x-ray
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Today I ordered a TTArtisans 25mm f2 for my XT-3 and XE-1. I was thinking of keeping it on my XE-1 body as a toss in the car setup for when I see something I want to photograph and don’t have anything else other than my phone. I find myself making images with my phone and wishing I had something better. This should be a small light weight setup thats easy to carry in a small belt pouch.
I’ve found very little user info and wanted to see if anyone here has any experience with it.
Thanks!
I’ve found very little user info and wanted to see if anyone here has any experience with it.
Thanks!
Dogman
Mentor
I have no experience with this particular lens. The only thing I can really add is that I have used several TTA lenses on my XPro2 bodies and they are pretty much all bargains for the prices. The 35/1.4 and 23/1.4 are both quite nice. TTA build quality is excellent although it's a little unsophisticated by today's techie standards. They are more designed for a "character" look than a pristine clinical look. I like that look--I don't really care if the corners and edges are perfectly sharp in my photos.
At the low prices asked for these lenses, there's no reason not to try them out. The 25mm focal length seems a good choice for your purpose.
At the low prices asked for these lenses, there's no reason not to try them out. The 25mm focal length seems a good choice for your purpose.
nzeeman
Well-known
its a great choice to get that lens - its tiny it seems and will make xe1 very pocketable with it. i use ttartisan 35/1.4 and it is very nice and sharp, tried some others before like 17/1.4 and was also pretty good. i also use xe1 so im sure you will also be satisfied.
x-ray
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Thanks for the comments.
Dogman I agree, I’m not into the clinical look at all. After getting a set of Leicas current top glass I hated the look and sold them and returned to almost exactly the same kit I used in the 60’s. I hate that sterile over enhanced look.
I retired this year from almost 55 years as a commercial photographer and am selling all my Nikon G glass but keeping my Df and the AIs primes I used on it. I love the more subtle look of that older glass.
Looking forward to getting my new lens.
Thanks!
Dogman I agree, I’m not into the clinical look at all. After getting a set of Leicas current top glass I hated the look and sold them and returned to almost exactly the same kit I used in the 60’s. I hate that sterile over enhanced look.
I retired this year from almost 55 years as a commercial photographer and am selling all my Nikon G glass but keeping my Df and the AIs primes I used on it. I love the more subtle look of that older glass.
Looking forward to getting my new lens.
Thanks!
nzeeman
Well-known
yes if you like old glass for most apsc by chinese manufacturers - they just use and adapt old 70s lenses as i found out. i even compared to my voigtlander and voigtlander looks like a bit more details but more glow that any of chinese i have. only thing i dislike with most of chinese fast 35mm was big amount of distortion - but to be fair fuji 35/2 have it more just is hidden by automatic software correction that you cant use when u use chinese lens. so very dirty and lazy move by fuji. i ended up selling 35/2 because i was feeling very unhappy knowing that lens designers did such a lousy job that they have to rely on software. so at least chinese manufacturers are fair and sell us equal lens for 1/5th of money.
x-ray
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I guess I’m not really new to Fuji since I bought my XE-1 not long after they came out but I didn’t use it often until this year. I found I really love the color shooting raw and liked it so much that I started looking g for a new XT-3. I found a new one in an open box deal for $500 off and couldn’t resist. It’s everything I expected and more. Compared to the gear I’ve lugged around over 5 decades it’s a feather weight kit.
I’m pretty content with my kit, XE-1, XT-3, 18-50, 50-230, 12, 8 fisheye and have a 4mm FE under the Christmas tree and the 25 on the way. I told my wife I wanted a Fringer adapter so I could use my Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 G VR II on it and that came today too. Im not planning to routinely carry the 70-200 which is an additional almost 4 pounds. That’s when I want to carry a tripod and get serious otherwise the kit is for vacation travel and pure knocking around fun.
Another reason I wanted to put together a compact lightweight kit is travel. My wife and I just took a 5000 mile driving trip out west along Route 66 in our 2 door Mini Cooper S. Traveling in that is a blast but you carry the minimum, 2 small suitcases, small backpack and both of our camera bags and a 1 series Gitzo CF tripod stowed in the back well. It’s serious fun but you can’t carry much other than essentials.
I’m pretty content with my kit, XE-1, XT-3, 18-50, 50-230, 12, 8 fisheye and have a 4mm FE under the Christmas tree and the 25 on the way. I told my wife I wanted a Fringer adapter so I could use my Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 G VR II on it and that came today too. Im not planning to routinely carry the 70-200 which is an additional almost 4 pounds. That’s when I want to carry a tripod and get serious otherwise the kit is for vacation travel and pure knocking around fun.
Another reason I wanted to put together a compact lightweight kit is travel. My wife and I just took a 5000 mile driving trip out west along Route 66 in our 2 door Mini Cooper S. Traveling in that is a blast but you carry the minimum, 2 small suitcases, small backpack and both of our camera bags and a 1 series Gitzo CF tripod stowed in the back well. It’s serious fun but you can’t carry much other than essentials.
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x-ray
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Ok so I bought myself one for Christmas.
It’s been so cold here I’ve not gotten out to test this lens other than annoying my wife with it inside.
What I like about it, it’s quite small, all metal, smooth focus and aperture. Machining is quite nice.
What I don’t like about it, the focus is smooth but could use a good bit more dampening. Focusing with my index finger and thumb, it’s difficult to not move the focus when you take your fingers off the focus ring. It’s quite touchy. Second the aperture ring is very very thin and very close to the focusing ring. I like to focus wide open and then stop down and it’s very hard to not hit the focus ring while stopping down. It’s really not a great design in this regard.
Now just a little picky thing, the lens cap is all metal and screws into the filter ring. Why a screw-in metal lens cap. A pinch cap like everyone else used would have been much nicer.
Finally the optics aren’t going to give you clinically sharp images. I think it’ll be a good compact snapshot lens but if you want to make larger prints than 8x10 you might be disappointed with this lens. I’m finding one of the issues with sharpness is accurate focusing. Accurate focusing is always key to good inmates but I find the lens harder than most to accurately focus and I’m using peaking with the 100% magnification in the evf.
I think the lens has it use as a casual shooter on my XE-1 body. It should be good at family gatherings or just to carry in the car incase I see something I want a quick shot of. I also see it as a test to see if I’d like a better prime like the Fuji 23 f2. Right now for me it’s all about convenience and light weight.
Please excuse the bad photo. Thirty minutes ago the lights flickered and went out. It’s not a good night for the power to be out as it 28F and headed lower and snowing at the moment.
It’s been so cold here I’ve not gotten out to test this lens other than annoying my wife with it inside.
What I like about it, it’s quite small, all metal, smooth focus and aperture. Machining is quite nice.
What I don’t like about it, the focus is smooth but could use a good bit more dampening. Focusing with my index finger and thumb, it’s difficult to not move the focus when you take your fingers off the focus ring. It’s quite touchy. Second the aperture ring is very very thin and very close to the focusing ring. I like to focus wide open and then stop down and it’s very hard to not hit the focus ring while stopping down. It’s really not a great design in this regard.
Now just a little picky thing, the lens cap is all metal and screws into the filter ring. Why a screw-in metal lens cap. A pinch cap like everyone else used would have been much nicer.
Finally the optics aren’t going to give you clinically sharp images. I think it’ll be a good compact snapshot lens but if you want to make larger prints than 8x10 you might be disappointed with this lens. I’m finding one of the issues with sharpness is accurate focusing. Accurate focusing is always key to good inmates but I find the lens harder than most to accurately focus and I’m using peaking with the 100% magnification in the evf.
I think the lens has it use as a casual shooter on my XE-1 body. It should be good at family gatherings or just to carry in the car incase I see something I want a quick shot of. I also see it as a test to see if I’d like a better prime like the Fuji 23 f2. Right now for me it’s all about convenience and light weight.
Please excuse the bad photo. Thirty minutes ago the lights flickered and went out. It’s not a good night for the power to be out as it 28F and headed lower and snowing at the moment.
