TTArtisan AF 40mm F2 - First Look & Sample Images
There's a special place in every photographer's kit for the "nifty fifty" (50mm), but over recent years the 40mm focal length has been stealing the spotlight. I’m guilty of joining this club, with 40mm quickly becoming a favourite focal length of mine ever since picking up my first 40mm lens early this year. I noticed recently even when using a zoom lens that covers 40mm, most photos I take still tend to be at 40mm give or take a few digits.
The focal length of 40mm offers a beautifully natural field of view that some argue matches how we see the world. TTArtisan recently entered this popular space with a lens that is simply hard to ignore: the AF 40mm F2. When a lens boasts full-frame coverage, quiet autofocus, an F2 aperture, and an all-metal build, all while being ultra-compact and costing just $168, it does make your ears perk up. Available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts, this lens promises massive value especially for newcomers to photography or those on a tight budget.
All photos throughout this blog post were taken on the TTArtisan AF 40mm f2 paired with the Sony A7CII (apart from the images of the lens itself).
For those of you that like sharpness charts and photos of brick walls showing the level of vignetting, again I have to stress as I do on my YouTube channel, this is not the place for that. Upon taking this lens out for a test run I approached every scene and subject as I normally would, I simply wanted to see how the images turned out with my normal workflow; feel free to take these example images as you wish, but I always find it's way more beneficial to see actual real-world examples of a photographer's finished images with an item of gear, than it is to over-analyse charts and graphs.
Build Quality
The moment you pick up the TTArtisan 40mm F2, its weight, or lack thereof, is the first thing I noticed. Weighing in at only around 176g, it makes it a dream lens for street and travel photography or the ever-growing minimal carry crowd. The rear lens cap feels a little bit loose and wobbly in comparison to other lenses, this was the same on the TTArtisan 75mm I used earlier on in the year, but overall the lens feels robust and the solid metal construction is really nice.
Key First Impressions:
Premium Feel: All-metal construction gives it a solid, durable feel that defies the budget price. An all-metal lens isn't necessarily the definition of durable, after all this lens has no weather sealing, and of course build quality never means it’s instantly going to output high-quality images, but it's certainly nice to see this attention to detail on a budget lens choice.
Lens Hood Included: A rare and welcome addition at this price point.
Surprise controls for a low-cost lens: Features a clickable aperture ring with 1/3 stop detents, allowing for quick, manual exposure adjustments. The focusing ring is smooth and easily controlled.
A Genius Feature on TTArtisan Lenses - Firmware Updates
TTArtisan again included a standout feature on this offering: the USB-C port is integrated directly into the rear lens cap. This allows you to connect the lens to your computer for firmware updates without having to worry about an external dock or sending it into a service station.
I would say paired with a compact body like the A7CII pictured above, this lens is tiny. But let’s face it, it’s tiny no matter what camera it’s mounted to, even with the lens hood attached. As mentioned, as more and more people seem to be moving away from carrying giant bags full of lenses and more people are picking up small, higher-end cameras to carry around with them on holiday / on their morning commute, size can be one of the deciding factors when it comes to lens choices.
It’s not quite a ‘‘pancake’’ but it definitely ticks the light carry photographers boxes.
Autofocus Performance
While shooting with it, I found the AF to be generally quick and reliable for static and slow-moving subjects, which is normally what I’m faced with when I’m taking photos. I have seen reports of the AF initially being slow which later got fixed with a firmware update. My model may have already had this update prior to shipping, as there were no issues with speed on my end.
Speed: Fast enough, not as instant as premium lenses, but rarely frustrating. I doubt you would notice the difference unless you are a regular G lens user.
Noise: Very quiet, making it suitable for video work where audio capture is critical. I have used more expensive Canon and Sony options that were noisy and struggled with focus hunting in lower light, so this 40mm has your back if you need a quiet lens.
Video: Focus pulls are smooth, though like many budget lenses, you may notice some minor focus breathing if you're looking for it.
Image Quality, Look & Character
The TTArtisan 40mm F2 doesn’t aim for perfection; you can’t expect that for its price point. It has character. This is where the budget trade-offs become noticeable, but often in a pleasing way. I found the rendering of the colours coming from the lens ‘different’ but not unpleasant by any means. I had to switch up my normal editing workflow ever so slightly in order to get the files to respond how I wanted them to, theres quite a lot less contrast present. The vignetting is strong when wide open, but it’s an easy fix in post. This lens certainly has a look that resembles something close to vintage film lenses, just with that modern digital twist.
Cons
Those wanting to zoom into 500% while boasting about the quality and sharpness of this lens are not going to get what they want here.
Zero weather sealing which can be a major downside if you are choosing this lens specifically as a daily carry where it might get wet or knocked about.
Reported to have bad flaring when shooting into the sun (I’m yet to experience this myself but I have seen examples so bare that in mind)
Above, I shot a backlit subject (left) and a heavily shadowed area (right) to see how the lens dealt with these two scenarios. There's a bit of blooming to bright highlights with this lens but in a pleasing way, almost as if a very subtle black mist filter is on the lens. Like I say, this lens certainly has its own personality. Heavily shadowed areas were no problem.
Out of all the images I shot with this lens I would be more than happy to use it for some serious work, yes you can still take ‘portfolio’ mastered images with this lens, but there may be a few occasions where its quirks let you down. I took it along to a product shoot recently and shot a few random frames with it without any studio lights or fancy post processing, the focus fall of is beautiful in my opinion.
Final Verdict
The TTArtisan AF 40mm F2 is not a technically perfect lens by any means; it’s not going to compare to Sony’s native 40mm offering or live up to any other premium prime lenses from the big players you may own or have used in the past, and that’s to be expected, but I do think it’s an outstanding lens for the price. The main reason to consider this lens would definitely be for financial reasons. Lenses are expensive; few can justify a handful of the very best primes, but everybody likes options and exploration.
Who does this lens suit the most?
Budget-Conscious Photographers: An ideal entry point into a fast full-frame prime lens or photographers wanting to try the 40mm length for a period of time before investing in a premium option.
Street and Travel Shooters: Its minuscule size and weight are its biggest advantages.
Photographers Seeking Character: If you prefer a less clinical look, heavy vignetting without post-production fixes, and don’t care about a bit of corner softness, this is a great choice. I’m not sure if this is much of a selling point in the modern day, but I do know a lot of photographers who still prefer vintage glass and images that don’t scream technical perfection. So if that is you, you’re onto a winner here.
I’m not new to photography, but if I was, or if this is all I could afford, I would be more than happy using this for a few years to really learn more about my own photography and what I want out of a lens in order to make more calculated purchases going forward. In the right situation with the right knowledge applied, this lens can get you professional results.
