Which I’m grateful for because film processing cost adds up quick.
on my Olympus camera the vignette and corner sharpness problem mostly disappear even at wide open because of the smaller sensor size. And the 50mm equivalent fov is still very versatile. Highly recommend it for M43 cameras!
Crazy, I bought this a month ago and i love it. I use it on my leica CL. I also have the Summicron 23mm f2 but i honestly cant see the diffrence. This feels just as premium and the images are fantastic. I also love the stealthy look, it marches the camera better than the Summicron
I have this lens, and enjoy using it very much. Worth every cent. (I even like the front lens cap). Similarly their 40mm macro at 99 bucks is a winner.
I have and use this on my X-E4. It’s heavier than it looks, and heavier than the Fuji 27mm f2.8, but is very enjoyable with that manual focus vibe and has nice character. I totally agree about the general irrelevance of vignetting and to some degree the extreme corner sharpness. It’s all about usage. Work with the character of the gear to create character in the image.
New Subscriber, after watching this video I went out and ordered the lens for my Sony A6000. Got it in the mail today and I have to say my first impressions are very good. If you don’t mind manual focus ( and I don’t )this lens has all the makings of a winner. Thanks for bringing this lens to my attention and I've been binging on your other videos. Great Stuff! Cheers from Nova Scotia..MikeR.
I just got this lens. It's a lot of fun for the price. Compared to my Fujifilm 23mm F2, the quality difference is night and day. The Fuji is way better quality. However this lens has some quirks that are definitely a lot of fun. The focus roll-off is really interesting and everything has a softness that makes it feel kinda like a vintage film camera. The worst thing about it is the vignetting and flaring. The Flares are insane. Even ambient light from the window inside seems to cause this weird fading in the center while the corners are dark. But if you stop down to 5.6, that all goes away. The view is also very warped. Everything looks kinda round at the edges. Stopping down doesn't really fix that. But this could be one of those weird quirks that are fun to play with. I'd never use it for professional work. But it will be fun for street photography because of the size. And manual focus forces you to slow down a little.
I ordered this one. I own the TT Artisan 50mm F2 and it is fun to use, image quality is fine. I also own a Sigma 30mm F1.4 which is superb and easy to use, sharp and fast. But I tend to take the TT with me a lot more. So the 25mm is ordered for the compact size and probably the same tactile experience as the 50mm. Thanks for the vid.
Totally agree. I’ve put a 24mm on an old apsc camera body (Canon) and now is my to go preferred camera. Light, silent anf easy to use. Thanks for share your experience.
I saved up money for a few months to buy a ZP, but it got scratched on the third day. I cried so much, and then my boyfriend bought me a bag from kislux for me to carry alternately. Anyway, there are so many bags on the street, so as long as others can't see it, I think it's fine. The thought is there.
I just bought this lense and can’t wait to use it if I end up liking it I’m getting the 10mm one he just reviewed. Love how he brings budget options that look great
I have a Fuji xt10 which I'm now using the TT artisan auto focus lens you recommended, the 35 mm f1.8 and I have been absolutely astonished at the beautiful color rendering of this and it's pretty snappy autofocus. The pics look absolutely stunning, and pop as well and amazing for Street photography. I haven't taken it off since I swapped it for the cheap Fuji 25 mm I have. And funny I have that TT artisan you're recommending, which I got on a Black Friday sale and I even haven't had a chance to try it yet so can't wait. Love all your reviews super awesome channel.
@@markwiemelsI also have a Fuji camera but I'm struggling to find any 50mm autofocus lenses that is under $250. Can you help me for this one? Love your channel❤! I'm going to buy 35mm f1.8 soon too.
I just found your channel last week and love your content. I started shooting vintage lenses on a Fuji XT-4 In the spring and haven't looked back. I'll be ordering one of these lenses now as I've been wanting to add a pancake style lens to my bag.
this is my favourite lens!!!! (on the digital leica CL). i love everything about it. it handles well. it is sharp where it needs to be. and the out focus areas have this slight haze that looks like a vintage lens. i love it.
Software correction can eliminate a lot of defects in lenses. My favorite lightweight/compact package is a Sony A6000 with collapsible 16-50 lens. I use DXO and it corrects the CA and barrel distortion. Although sometimes the barrel distortion is helpful. (Improves the shape of heads/faces near the corners of WA photos.)
Great review. It is my impression that a click/stop at infinity reflects manufacturing confidence. And other lenses that go beyond infinity reflect a certain manufacturing sloppiness. I would regard the halo flare as character rather than a flaw. An interesting lens.
You kinda helped change my opinion on this lens. I bought it and was distracted by the flare performance. By f/2.5 it cleans up and by f/2.8 it’s practically gone. This lens is all about using it properly. It may not do everything well, but for the price it’s likely unbeatable.
Hello Mark I just thank you again for your Work. I can t beleive the quality for this Lens , I begin photography from 40 years ago and in the past I use manuel lens , I imagine it s difficult to do the focus with this Lens but with the loop It s really easy to do it .Your Work on chenese Lens is really interesring and really objective. Laurent
Thanks for your detailed review. I am enjoyd most the picture examples in difficult light situations. Sometimes I love to make a picture against all photgraphers rules, because the situation rules ... but any photographer knows, for this some important but less situations you need the best equipement and intuitiv knowledge you can get, how to manage it . If you don´t search this situations, and you are much more home and comfortable in straight situations, you don´t need a perfect lens for any situation, because it does not exist. For example, all professional film- and foto-crews have the job to build the perfect situaition for the planed picture - maybe the sun in opposite of the camera, behind the major motiv ... but not a little bit, no, in a perfect way. This is a lot of work ... and the same work is it for lens maker. Your examples have it shown, in a comfortable situation, this tiny cheap lens make a very good job, and in much more difficult situation, they lose. For me is the result question: Do I need a lens for exceptionell situations, or fits a lens with lower expectations, for example sharpness in smooth light?
This opens up a world of possibilities for those of us on a more restricted budget, especially if they do make decent autofocus lenses that are also inexpensive.
Looking to get into photography and the few times I've come across your channel I've really enjoyed it. Really looking forward to seeing the rest of your future video reviews of lens under $100. Subscribed! Thanks
Great review Mark. Thank you for helping me on my Fuji journey. Just got my first Fuji, I’ve always been Sony and really enjoying the X-T5 so much. I have the Kit lens and a prime Viltrox. Looking forward to this budget lens for exactly how you describe using it for street.
@@JimIBobIJonesYes and fucking habitude of this guy… and it s stupid because you try to guess and read what is written on the lens and you don’t hear too much to him while you do that :) But except that the reviews are excellent and he can find some jewels other UA-camrs don’t and as today hybrids cameras and their lenses are definitely too expensive it s a good way to don t waste money :).
As always great video Mark. I love when i find a cheap lens that preforms beyond my expectations. If you ever get a chance checkout the Pergear 25mm F1.8, this little $69.00 dollar lens is just wonderful.
I love your Channel . I'm from Windsor Ontario Canada and my daughter lives in Australia and I travel to Melbourne a lot, I've taken a lot of images in places you have taken them. Notice you have a Detroit Tigers Hat on, I live across from Detroit.
i have the 50mm version for the Nikon Z mount. got it for around 75 dollars. Manual lens is something every beginner should get. It helps you slow down between photos so it fixes the overshooting habit we develop when we use smartphone and forces you to learn about the effect of aperture and depth of field.
I purchased the this lens to replace my fujian 35mm f1.7 cctv lens which broke on me, I wasn't disappointed, the sharpness is amazing, I use it on a Sony NEX C3, thinking of buying 1 for my Olympus E-PL3 which I use more lately because the C3 doesn't work like it is supposed to.
I don’t have this lens by I have 3 other budget lenses from TTArtisan: their autofocus 27mm f/2.8, a manual focus 35mm f/1.8 and a manual focus 50mm f/1.2. They’re all pretty good for the price, with decent sharpness (at least for that price, of course a $600 or $800 lens will be better), nice usability. They do consistently have bad flaring, so my nighttime city photography can be hit and miss. I also find that the 27mm f/2.8 has pretty bad vignette, especially when stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 doesn't eliminate it but leaves some “dog ear” vignette in the corners (dark triangles in the very corners with a sharp fall-off). So for that reason (for daytime photography) plus the flaring (for nighttime city photography), I was looking for an alternative. And I do like 27mm on my Fujifilm, I find that this 41mm equivalent is the perfect everyday focal length for me. When I raise the viewfinder to my eye, it looks just like what I was seeing or what I had in mind. I had this 25mm f/2 in my short list of possible alternatives, and I am fond of TTArtisan’s products overall, but in the end I decided to invest more and ordered my first non-budget lens for Fujifilm: a Voigtlander Ultron 27mm f/2.
By the way, in an interview the TTArtisan CEO teased they were preparing a product that is not a lens, hinting at them trying to enter a new product category (so I don’t expect it’ll be a lens adapter, since they only have a few). I’m intrigued by what this small company might do.
Yooooo. Your non budget lens choice is the ultimate lens for this system (at least for me) 40 mm, toneh 2, saves the aperture in exif data and sharp as well But aside from flaring, TTA 25mmF2 could fight in the same water with some of the more expensive lens
Another vote for this little gem, I am normally not a fan of " budget lens", coming from 24GM and Sigma 24 DGDN , I was really surprised the kind of optic quality this lens has to offer, now it becomes my default lens on my A6000, the optic, the metal construction, the smooth focus ring, and the metal lens cap...... it's just rediculous all for $55, Sony wants $15 for just a plastic 82mm lens cap.....
Hi from France, I ordered this lens for last christmas 2022 (mounted on Nikon z50) and I'm absolutely satisfied and agree with your review. Great lens for very low budget that's woth the money. But exactly, the flare is just dramatic and really present with high light situation and it's worst under the summer sun, which is too bad because i cannot find any lens hood on the internet for this lens. With one so, that would be better for avoiding hand cover situation^^ Nice review by the way I like your work for testing those lenses, your opinion is honest.
Subscribed because I really want to see more about this lens. I love it so much and tell my friends about it. Had it on my Sony, now have it on Xpro2. Thanks for a great vid!
Ive had the TTArtisans Auto Focus 27mm F2.8 lens for a couple of years and if this manual lens is half as good as the AF 27mm lens its going to be very good indeed.
I LOVE this lens. I record part and sometimes my entire videos on this lens and a canon m50 alone. It looks great on video and it makes a awesome point and shoot lens for the m50 which for me ive had a long love/hate relationship with. But this lens made the camera fit a niche for me outside of my professional photography camera. Its very unassuming and its easy for me to carry the m50 and that lens with me in places my full frame and 24-70 might get some unwanted attention.
thank you for reviewing this. as a side note street photography is still awkward for me- im 6ft 7 its hard to blend into the background lol but the smaller the better, and my smart phone doesnt cut it my canon m50 will enjoy this
For the price it is worth it. However, it's a soft lens in general when compared to Fuji lenses. Another issue I have with it, is when you set the focus to infinity - it's not perfect, so you have to dial back the focus a little to actually get things in focus. For the price, can't complain. But just some things to know.
Thanks for the heads up. Just bought a sony nex 5t and find the kit lens lacking in low light. Above 6400iso doesnt look very good either. Gonna pick this one up once I have some extra money.
The clicked aperture is a huge pro. I have the Mitakon 35mm f0.95, and very often I change the aperture while focusing. Worst, I can’t change the aperture without looking at the lense.
Another great video Mark. I really like their 23mm F1.4, with the retro styling. It's an awesome lens, and only a few bucks more (and a tad bigger) than the f2.0.
So I am a complete photography newbie, I recently bought a Canon EOS 2000D (EOS Rebel t7 if you're from the US) and it hasn't even arrived in the mail yet, and it's my first camera. I believe it is a regular DSLR and to my limited knowledge, this lens is not designed for that, as mirrorless lenses are designed to sit closer to the camera sensor? and the mirror of a DSLR would be in the way, I think? Point is, could you maybe show me a lens that I could get similar results with for a DSLR? As according to my aforementioned limited knowledge, getting an adapter of some kind wouldn't really be worth it, as the photos wouldn't turn out correctly.
I've had this lens for almost a year, and think you did an excellent job of describing its pros and cons. I did end up wanting to use it often for shallow depth-of-field, backlit shots of forest and meadow scenes, and its terrible flaring really disqualified it for that. I ended up buying something else to use for those kinds of shots. But otherwise, it's a much nicer lens than it has a right to be for its price.
GET THE LENS HERE:
SONY - geni.us/mEOWw or geni.us/zSuS
FUJI X - geni.us/loqpEG or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
CANON EF-M - geni.us/2MNpW or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
CANON RF - geni.us/1JdaqIE or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
NIKON Z - geni.us/WO4PBVe or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
MICRO 4/3 - geni.us/yOmBF or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
L MOUNT - geni.us/idob4N8 or bit.ly/3tpgcCL
@@christyack9430 Unfortunately, this video is causing it to sell out on every mount.
Great, available for every mount but Nikon F
@@markwiemelsif the 25mm is unavailable. What do you think of the TTartisans manual 23mm/1.4 vs this one??
What? No Nikon F Mount?
hi Mark, did you do a video on the autofocus equivalent of those lenses? (cheap panckake primes) thanks!
The infinity stop is adjustable via the three small set screws. Search other videos to see/hear about details. I did it on my copy and my TTArtisan 50mm f/1.2. On this lens, it was difficult to break free the focus ring because they used too much lock tight during assembly. But I got it after warming up the lens a bit. Anyway, once you adjust the infinity stop to exactly infinity focus, it’s nice for when to shoot distant subjects like landscapes or sunsets.
To infinity and beyond!
19 mins of non-boring video. This channel is a true discovery for me. Ty and keep it up!
I like this manufacturer quite a bit for quality and value, and have purchased their products previously. My minor complaint is no aperture setting/stop between F8 and F16 on many of their lenses.
Ive noticed this as well, although on most aps-c lenses I've used, begin to show the effects of diffraction around f/8. Generally i don't go past f/5.6 for this reason anyway.
This lens is AWESOME. It's been a month since I got it and it is one of my favorite lens (I own about 10 Fuji X mount lens). It produces flares when pointed directly to light sources but the effects are absolutely lovely. It transforms your Fuji camera into a manual focus film camera. Thanks Mark for your amazing work!!
This is by far the best photography channel I've come across when it comes to lens recommendations. It's my goto now. Keep up the good work Mark.
I highly recommend this lens. I picked it up to pair with my XE4 and I took it to a studio photoshoot out and I was blown away by the results I was getting!
For $5 or $10 more, I'd go with the Brightin Star 25mm f/1.8. It's only 2mm thicker (33mm vs. 31mm). But it has a 7-element lens (vs. 6), closer focus (20 cm), distance markings in meters and feet, and even a depth-of-field scale.
"Price is not indicative of quality"
I generally like TTartisans' offerings, having several of them now. This is one of my favourites. The size and build quality is just perfect for me and the FOV is great. It offers a hint of wideness without being obviously wide like a 23mm or wider. I find my copy has a very good IQ and I have no complaints on that front. Pair it with the similarly designed 50mm f2 and you have a perfect travel duo. I really wish TTartisans would release a 35mm f2 in the same body style.
The hard infinity stop on many TTartisans lenses are not accurate. No worries. It is a simple job to calibrate them oneself if required.
I paired that lenses with my xt4 and love it. I was looking for a pancake lens and chose that one to force me to practice manual focus more often, and obviously the 40$ price here is Asia was attractive.
As someone mentioned as soon as you direct it to some source lights, it creates some very nice flares.
the image is soft, i love to use it for some documentary style projects and it’s my everyday day lens to shoot my family.
I have this lens and it has basically replaced my Fujinon XF27 F2.8. It's the same size, better aperture, easy focus (or zone focus with F8) and is a pleasure to use. I too am shocked that it's not more popular
I'm still new to photography and wondering if the manual AF will be an issues for vlogging and fast moving video compared to the 27mm
Agreed! This is a solid lens. I’ve been using it on my older Fuji cameras, and get great results.
Great to hear!
Excellent video. I haven't been inspired by a lens video in a while, and so often the photos that people share in their lens reviews look like garbage. These photos are excellent and show what can be done with a good eye.
Very kind of you, thanks.
Love these reviews ! I really appreciate the fair treatment and how you cover all aspects that in my opinion matters when it comes to actually using the gears. All the best !
TTA are killing it at the moment, and it's even more impressive considering the company is only a few years old. I have the AF 27mm f2.8 and really enjoy it, basically lives on my camera. Another awesome review, thanks!
I saw the interview with the founder. He have a huuuge camera collection and a passionate person in this subject.
I really love and appreciate all your content. Some us just can’t afford to spend $$$ on this hobby. Thank you for helping me make better purchasing decisions to get the best value. I’m excited to try this out, even with the manual focus.
Yes, although right now the cost of used lenses has dropped a lot, and you really don't need very many lenses as long as you choose wisely. It's probably the biggest benefit to all this mirrorless nonsense that the previous lenses have become extremely inexpensive on the used market and often the bodies as well. This is probably one of the best times to get into photography that folks will ever have.
Great review. I picked up the Pergear 25/1.8 a few years ago and it has also given me some very pleasing results.
Yes, that one looks good too.
Thank you for the introduction to this lens, Mark. FYI, as of today (4/4/2024), there is no Canon model of this lens listed at Amazon or TTArtisan. Neither EF-M nor RF. The TTArtisan site shows these two camera options greyed and crossed out.
Yes, i was SHOCKED! my photos were beautiful. I watched your review before i bought this, then i got it went to Vietnam and just had a great time! This review helped me a lot and i enjoyed shooting with it with my 8 year old camera. Thank you!
I have this lens too and like it. One tip for Fuji shooters, the plastic screw on lens hood from the 35 f2 Fuji Lens are 43mm and fit perfectly on the TT Artisan 25 f2. I use the one from my 35 f2 and the Fuji lens cap all the time on the TT 25 f2. My copy the focus goes way past infinity. I tried to adjust it but two of the screws appeared to have some sort of thread lock applied as they would not budge.
Do you get a vignette with that hood when you stop down?
After loosening the screw you got to push the focus ring away from the mount side. It have some sort of strong glue between focus ring and the mechanism
If it's the screw which won't turn it's a different story
Totally agree with everything you said about those budget-friendly lenses. I have 7Artisans 25mm 1.8f and after two
years of using it, it never ceases to amaze me with the footage I get with that little fellow. You get double
the amount of satisfaction with your work when you use one of those.
Oh, this is perfect! Long time fan here, I bought some canon M6 MII gear a while back before taking a journey with Fuji. I was thrilled to see you do more videos for aps-c camera lenses. I’ve been hankering for a 35mm equivalent and have been trying to make my Fuji X-t1 more pocketable. Thanks so much for the great video! Can’t wait to play with it! I tend to really enjoy f1.4 lenses, but this looks too good to pass up. Thanks again!
Great review! Completely agree - one of those lenses you don't expect much from, that's a surprisingly versatile joy to shoot with.
Last week I got the TTARTISAN 23mm f/1.4 for z50ii - Very nice lens! Today I received the special, strange, and cheap 7ARTISANS 18mm f/5.6 pancake - went shooting (z500ii) and am amazed at the image quality and the ease of use of a lens that has a fixed (f/5.6) aperture. There are some very interesting new lenses out there, if you don't mind shooting manual.
Great video! I agree with you about personal safety concerns, especially when traveling, getting robbed on vacation is painful enough, but getting robbed with an authentic bag is even worse. To me, it makes sense to travel with a fake kislux bag and not carry any valuables that you would miss. Also, if your bag gets damaged by dust, stains, accidents, whatever it is, it doesn't matter even if it's fake.
I watched this video about 5x’s and took a lot of notes, which made it more comprehensible. I’m a newbie that is biting off more than I can chew at the moment, but I eventually chew it. Thanks for the exceptional in-depth review.
I bought this lens about 2 months ago and use it almost every day. I use zone focusing for street photography at f/8.0 and I am constantly amazed at image sharpness and overall image quality--with the exception of flare. But as Mark mentions, it's easy to avoid.
I’ve had three copies of this lens, one X-mount (sold when I sold my XE-3), one EOS M mount (sold when I sold all my M mount gear) and finally back to X-mount where it lives permanently on my X-Pro 2. All have been excellent and for me, this lens is an essential purchase. It’s an absolute bargain and for what I want performs well above its price point. Oh, and I also have the 50mm too!
I bought the Canon 24mm pancake lens for my 50D ten years ago and it's the best lens I have for that camera, super build quality and only cost £105.00 with twenty pounds cash back. You don't have to pay a fortune for a great lens.
A decent lens in this size range can be a very special one. Size-wise they are light and small yet they have a very nice range of view. I have an older Tokina 28mm f/2.8 that I love. It works from almost macro range on up and is very sharp. It is manual but very easy to use on a DSLR.
Off topic, but I really like how you create your background. The left side of the screen is tech and color filled with dark lighting, and the right side is lighter colored and more spartan with you as the dividing line. I can only imagine this was purposeful and to my neophyte videographer's eyes very, very effective. Thanks! Great video.
Your comments are spot on by my experience with the lens! Great on my Nex-7 : on manual set an f stop, judge the exposure with the histogram then set an iso to suit.
This is the first lens I picked up for my XE-1. Using it with the first gen xtrans sensor has been just a lovely experience. This camera and lens combo have really scratched my itch for wanting to get back into film. Which I’m grateful for because film processing cost adds up quick.
on my Olympus camera the vignette and corner sharpness problem mostly disappear even at wide open because of the smaller sensor size. And the 50mm equivalent fov is still very versatile. Highly recommend it for M43 cameras!
Yeah, looks like an amazing budget prime for M43.
Crazy, I bought this a month ago and i love it. I use it on my leica CL. I also have the Summicron 23mm f2 but i honestly cant see the diffrence. This feels just as premium and the images are fantastic. I also love the stealthy look, it marches the camera better than the Summicron
I have this lens, and enjoy using it very much. Worth every cent. (I even like the front lens cap). Similarly their 40mm macro at 99 bucks is a winner.
I am going to try it! Very excited. As a Florist and flower farmer, I look forward to giving this a try with my Canon EOS R. Thanks!
I have and use this on my X-E4. It’s heavier than it looks, and heavier than the Fuji 27mm f2.8, but is very enjoyable with that manual focus vibe and has nice character. I totally agree about the general irrelevance of vignetting and to some degree the extreme corner sharpness. It’s all about usage. Work with the character of the gear to create character in the image.
New Subscriber, after watching this video I went out and ordered the lens for my Sony A6000. Got it in the mail today and I have to say my first impressions are very good. If you don’t mind manual focus ( and I don’t )this lens has all the makings of a winner. Thanks for bringing this lens to my attention and I've been binging on your other videos. Great Stuff! Cheers from Nova Scotia..MikeR.
I just got this lens. It's a lot of fun for the price.
Compared to my Fujifilm 23mm F2, the quality difference is night and day. The Fuji is way better quality.
However this lens has some quirks that are definitely a lot of fun. The focus roll-off is really interesting and everything has a softness that makes it feel kinda like a vintage film camera.
The worst thing about it is the vignetting and flaring. The Flares are insane. Even ambient light from the window inside seems to cause this weird fading in the center while the corners are dark. But if you stop down to 5.6, that all goes away.
The view is also very warped. Everything looks kinda round at the edges. Stopping down doesn't really fix that. But this could be one of those weird quirks that are fun to play with.
I'd never use it for professional work. But it will be fun for street photography because of the size. And manual focus forces you to slow down a little.
I ordered this one. I own the TT Artisan 50mm F2 and it is fun to use, image quality is fine. I also own a Sigma 30mm F1.4 which is superb and easy to use, sharp and fast. But I tend to take the TT with me a lot more. So the 25mm is ordered for the compact size and probably the same tactile experience as the 50mm. Thanks for the vid.
You can’t possibly go wrong, you will love it.
Same for me. @markwiemels: great video's!
is the Sigma significantly sharper/better or not worth the extra?
Depends on your usage autofocus or completley manual?@@vyathaen
@@Raaf_81 well, autofocus would be nice ,but I also want to use it as a webcam ,so the wider FOV will be benefitial.
At 2.8 this lens is sharp. Renders lovely colour. Great FOV at 25mm. Thanks Mark. 👍
Found myself using it all the time! I love the way it is painting the picture ❤
I bought the 27mm AP-c but with autofocus ,bought it as extra when I got my new Fuji x-t50 and I have to say ,it's great! And price even better!
Totally agree. I’ve put a 24mm on an old apsc camera body (Canon) and now is my to go preferred camera. Light, silent anf easy to use. Thanks for share your experience.
I saved up money for a few months to buy a ZP, but it got scratched on the third day. I cried so much, and then my boyfriend bought me a bag from kislux for me to carry alternately. Anyway, there are so many bags on the street, so as long as others can't see it, I think it's fine. The thought is there.
I lent an adapted vintage Olympus 50mm f/1.8 to someone with a Sony 42 mp camera and was blown away by the quality of the pictures.
Based on your video and in pain from GAS I put out feelers a week before Christmas to my cashed up daughter. She took the hint. 😊
I just bought this lense and can’t wait to use it if I end up liking it I’m getting the 10mm one he just reviewed. Love how he brings budget options that look great
You will love them. Especially that 10mm.
I have a Fuji xt10 which I'm now using the TT artisan auto focus lens you recommended, the 35 mm f1.8 and I have been absolutely astonished at the beautiful color rendering of this and it's pretty snappy autofocus. The pics look absolutely stunning, and pop as well and amazing for Street photography. I haven't taken it off since I swapped it for the cheap Fuji 25 mm I have. And funny I have that TT artisan you're recommending, which I got on a Black Friday sale and I even haven't had a chance to try it yet so can't wait. Love all your reviews super awesome channel.
Great to hear! Yea, that lens is fabulous.
@@markwiemelsI also have a Fuji camera but I'm struggling to find any 50mm autofocus lenses that is under $250. Can you help me for this one? Love your channel❤! I'm going to buy 35mm f1.8 soon too.
Using that little lens with my Olympus Pen PL5, and its just awesome cheap combo that I can carry with me everywhere
That would be a cute kit. Does that meant 25x 2 crop.
The lens becomes a 50mm on that camera. 🤷🏻♀️
I just found your channel last week and love your content. I started shooting vintage lenses on a Fuji XT-4 In the spring and haven't looked back. I'll be ordering one of these lenses now as I've been wanting to add a pancake style lens to my bag.
this is my favourite lens!!!! (on the digital leica CL). i love everything about it. it handles well. it is sharp where it needs to be. and the out focus areas have this slight haze that looks like a vintage lens. i love it.
I use one of these lenses on both the Fujifilm XT-1 and X-E2. Absolutely love it!
Side note for viewers, the Olympus 50 1.4 is incredibly affordable, compact and well performing when adapted. Perfect pair.
Software correction can eliminate a lot of defects in lenses. My favorite lightweight/compact package is a Sony A6000 with collapsible 16-50 lens.
I use DXO and it corrects the CA and barrel distortion. Although sometimes the barrel distortion is helpful. (Improves the shape of heads/faces near the corners of WA photos.)
Great review. It is my impression that a click/stop at infinity reflects manufacturing confidence. And other lenses that go beyond infinity reflect a certain manufacturing sloppiness. I would regard the halo flare as character rather than a flaw. An interesting lens.
You kinda helped change my opinion on this lens. I bought it and was distracted by the flare performance. By f/2.5 it cleans up and by f/2.8 it’s practically gone. This lens is all about using it properly. It may not do everything well, but for the price it’s likely unbeatable.
Hello Mark I just thank you again for your Work. I can t beleive the quality for this Lens , I begin photography from 40 years ago and in the past I use manuel lens , I imagine it s difficult to do the focus with this Lens but with the loop It s really easy to do it .Your Work on chenese Lens is really interesring and really objective. Laurent
Thanks, yes, I prefer manual focus lenses. I think it's actually a nicer experience.
What a GREAT little dog. Thanks for the information. Very helpful.
Thanks for your detailed review. I am enjoyd most the picture examples in difficult light situations. Sometimes I love to make a picture against all photgraphers rules, because the situation rules ... but any photographer knows, for this some important but less situations you need the best equipement and intuitiv knowledge you can get, how to manage it . If you don´t search this situations, and you are much more home and comfortable in straight situations, you don´t need a perfect lens for any situation, because it does not exist. For example, all professional film- and foto-crews have the job to build the perfect situaition for the planed picture - maybe the sun in opposite of the camera, behind the major motiv ... but not a little bit, no, in a perfect way. This is a lot of work ... and the same work is it for lens maker. Your examples have it shown, in a comfortable situation, this tiny cheap lens make a very good job, and in much more difficult situation, they lose. For me is the result question: Do I need a lens for exceptionell situations, or fits a lens with lower expectations, for example sharpness in smooth light?
This opens up a world of possibilities for those of us on a more restricted budget, especially if they do make decent autofocus lenses that are also inexpensive.
Agreed currently researching for the best budget AF wide angle lens for my fuji xt3 lemme know what you found :)
Looking to get into photography and the few times I've come across your channel I've really enjoyed it. Really looking forward to seeing the rest of your future video reviews of lens under $100. Subscribed! Thanks
Great review Mark. Thank you for helping me on my Fuji journey. Just got my first Fuji, I’ve always been Sony and really enjoying the X-T5 so much. I have the Kit lens and a prime Viltrox. Looking forward to this budget lens for exactly how you describe using it for street.
Mark, thank you for sharing knowledge of budget fuji setups. very helpful
I have this lens for my X-T2 and for the money it is fantastic. Zone focus and go all day.
This is an amazing video and review of this lens. I don't even have the camera yet, and I'm probably going to pick this one up!
I bought this lens yesterday and took several shots. Then I found this video. I agree with every point
This lens is my go to gift for photography friends. Small affordable and awesome.
Did you really review a product and did not mention what the product is in your Headline or in your Presentation ? Or did I miss it ?
Its to force you to watch the video instead of just noting what product is being reviewed...
@@JimIBobIJonesYes and fucking habitude of this guy… and it s stupid because you try to guess and read what is written on the lens and you don’t hear too much to him while you do that :) But except that the reviews are excellent and he can find some jewels other UA-camrs don’t and as today hybrids cameras and their lenses are definitely too expensive it s a good way to don t waste money :).
0,50 second is the answer
@@philmtx3frit’s in the video and also in the description lol
@@Rolbysworld yes but would be good to start with it :).
As always great video Mark. I love when i find a cheap lens that preforms beyond my expectations. If you ever get a chance checkout the Pergear 25mm F1.8, this little $69.00 dollar lens is just wonderful.
Agree, but the flaring make it unusable in many situations. But if everything fits, the micro contrast is amazing.
I love your Channel .
I'm from Windsor Ontario Canada and my daughter lives in Australia and I travel to Melbourne a
lot, I've taken a lot of images in places you have taken them.
Notice you have a Detroit Tigers Hat on, I live across from Detroit.
i have the 50mm version for the Nikon Z mount. got it for around 75 dollars. Manual lens is something every beginner should get.
It helps you slow down between photos so it fixes the overshooting habit we develop when we use smartphone and forces you to learn about the effect of aperture and depth of field.
Yes! I couldn’t agree more.
I own this lens and love it! Especially considering the incredibly low price. Mine lives on an XE2s and makes for a super compact kit.
Loving the sample photos, thank you for the review 👍
I purchased the this lens to replace my fujian 35mm f1.7 cctv lens which broke on me, I wasn't disappointed, the sharpness is amazing, I use it on a Sony NEX C3, thinking of buying 1 for my Olympus E-PL3 which I use more lately because the C3 doesn't work like it is supposed to.
Amazing review ! You completely sold it for me ❤. Ordered !
Lack of to infinity and beyond kills this for me (I don’t understand how that would even work but I’m intrigued)
Your videos about lenses are soooooo yseful I'm getting tons of information, thanks!
I actually purchased this lens, based on this video. It is really sharp, and feels really well made. It’s awesome on my Fujifilm
X-T5.
Using these manual lenses with the Fuji classic style bodies is just so good, my favourite.
I don’t have this lens by I have 3 other budget lenses from TTArtisan: their autofocus 27mm f/2.8, a manual focus 35mm f/1.8 and a manual focus 50mm f/1.2. They’re all pretty good for the price, with decent sharpness (at least for that price, of course a $600 or $800 lens will be better), nice usability. They do consistently have bad flaring, so my nighttime city photography can be hit and miss.
I also find that the 27mm f/2.8 has pretty bad vignette, especially when stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 doesn't eliminate it but leaves some “dog ear” vignette in the corners (dark triangles in the very corners with a sharp fall-off). So for that reason (for daytime photography) plus the flaring (for nighttime city photography), I was looking for an alternative. And I do like 27mm on my Fujifilm, I find that this 41mm equivalent is the perfect everyday focal length for me. When I raise the viewfinder to my eye, it looks just like what I was seeing or what I had in mind.
I had this 25mm f/2 in my short list of possible alternatives, and I am fond of TTArtisan’s products overall, but in the end I decided to invest more and ordered my first non-budget lens for Fujifilm: a Voigtlander Ultron 27mm f/2.
By the way, in an interview the TTArtisan CEO teased they were preparing a product that is not a lens, hinting at them trying to enter a new product category (so I don’t expect it’ll be a lens adapter, since they only have a few). I’m intrigued by what this small company might do.
Yooooo. Your non budget lens choice is the ultimate lens for this system (at least for me)
40 mm, toneh 2, saves the aperture in exif data and sharp as well
But aside from flaring, TTA 25mmF2 could fight in the same water with some of the more expensive lens
@@fvsch they joined mft group and it's not a lens
(It's probably a camera?)
Another vote for this little gem, I am normally not a fan of " budget lens", coming from 24GM and Sigma 24 DGDN , I was really surprised the kind of optic quality this lens has to offer, now it becomes my default lens on my A6000, the optic, the metal construction, the smooth focus ring, and the metal lens cap...... it's just rediculous all for $55, Sony wants $15 for just a plastic 82mm lens cap.....
Hi from France, I ordered this lens for last christmas 2022 (mounted on Nikon z50) and I'm absolutely satisfied and agree with your review. Great lens for very low budget that's woth the money. But exactly, the flare is just dramatic and really present with high light situation and it's worst under the summer sun, which is too bad because i cannot find any lens hood on the internet for this lens. With one so, that would be better for avoiding hand cover situation^^ Nice review by the way I like your work for testing those lenses, your opinion is honest.
Subscribed because I really want to see more about this lens. I love it so much and tell my friends about it. Had it on my Sony, now have it on Xpro2.
Thanks for a great vid!
Mine arrives tomorrow. Great fun!
Ive had the TTArtisans Auto Focus 27mm F2.8 lens for a couple of years and if this manual lens is half as good as the AF 27mm lens its going to be very good indeed.
I LOVE this lens. I record part and sometimes my entire videos on this lens and a canon m50 alone. It looks great on video and it makes a awesome point and shoot lens for the m50 which for me ive had a long love/hate relationship with. But this lens made the camera fit a niche for me outside of my professional photography camera. Its very unassuming and its easy for me to carry the m50 and that lens with me in places my full frame and 24-70 might get some unwanted attention.
Like always (true ;) a great video in which you pitched such a cheap lens with such solid argumentation
thank you for reviewing this. as a side note street photography is still awkward for me- im 6ft 7 its hard to blend into the background lol but the smaller the better, and my smart phone doesnt cut it my canon m50 will enjoy this
I plan to make a video about this, I have tricks and techniques.
@@markwiemels awesome can't wait thank you!
TTartisan just keeps making great lenses. This one looks great!
For the price it is worth it. However, it's a soft lens in general when compared to Fuji lenses. Another issue I have with it, is when you set the focus to infinity - it's not perfect, so you have to dial back the focus a little to actually get things in focus. For the price, can't complain. But just some things to know.
I use this on my X-E1 and surprisingly it takes really good images, for the price.
Thanks for the heads up. Just bought a sony nex 5t and find the kit lens lacking in low light. Above 6400iso doesnt look very good either. Gonna pick this one up once I have some extra money.
The clicked aperture is a huge pro.
I have the Mitakon 35mm f0.95, and very often I change the aperture while focusing. Worst, I can’t change the aperture without looking at the lense.
I have an even smaller neewer 28mm f2.8 which exceeded my expectations across the frame, but that one I'll keep my eyes open for sure.
I have the same lens that I used for my Z Cam E2 M4 for my run and gun shoots.
Another great video Mark. I really like their 23mm F1.4, with the retro styling. It's an awesome lens, and only a few bucks more (and a tad bigger) than the f2.0.
So I am a complete photography newbie, I recently bought a Canon EOS 2000D (EOS Rebel t7 if you're from the US) and it hasn't even arrived in the mail yet, and it's my first camera. I believe it is a regular DSLR and to my limited knowledge, this lens is not designed for that, as mirrorless lenses are designed to sit closer to the camera sensor? and the mirror of a DSLR would be in the way, I think? Point is, could you maybe show me a lens that I could get similar results with for a DSLR? As according to my aforementioned limited knowledge, getting an adapter of some kind wouldn't really be worth it, as the photos wouldn't turn out correctly.
I've had this lens for almost a year, and think you did an excellent job of describing its pros and cons.
I did end up wanting to use it often for shallow depth-of-field, backlit shots of forest and meadow scenes, and its terrible flaring really disqualified it for that. I ended up buying something else to use for those kinds of shots. But otherwise, it's a much nicer lens than it has a right to be for its price.
those backlit flares is what makes it for me in this lens ahah :D sometimes its too much, but i just love those red light leaks