{"id":53351,"date":"2024-05-27T07:32:54","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T06:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=53351"},"modified":"2024-06-01T07:25:49","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T06:25:49","slug":"review-ttartisan-27mm-f-2-8-the-ultra-portable-lens-for-great-street-photography-aps-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-ttartisan-27mm-f-2-8-the-ultra-portable-lens-for-great-street-photography-aps-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: TTArtisan 27mm f\/2.8 – The Ultra-Portable Lens for Great Street Photography (APS-C)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

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This 27mm pancake lens for APS-C cameras could be a good choice for everyday photography. Its focal length, between a wide-angle lens and a traditional standard lens, offers a versatile perspective that’s quite usable for capturing everyday moments. Its first version, only for Fuji X cameras, was the company\u2019s first autofocus lens. They’ve since expanded to include versions for Nikon Z and Sony E mounts. It is one of the cutest lenses I have ever seen, not only it is small, but also very light and good-looking. The attractive price tag of around $149 makes it an even more compelling option, but how well does it perform?\u00a0 Let\u2019s find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

I review the lens on a Nikon Z fc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"TTARTISAN
Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"TTARTISAN
Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\"TTARTISAN
Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"TTARTISAN
Nikon Z 7II | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"TTARTISAN
Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"TTARTISAN
Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z fc | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Focal Length<\/td>\n27mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Angle of View<\/td>\n56\u00b0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of Aperture Blades<\/td>\n7 pcs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Aperture<\/td>\nF2.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Aperture<\/td>\nF16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Focus Distance<\/td>\n0.35 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filter Size<\/td>\n39 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lens Mount<\/td>\nFuji X, Nikon Z,\u00a0Sony E<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n88~100g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size (D x L)<\/td>\n60 x 30 mm (Nikon Z version)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elements\/Group<\/td>\n6\/5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 Lens Construction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Buy new:<\/strong> TTArtisan Store (discount %)<\/a>, Amazon.com<\/a>,\u00a0 B&H<\/a> for $149 (Affiliate links)
\nBuy used:<\/strong> eBay<\/a><\/strong> from $100 (Affiliate link)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Disclosure<\/span><\/h2>\n

TTArtisan kindly provided this lens for review and testing.<\/p>\n

\"TTARTISAN
TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 on Nikon Z fc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Variations<\/h2>\n

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There has been a limited edition in yellow\/orange color with Fujifilm mount. It was called the Twilight Flame Edition but\u00a0 is discontinued.<\/p>\n

Handling<\/span><\/h2>\n

The TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 is an autofocus lens primarily constructed of aluminium, though it incorporates some plastic components. Despite its solid construction, its extremely light weight may not give the impression of a high-quality lens compared to more expensive models. This compact pancake lens features electronic contacts, enabling full communication between the lens and the camera.<\/p>\n

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This is TTArtisan’s first autofocus lens, powered by a stepping motor, which delivers a respectable but not blazing-fast autofocus speed. It focuses quietly and accurately and relatively fast when the focus point is center area of the frame, but in low-contrast scenes, especially at f\/5.6 or smaller apertures and when the focus point is near the far edges, the autofocus can occasionally hunt for focus.<\/p>\n

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Left to Right: Viltrox 27\/1.2, Laowa Argus 25\/0.95, Nikon 28\/2.8, TTartisan 27\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Surprisingly, for such a compact and affordable lens, it offers a dedicated manual aperture ring with click stops at 1\/3rd-stop increments, and an A position for automatic aperture control.<\/p>\n

\"TTARTISAN
TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 on a Nikon Z fc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The rear lens cap sports a USB-C socket with contact pins inside, which enables the lens firmware to be updated, whenever a new one is available. I have already updated mine once, and it was easy and straight forward. Attach the cap on the lens, connect the the cap to the computer with a USB-C cable with data contacts, download the firmware from TTArtisan website, unzip and put firmware file onto the lens disk, done!<\/p>\n

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The lens comes with a very tiny lens hood that screws on like a filter. Another advantage is that filters and the front lens cap can still be attached even with the hood on. This small hood is barely noticeable when mounted, allowing it to stay on for constant protection. However, its effectiveness against lens flare was limited in my tests, so I would not bother having it on at all.<\/p>\n

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Optical Features<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sharpness (Infinity)<\/span><\/h3>\n

For the infinity sharpness test, we look at three areas of the image, center, mid-frame, and corner, see highlighted areas in the image below!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Infinily Sharpness Points of Inspection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"TTARTISAN
Infinity Sharpness | TTArtisan AF 27mm f\/2.8 | Nikon Z fc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The sharpness is very good wide open at f\/2.8 already, though some useres might prefer a bit more contrast. Stop down to f\/4 and you get excellent sharpness and contrast. Even the extreme corners start with good sharpness, becoming very good at f\/5.6 and excellent at f\/8.\u00a0 At f\/16 you can see a small degradation due to the diffraction effect.m Overall, this tiny lens exceeds my expectations with performance.<\/p>\n

Sharpness (Portrait)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s look at the points of interest for portraits at the portrait distance: the very center, the center\u2019s inner periphery\u00a0 (1\/3 rule intersection), and the center\u2019s outer periphery (1\/4th intersection).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Portrait Sharpness Points of Interest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n