Damn, that’s big…
Ok, I admit it: curiosity got the best of me. I went ahead and got a new 50mm prime lens.
I always wanted to try and use the Leica Noctilux 50mm 0.95, but I will never be able to justify spending the kind of money needed to get one even if I could afford it.
Then TTArtisan, the Chinese lens manufacturer, announced their version of a super fast 50mm prime lens for Leica M mount, matching Leica’s own Noctilux specifications. And unashamedly copied the aesthetic design of it in the process…
Announced in mid June, the lens was available just weeks later and difficult to find outside of China. I managed to get one from Europe, brand new and with import duty already paid, and it arrived two weeks ago.
My first impressions:
First of all, nice presentation: they are trying to make an effort. But then the instructions for focus calibration and the little screwdriver supplied in the box just bring you back to earth! The instructions are for the TTArtisan 35mm 1.4, not the 50mm 0.95; the 35mm has two screws to work with, the 50mm three. Then it says to use the little focus calibration chart at the back at a 2m distance, and gives a guideline about how much to turn the cam ring on the back of the lens according to the focusing error and in which direction. But there is a problem there: the amount of turning again refers to the 35mm, not the 50mm. I need to turn the ring a lot more carefully than 5mm at the time!
Then the screwdriver: the cheapest quality you can think of. It’s actually a tiny Hex screwdriver, and its head is not so cleanly cut, making it a struggle to get into the tiny screw heads and sticking to them when removing it.
Anyway, stay tuned for a blog post about the focus calibration process. It was…harrowing.
Any good in the hand?
The TTArtisan 50mm 0.95 has a very nice heft, seems well built, although the focus ring is far from buttery smooth. I’m expecting it to improve over time though, as many lenses do. Aperture ring is good enough, moves only intentionally and clicks reasonably well. Spacing of the aperture clicks is not regular, getting smaller at smaller apertures, but it really is no issue whatsoever for me. I heard a lot of people complaining about this on other lenses though, but I can’t fathom what the problem is.
It’s big and heavy.
The main thing hitting you when you mount the TTArtisan 50mm 0.95 on the camera is the size and weight: my camera is now suffering from priapism! The balance is very, very front heavy, a big chunk of the viewfinder is obscured by the lens, and it’s rather unpleasant to hold the camera up while focusing: the left hand, normally supporting the lens, has to have a light touch to focus precisely, so the weight has to be supported by a hard squeeze of the right hand on the camera, which is not the most grippy in the world to be honest. Funnily it seems that The TTArtisan is actually more than 100g lighter than the Leica Noctilux!
Priapism: a nasty condition.
What now?
I will publish a full review of the TTArtisan 50mm 0.95 in the next few weeks. I already shot more than a thousand frames with it and I’m starting to get a more thorough understanding of it.
I will also write a blog dedicated to the focus calibration process and my woes with it, and explain what was the issue.
In the meantime I will keep on shooting the fastest 50mm prime lens I have ever owned. And - don’t faint - I will often be shooting it at F8 as well! I know, it sounds incredible…
Previous comments:
Pete Mark • 7 months ago • edited
Hi! Did you find local distributor or online European shop with the lens in stock?
Flavio Admin Pete Mark • 7 months ago
Hi, I got it from here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/...
He is away though at the moment.
Thanks for checking my blog!Pete Mark Flavio • 7 months ago
I see, thanks. Looking forward to your review of TT. I'm inclined towards buying it upon seeing other opinions, but won't rush it.
Flavio Admin Pete Mark • 6 months ago
Hi Mark, the review is online!