Budget 50mm APS-C lens battle: TT Artisan 50mm f/2 vs. f/1.2

Hey there! This is my review of the new TT Artisan 50mm f/2 full frame lens - but this time on an APS-C camera: My Fuji X-E4! And I brought the TT Artisan 50/1.2, also for APS-C. So come with me now and let's compare these two lenses:
0:00 Intro & first sample photos
1:48 About the TT Artisan 50/2 and the 50/1.2
2:55 Handling & details
5:21 Sharpness (close-up) - 50/2 vs. 50/1.2
6:43 Sharpness (distant shot) - 50/2 vs. 50/1.2
9:17 Sample photo gallery & straylight performance (night shots)
10:44 Bokeh / portrait shots: 50/2 vs. 50/1.2
11:38 Verdict
13:55 Outro
------------------------------
Disclaimer:
The lens for this review was kindly provided to me by NIYI FOCUS, a big Amazon retailer who carry a great selection of lenses and accessories for your digital cameras.
Get the TT Artisan 50mm f/2 - including the metal lens hood as shown in my video - on Amazon US here:
amzn.to/3B8lyTN
Get the TT Artisan 50mm f/1.2 for Fuji X on Amazon US here:
amzn.to/3KFDdFK
Get the fantastic TT Artisan 35mm f/1.4 for Fuji X - also mentioned in this video - here:
amzn.to/3KFD19u
Visit the NIYI FOCUS Amazon shop here:
www.amazon.com/s?me=ARHARGSO6...
------------------------------
See my separate review of the TT Artisan 50mm f/1.2 lens here:
kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHPJmaKiodSKj7s
My instagram:
/ ​
------------------------------
Score:
Weightless - LiQWYD
Lukewarm Hazy - Asher Fulero
I Feel It All So Deeply - Bail Bonds
"Weightless" by LiQWYD / liqwyd
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC BY 3.0
Download / Stream: hypeddit.com/link/ghiu91

[@nesutoneko]

Loving these reviews, keep up the fantastic work!

[@tomscameras]

Many thanks for your feedback! 😀

[@25myma]

Thanks again for another great video Tom!! The corner quality issue was pretty interesting, also the color rendition or the elusive MICROCONTRAST seems a notch higher on the F1.2... Have noticed this in other cases too: lenses with more glass seem to have more resolution/better rendition.

[@tomscameras]

Many thanks for your feedback! I'm not sure if more glass makes lenses better in general as there are also excellent lenses with small glass elements. But maybe there's a trend yes ...

[@25myma]

@@tomscameras I have tried most of the Fuji lenses and specifically the 27 and 18mm pancakes have worse resolution than other lenses...they dont have much distortion, just colors are often fainter and low light performance worse than bigger lenses.

[@VincentTse]

can't wait for u to test the just announced TTartisan 25mm F2 soon!

[@tomscameras]

Yes, I hope to get one of these soon! It looks a cool super-compact couple - this 50mm f/2 and the new 25mm f/2!

[@dubment]

Great review as usual, seriously ! I never leave comments on videos unless I have questions...

[@tomscameras]

Hey, many thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot!

[@trulsdirio]

They pretty much offer great vintage like characteristics at a really low price with the benefit of a small build as they are made for mirrorless systems thus don't needing the big distance to the sensor. I like them!

[@tomscameras]

I totally agree with you!

[@marcp.1752]

Please review also the new TTArtisan 25mm F2 - especially a comparsion with the TTA 23mm F1.4 would be very interesting, Tom.

[@tomscameras]

The 25/2 is already coming along my way for exactly that comparison! 😀

[@marcp.1752]

@@tomscameras excellent, tom! It's rainy here, i do think also in cologne. 🙂 Have a great weekend !

[@karacontreras]

thank you for the detailed review. it's clear to me that i'm gonna buy the 50mm f1.2 😊

[@tomscameras]

You’re welcome! I wish you a lot of fun with this lens!

[@manugeee]

Haha! Very cool trick interchangeable lens mount lenses. 😎😁👍 I really like the fact, that these bring back the feeling of analog photography and that they are engineered for digital cameras. They fit really well on modern cameras. In fact manual lenses were the first step for me into film photography and now I have a whole bunch ofncameras and lenses. This really opened a new door into the photography for me. 🖖

[@tomscameras]

I couldn't explain any better than you why I so much love shooting that basic manual-focus glass on my Fuji's!

[@canermustafa9404]

Fantastic video, thank you.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks a lot for your positive feedback! 🙏🤩

[@d30gaijin]

Excellent comparison, thank you. Since I have the TT Art 50mm f/1.2 I think I will be keeping it and forgo the 50mm f/2 even though it is more compact. The TT Art 50/1.2 remains an excellent performing lens especially considering the cost.

[@tomscameras]

Yes, absolutely true. I'm waiting for the 25/2 right now. Together, that and the 50/2 could make for a great light-weight travel combo. But I agree that for most, the 50/1.2 is just too good to justify that you additionally buy the 50/2!

[@d30gaijin]

Don't know if you've had a chance to try one yet but the Meike 50mm f/0.95 is worth looking into. Maybe I just received a very good copy but it is the best of the fast 50's from China or Japan I have tried, and I refer to performance at f/0.95. Naturally it gets even better stopped down but excellent performance at f/0.95 as such things go (I have yet to see a truly outstanding f/0.95 lens of any make at f/0.95). .

[@tomscameras]

@@d30gaijin No, I didn't try out the Meike yet. At first glance, it looks extremely similar to the 7Artisans 50/0.95. Sony Alpha Blog did a comparison between the Meike, 7Artisans and TT Artisan f/0.95 lenses and yes, the Meike is the winner of that comparison: sonyalpha.blog/2022/07/29/meike-50mm-f0-95/

[@danbei2232]

Nice review!

[@tomscameras]

Many thanks Dan!

[@adnanomanovic2846]

Great review. I have 1.2 version, weight and size is appealing with f2, but I like more light. Is there any possibility for you to review a new ttartisan 25mm f2? I’m very interested in that lens.

[@tomscameras]

Yes, I will shoot and review the new TT Artisan 25/2 and I will also compare it with the 23/1.4. When I get the lens I will also post something about it in the „community“ section of my KZbin channel!

[@danneukirch4486]

Awesome informative video, thanks! I think I need to buy the 50 1.2 - so cheap it's worth a try.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks a lot for your feedback! I hope you’ll have a lot of fun with the lens!

[@fch5956]

I have a Fuji xe4, and I preferred to buy the 50mm f2, for its weight and size. together with the fuji 27mm or 35mm f2, it is a great portable kit for travel and street photos. the biggest problem of the 50mm f2, are the flares (I ordered a lens hood) but I am satisfied with the general quality of the images.

[@tomscameras]

Yes I also ran into the flare issue during my shootings as you can see in the video where I am talking about night shots. Overall I would have loved if the lens would perform a bit better (like the fantastic 35/1.4) but maybe that’s the price to pay when they design one cheap lens for both APS-C and full frame … By the way there now is a brand new TT Artisan 25/2 (APS-C only) that looks exactly the same from the outside as this 50/2. Maybe these two will be a great inexpensive and compact travel kit. I hope I‘ll get s sample of that 25/2 soon!

[@fch5956]

@@tomscameras out of curiosity the 50mm f1.2 has the same problem of flare? great news for the 25mm, I'll buy it instead of the 23mm f1.4 which I don't like aesthetically

[@tomscameras]

Yes the 50/1.2 is better regarding flares BUT especially in those night shot situations you'll still often run into a situation where you want to shade the front lens elements also when using the f/1.2! But I think that is acceptable because no lens can ever be free of any flares. Like Phillip Reeve - very thorough and extremely detailed lens reviewer - often says: It's easy to find a situation with a strong light source shining on the front elements where every (!) lens will look really bad! Having said that, yes, the 50/2 is a bit more problematic in this regard than average. Note that NIYI FOCUS - the retailer that sent me the lens for this review - actually sells the 50/2 with a free lens hood. Normally, TT Artisan lenses come without any hood ...

[@1977dobermann]

FCH, Interesting, one question is in what situations you use the 50mm vs the27/35mm? Thanks

[@henrysiegertsz8204]

I shoot manual with my AF Fuji primes around 80% of the time. I just ordered the 25mm F2 for a compact full manual street lens.

[@tomscameras]

As long as you don't accept Fuji optical performance, I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with this lens. We're having constant rain since a few days, so my review of the 25/2 is delayed a bit. But what I can say is that the 25/2's performance is similar, in some respect a little bit better than the 50/2 on Fuji!

[@guspreasley2109]

Hi Tom!Expecting my 50mm f1.2 along with the 35mm f1.4!But I write to you because I am blown away by the quality of this video!What was this video shot with(Lens - camera- film simulation/ flog)?Thanks in advance!

[@tomscameras]

Video equipment is a Sony A7 IV with Sigma 35/1.4 and Tamron 28-200 zoom lens. In this case we used S-Log and then the contrast and color etc. were edited in post.

[@Vaytarni]

So would the lens mount be interchangeable with the TTArtisan 35mm f1.4? I have the 35mm in mft mount, and the 50mm f2 is hard to find in mft mount as it's discontinued. Thanks in advance.

[@richardschrader6011]

Great video….have u tried the 32 2.8 yet on Fuji,,,if not, please do !

[@tomscameras]

I didn’t try it yet! Have to admit that the specs sound more interesting for a full-frame camera though. For the Fuji, I reviewed the Viltrox / Tokina 33/1.4 with autofocus … it’s two full f-stops faster!

[@josemanuel2244]

Hi Tom! I have the ttartisan 35mm . Have you reviewed a manual 50mm that can be compared in terms of performance to the ttartisan 35mm?

[@tomscameras]

I've checked out and reviewed the TT Artisan 50/1.2, the 50/2 and the 7Artisans 50/0.95 lenses. Overall, I think the TT Artisan 35/1.4 is optically better than all of these. It's their first APS-C lens and to this date, overall also their best one! I didn't check out the TT Artisan 50/0.95 yet, but as with the 7Artisans 50/0.95, those f/0.95 lenses are much heavier and bigger, so I think they're catering at a different audience anyway. I also didn't check out the Kamlan 50/1.1 II, but again that is a very big and heavy lens.

[@dummatube]

Very interesting as usual Tom! I am a BIG fan of the TTArtisan lenses and I also keep buying, testing and selling them along with the 7Artisan lenses to compare the two brands. I really like the compact TTArtisans f/2 for my 'walkabout' Fuji X-E4 and the overall image look suits my shooting style - my 50mm f/1.2 was too big and I don't shoot portraits. Also as a bonus the TTArtisans 50mm f/2 now comes in silver and so does a new version of my brilliant 35mm f/1.4 so I am on my way to building a lovely 'Retro Look' black and silver camera kit around my fabulous Fuji XE-4.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks for your feedback! I also love to use my two TT Artisan f/2 lenses because they're so compact on the X-E series bodies! It's great that these lenses are all available in silver as well. I'm sure the silver ones will also go well with the Nikon Zfc, for example!

[@shred3005]

5:25 I’m sure I stood just near that spot taking a photo 4 yrs ago while on a trip from Australia catching up with friends in Cologne I already have the TTartisan 50mm f1.2 on my X-E4 and think I would prefer this f2 version for size and weight. I have a big DSLR as well and the point of the X-E4 is small and discrete but the f1.2 isn’t that and unless it’s stopped down to f2 or F2.8 it’s a bit too dreamy wide open. Maybe I can sell it and get the f2.

[@tomscameras]

We were shooting this video in the old town of Cologne. Very close to the Rhine. There are several small streets and paths there. It is, sadly, also a bit touristic these days. But still very nice! I understand why you are considering the 50/2. I am getting the brand-new TT Artisan 25/2 now as well for a review. I think the two will be a great set for travel. One medium-wideangle and a short telephoto lens. Just be aware that the 50/2 also is not optically perfect - especially for landscape shots you will want to stop down to f/5.6 or even f/8. For more close subjects, I find it very good. And be aware that stray light can be an issue sometimes. (Maybe that's why the vendor that supplied my lens are shipping these with a lens hood!)

[@enshongmiranda]

Did you find the distance scale on the lens inaccurate? Like if you focus at .5m, it actually focuses a bit farther than 50cm. The f2 is also 2/3 to 1-stop darker than other lenses at the same exposure settings.

[@tomscameras]

My sample of this lens focuses down to approx. 52cm measured (measured from subject to the sensor plane symbol on my Fuji camera) when I focus to .5m. I think that is reasonably accurate for this sort of focus ring markings. And yes, you are right: The light througput is always a subject with many lenses. Especially at open aperture! You will often find that between open aperture and 1 f/stop down, difference in shutter speed is maybe only 2/3 or 1/2 stops. That goes for maybe all or most of all lenses. At f/4, f/5.6 etc., my Fuji will select the same shutter speeds with both my TT Artisan 50/2 and 50/1.2 ... but when you go to f/2.8 and f/2, then the 50/1.2 lens is definitely a bit faster yes. However, between f/2 and f/1.2, it also won't go another full stop faster in shutter speed anymore. Again, I encountered this behavior on a lot of lenses.

[@iamagolfkrazyguy]

I really like your videos. Your presentation is really good. There is just something I don't quite understand and I hope you could help. On this review of these 2 50 mm lenses, one lens is a full frame lens and the other one is an aps-c lens. When the 50 mm full frame lens is on the full frame camera, it stays as a 50mm lens and on an aps-c camera it becomes a 75mm. And if the aps-c 50mm lens is on the aps-c camera, will it stay as a 50mm lens or as a 75mm lens? Thanks in advance.

[@tomscameras]

Hey, many thanks for your comment! The lens itself stays the same. Focal length 50 mm means literally that if you use the lens as a magnifying glass (which you can!) that the focal point will be 50 millimeters away from the main lens plane. The difference between APS-C and full frame is just how big the sensor is. If the lens is 50 mm, then still more field of view will fit on the larger full frame sensor than on the smaller APS-C sensor. So if you take a photo with 50 mm on APS-C, the same field of view will fit like if you’d take the same shot with a 75 mm lens on full frame! That’s why a 50 mm lens on an APS-C sensor is called a „75 mm equivalent“ lens! It does not matter if any 50 mm lens is designed for full frame or not in this regard - it always will be a 50 mm lens. But the lenses „designed for APS-C“ will usually not work on full frame sensors cause they won’t cover the whole sensor area then … the corners of your frame will be dark and/or very blurry. I hope you get what I mean? 😇

[@iamagolfkrazyguy]

@@tomscameras thank you.

[@youbidou9913]

Hi, I can’t connect my TTArtisan 50mm F1.2 lens to my XE-4, do you have any idea why ? Everything is ok, but when I click to shoot nothing happens. Thanks for your help 😁

[@tomscameras]

Hey. There's a setting in your Fuji's menu that you need to set, it should be called "SHOOT WITHOUT LENS". It is disabled on most cameras so you need to do that first!

[@izamarienaive3898]

Hi is it compatible with the X-T5? Coz i'm planning to order it too. Thanks :)

[@tomscameras]

It’s manual focus and doesn’t have any electronics, so it works on every Fuji X camera, also the X-T5!

[@1jozy1111]

What about the actual speed difference between them?

[@tomscameras]

I checked out again and here's the result: It is exactly 1 full f/stop between these two lenses. So when you get 1/200 sec with the 50/1.2, you'll need 1 stop longer = 1/100 sec with the 50/2. When you set the 50/1.2 to f/2, it will also give the same 1/100, I just cross checked. So the speed difference sounds a bit less than it should be. But keep in mind that super-fast lenses (especially f/1.4 and faster ...) tend to be a little bit slower as expected when it comes to the actual T/stop (T/stop refers to the real lens speed, not just to their geometrical aperture size). I have noticed this behaviour with a lot of other f/1.4 or f/1.2 or f/0.95 lenses as well. When shooting an f/2 or slower lens, it's usually not really noticable anymore.

[@Frank-yb9hf]

is there any better budget lens 50mm for fuji?

[@tomscameras]

The other lens that I am aware of is the 7Artisans 55/1.4 II. I did not shoot this lens myself yet. Marten and Diana from 5050 Travelog have a review and also comparison with the TT Artisans 50/1.2. Here’s the link, maybe it’s helpful for you: www.5050travelog.com/camera-and-lens-reviews/7artisans-55mm-f14-ii-review

[@Frank-yb9hf]

@@tomscameras cool, danke Thomas!

[@iTedTube]

Exactly the video I needed for my xt30, but at the end i still don't know which one tu buy 😅 I wanted to try a manual lens and i really wonder which one is the best (I've already have xf 35mm f2 with AF)

[@tomscameras]

Sorry for adding to the confusion 😅 … I would say the 50/1.2 is more fun and exciting as it gives you the option to play with the ultra-fast aperture. You’ve already got an f/2 lens even though that’s a 35mm, but still!

[@iTedTube]

@@tomscameras and the 50 f1.2 is a very good looking lens 😉

[@franramm]

hello! why 50 mm f1.2 in not for fullframe , mount? or to much vignetting

[@tomscameras]

Yes, this particular 50/1.2 lens is not designed for full frame as it can't cover the whole image circle. The TT Artisan 50/2 is officially a full-frame lens, but it also already shows a lot of vignetting, see my video of the 50/2 on a Sony A7 series camera here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaGUdphrdrSXrMU But also keep in mind that for not thaaaat much more money you can also get the "plastic fantastic" Sony FE 50/1.8 which does offer auto focus. I also reviewed that one, here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn7UdKCNj891Z7M

[@franramm]

@@tomscameras u are the best! Saludos desde Chile 🇨🇱🩷

[@tomscameras]

Thanks and greetings back to Chile! 😀

[@PraveenKumar-fs6of]

It will be great if you Provide Sample photos to download. 😊

[@tomscameras]

Thanks for the idea. I have to look into that, yes!

[@stefanandel2307]

Can you, please, explain a little more about the Sony E to Fuji X conversion process of your TTArtisan 50mm F2 lens? Thanks.

[@tomscameras]

Hi Stefan! Please watch this short video here, where I explain how I did the mount swap: kzbin.infoo5k0SOO23w4 Notes: 1. you will need two complete TT Artisan lenses so you can swap mounts: one lens with Fuji X mount, one with Sony E mount. As far as I know, sadly you can't buy those mounts separately! (But maybe just inquire with TT Artisan if they are able to ship separate mounts as spare parts.) 2. this only works between Sony and Fuji mounts. Because many other mounts - Canon RF or Nikon Z or L mount - have a much bigger diameter! That means that the TT Artisan lenses made for Canon RF / Nikon Z / L mount also have a different design to allow for those large-diameter mounts. So those TT Artisan lenses won't interchange their mounts with Sony/Fuji X !! 3. note that I didn't hold a TT Artisan lens for Canon M or MFT in my hands yet. Maybe they will interchange with Fuji and Sony E as well, maybe not - I just don't know!

[@vadergrd]

danke , 50 mm f2 is not bad at all!!

[@tomscameras]

If you have realistic expectations and also consider the size and price, it is pretty good, yes!

[@albertsmith9315]

I think these inexpensive lenses are fun to play with or justfiable if they cover some focal length/aperture range that would be prohibitively expensive. After buying both the TT Artisans 17mm f/1.4 and the 35mm f/1.4, I feel they are absolutely worth the modest price, but neither have accurate distance scales or hard stop at true infinity. The real Fujifilm lenses are better in every way, but of course much more expensive. This lens is completing with the excellent Fujifilm XF 50mm f/2 with no technical "advantage" like aperture. Bite the bullet, buy the XF lens and long after you forget the financial outlay, you'll be enjoying a superb optic.

[@tomscameras]

You can adjust the hard stop at infinity. I absolutely love that feature. To be honest, even my vintage Nikkor or Olympus glass is almost never 100% accurate in that regard, so having an easy way to adjust it yourself is in my personal opinion the best solution ever possible! I shot the Fujicrons 23/2 and 50/2 a lot a few years ago. If you want autofocus they’re absolutely great! I‘d never advise against buying those! However at the price point of the Fuji 50/2, there’s also a lot of other very interesting other options again 😀

[@milkyway6080]

@@tomscameras I've also adjusted it myself on my Ttartisan lenses, I'm not expert, brave or something like that, it's just an easy procedure that improves a lot the lens handling and the final perception of it

@@milkyway6080 how did you adjust that? I've got the 35mm f1.4 and the 50mm f1.2, thanks in advance!

[@followtheboat]

​@ Tom links to one of his shorts in these comments. It looks pretty straightforward.

[@ab2128506]

It's obvious that both TT Artisan 50mm f/2 and TT Artisan 25mm f/2 are actually 4/3 lenses...

[@tomscameras]

I guess you're talking about the border / corner performance on APS-C? But no, I don't agree with that. The 50/2 is even sold for full-frame, even though in that role it really struggles a bit.

[@La_Chn]

Danke für das Video :) Ich muss aber mal fragen, ob schonmal jemand mitgeteilt hat, dass der Kanaltitel Tom-Scam(m)er-as nicht unbedingt eine gute Marketingentscheidung ist :D

[@tomscameras]

Hahaha 😂 … Tom’s Cameras … vielleicht sind ja alle anderen zu freundlich und daher hat sich noch keiner beschwert!

[@La_Chn]

@@tomscameras Zum Glück bin ich im Internet sehr unfreundlich.

[@tomscameras]

@@La_Chn 🤪