TTArtisan has produced several affordable and well-regarded manual lenses in recent years. Now, they’ve introduced their first full-frame autofocus lens: a 75mm f/2, available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts at a budget-friendly price of $178. Lenses in the 50mm to 85mm range are typically known for their strong optical performance, and this focal length is particularly well-suited for portraiture and general-purpose photography, offering a slightly tighter field of view than a standard 50mm. The 75mm f/2 allows for excellent subject isolation while maintaining enough background detail to keep the blur subtly recognisable. Let’s dive into its strengths and weaknesses!
I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf) You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
TTArtisan has done it again. After previously remaking the legendary Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8—renowned for its distinctive soap bubble bokeh—they’ve now turned their attention to another iconic lens: the Big B, or more precisely, the Carl Zeiss Biotar 75mm f/1.5. This legendary lens, famous for its swirly bokeh, sharp centre, and 3D pop, has become something of a myth over time.
While TTArtisan has never claimed to have replicated the Biotar, the lens’s shape, mount choice, and, more importantly, its optical formula leave little to the imagination about what they have aimed to mimic.
The Biotar 75mm is often called the “Original King of Bokeh,” as the popular Soviet-era Helios 40 85mm f/1.5—known simply as the “King of Bokeh”—is rumored to be based on the Biotar’s design due to their similar optical formula.
Thanks to its unique optical characteristics, limited production, and beautiful bokeh, sharpness, and 3D pop, the Biotar 75mm f/1.5 became highly sought after, eventually turning into a collector’s item. Prices on the used market soared to between $1,500 and $4,500, depending on the version and condition. Now, let’s take a closer look at TTArtisan’s remake of this iconic lens!
I tested this lens on a Nikon Zf. You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
We didn’t see many pancake lenses for Sony’s fullframe E-mount cameras that actually deserve that title and when it comes to those featuring auto focus it starts to look really dire. Viltrox comes to rescue by offering this Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FE Pancake lens with the nickname “Chip”. As is always the case with such small lenses, there are some quirks to be aware of, so let me walk you through them.
Sample Images
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FESony A7III | Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FESony A7III | Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FESony A7III | Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FESony A7III | Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FESony A7III | Viltrox AF 28mm 4.5 FE
A replica of the Leica 35mm 2.0 Summicron from the 1960s was actually Light Lens Lab’s first project. This lens was also known as “eight element” because of its optical design consisting of 8 elements in 6 groups, and this is the name Light Lens Lab picked for it. Let’s have a closer look! This lens will be reviewed on the 42mp Sony A7rII and the 24mp Leica M10.
I thought I had already used all of Kodak’s color negative films still in production, but I somehow managed to miss out on the Pro Image 100. How does it compare to the readily available Gold 200 and the Portra 160? Let’s try to find out. Processing (C-41) and scanning was done at urbanfilmlab in Germany, the pictures in this article are from one roll of film.
Nikon F80 | Kodak Pro Image 100 | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/1.4Nikon F80 | Kodak Pro Image 100 | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/1.4Nikon F80 | Kodak Pro Image 100 | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/2.8Nikon F80 | Kodak Pro Image 100 | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/8.0Nikon F80 | Kodak Pro Image 100 | Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX | f/8.0
Sony α | Leica M | Nikon F/Z New article every week
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I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
