camera lens review | FUJI X WEEKLY

Review: TTArtisan AF 56mm F/1.8

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

A few months back Pergear reached out to me and asked if I would like to test an upcoming lens. This is actually the second time that this has happened; the first was the TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8. Now this time, the lens is the TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8. Unlike the 35mm lens, which was quite obviously an early-preproduction model, the 56mm seemed very production-ready. It’s still technically a preproduction model, but I don’t think there’s much, if any, changes between my copy and the final version that is now available for purchase; however, just to be completely transparent, there could be something different that I’m unaware of.

The TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 lens is an affordable autofocus portrait lens for Fujifilm X-mount. I’m sure it’s available for other lens mounts, too, but this is a Fujifilm-centric website, so we’re specifically talking about using it with Fujifilm cameras. Because of the crop factor, 56mm on APS-C is an 84mm full-frame-equivalent focal-length, which means that it is basically an 85mm lens, a fairly common focal-length for portrait photography. I’m not a portrait photographer myself, so I mostly used it for other subjects.

The maximum aperture on the TTArtisan AF 56mm lens is f/1.8, and the minimum is f/16, with 1/3 intermediate-stops in-between the full-stops. The minimum focus distance is about 20″, which is decent. There are 10 elements in 9 groups, with 9 aperture blades. The lens accepts 52mm threaded filters. It is made mostly of metal and weighs about half a pound. It has similar dimensions to the TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8, which means that it is reasonably-sized for a telephoto. The autofocus motor is fairly quick and quiet, but not quite as snappy as most Fujinon lenses that I’ve used, and it has a tendency to hunt sometimes. It comes with a little lens hood. Like the 35mm lens, the firmware for this lens is updated via a USB connection in the rear lens cap, but apparently requires a Windows operating system. It has electrical contacts, which means that the lens information is recorded into the EXIF data.

This TTArtisan is pretty good optically, and I really don’t have a lot to say about it. Oftentimes with these less-expensive third-party options, there are flaws which can give your photographs character that precision-engineered glass cannot. If you appreciate that character, it might be a reason to purchase the lens, and if you don’t appreciate it, that might be a reason not to buy. The TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 doesn’t have very many flaws, so it lacks the typical character that one might expect; instead, you have good sharpness corner-to-corner without vignetting or other issues, especially when stopped down a little—wide open, there is a little corner softness and vignetting, but it’s not bad. I’m not convinced that this lens can fully resolve the 40mp sensor found in some of the latest cameras. I don’t think that really matters—for example, I sometimes use the Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 kit zoom, which also doesn’t fully resolve 40mp, and I don’t think twice about it and I’m not bothered by it in the slightest. I believe that maximum sharpness is around f/5.6, but I didn’t do any scientific tests to figure that out.

My opinion is that any and all lenses for Fujifilm X-series cameras should have an aperture ring. Of course not all of them do—not even all Fujinon lenses. Many of the low-budget options don’t have an aperture ring; a lot of third-party lenses are made for multiple lens mounts, and aperture rings aren’t necessarily common for other brands. The TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 does not have an aperture ring, which is my largest negative comment about it. My hope is that TTArtisan would someday offer a version with an aperture ring.

Something else that might be considered a complaint—or a compliment (depending on your perspective)—is lens flare, which is well controlled. I had to work at achieving it in my pictures, even with the hood off. If you like flare (which I do, personally), that might be considered a negative, but if you don’t like it, then it’s positive news. The pictures below are the best that I could get regarding lens flare.

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 + Summer of ’59*

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 + Agfa Ultra 100 v2*

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 +* Fujicolor Natura 1600

I really had to consider which Fujinon lens this TTArtisan best competes with. Of course, there’s the 56mm f/1.2, but I believe if you can afford that one, you’re going with the Fujinon, no questions asked. So maybe the TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 is a good alternative to it if money is tight, and could serve as a temporary stop-gap until you can afford the better lens. There’s also the Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 Macro, which might seem like a less-obvious comparison at first glance. While the TTArtisan is not a macro by any means, there are similarities, I think, between the two with regards to image quality and autofocus performance and such. If you don’t need the macro capabilities, the TTArtisan is about as good, yet with a larger maximum aperture and a significantly lower cost, at only $168.00 USD (or $158 when ordered directly from Pergear). Between the Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 Macro and the TTArtisan 56mm f/1.8, if I wasn’t interested in close-focusing capabilities, the TTArtisan is similar quality for a fraction of the cost, and is a better overall value. Otherwise, the Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 was recently released and is seemingly similar for a little less money. If you’re in the market for a good quality autofocus portrait lens for your Fujifilm camera, the TTArtsian AF 56mm f/1.8 is definitely one to consider, just as long as the lack of an aperture ring doesn’t bother you.

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8:
Amazon, Amazon (<— save 10% with code 10POB9YC for a limited time using that link)
Fujifilm X-T5 in black:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my preproduction version of the TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 lens on my Fujifilm X-T5:

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 + Kodak Portra 800 v3 – Photo by Jon Roesch*

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 + Kodak Portra 800 v3*

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Lens Review: Pergear 50mm f/1.8

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

I get asked frequently, “How can I make my digital pictures look more like film?”

My film simulation recipes—made possible by Fujifilm’s commitment to the camera-made JPEG and their long history with film—are a great start for achieving a film-like look. Another step that can go a long way towards achieving an analog aesthetic is the lens that’s attached to the camera. You see, most modern lenses are precision engineered, designed to eliminate flaws as much as possible. They score well on test charts, but often at the expense of character. Modern lenses render photographs differently than vintage lenses; old lenses have flaws, as they weren’t designed with today’s technology or for today’s standards, and these flaws are why they render images uniquely. For (typically) not very much money you can buy antique lenses intended for film cameras, and mount them to your Fujifilm X camera with an adapter—something that I love to do! Cheap third-party lenses often accomplish the same thing, but you’re buying something that’s new (instead of old) and you don’t need an adapter. The Pergear 50mm f/1.8 lens is an inexpensive option for your Fujifilm X camera, and it indeed has character similar to a vintage lens!

I get gift cards sometimes, usually for my birthday or Christmas, and it can be hard to know what to buy myself. In the past I have purchased a Meike 35mm f/1.7 lens and a 7artisans 25mm f/1.8 lens—both are under $100, which is the right price range for those gift cards that I don’t know what to do with. The Pergear 50mm f/1.8, with an MSRP of $79, is in that same category. The Pergear lens has other things in common with the Meike and 7artisans models: click-less aperture rings, seemingly good build quality, similar flaws, and lots of character. You’d almost think that they were made by the same company, but apparently they’re not.

The Pergear 50mm f/1.8 is a 75mm-equivalent manual-focus, manual-aperture prime lens from China. It has 10 rounded aperture blades, 6 elements in 4 groups, a maximum aperture of f/1.8, a minimum aperture of f/16, a minimum focus distance of about 15 inches, and accepts 43mm threaded filters. The aperture and focus rings are both smooth. I do wish that the aperture ring had f-stop clicks, but it doesn’t—not a big deal, though.

Center sharpness is pretty fantastic on the Pergear 50mm f/1.8 lens at all apertures. Corner sharpness is decent-enough when wide open and noticeably improves when stopped down to f/4. There’s some minor vignetting when wide open; it improves when stopped down, yet it never fully goes away, although it’s hardly noticeable at apertures smaller than f/2.8. There’s some noticeable chromatic aberrations in extreme high-contrast light, but is otherwise well controlled. There’s almost no distortion. Bokeh is pretty good thanks to those rounded blades.

The Pergear 50mm f/1.8 has a weird flaw, which can be stunningly beautiful or terribly awful, depending on your tastes and the exact situation: the center of the frame can get a warm haze. It seems to become more pronounced when the aperture is (roughly) f/5.6 and smaller, and when there’s a bright light source somewhere in front of the camera (it can be outside the frame). Sometimes I really love this haze, and it’s almost like having a diffusion filter built into the lens, and sometimes it’s just too pronounced and essentially ruins the picture. Opening up the aperture seems to reduce the effect in those situations where it might be too pronounced. This strange haze is both the reason to buy this lens and the reason not to, depending on your opinion of it. I personally really like it, although I’m happy to have it limited to one lens, which I can choose to use when I want this character in my pictures. To be clear, this haze won’t show up in every picture—there are many situations where it won’t, either because the aperture is too large or because the light isn’t right, and even when it does appear, it’s often very subtle, which is great.

The Pergear 50mm f/1.8 is a good, sharp lens, producing lovely images in most situations. It has character that you just won’t find in most modern lenses. It has quirks, which can be good or bad, depending on the situation and your tastes. It’s all manual, which I like, but can take some practice to get good at if you’ve only ever used auto lenses. The Pergear 50mm f/1.8 lens, when used in conjunction with the Fujifilm JPEG settings, can help you achieve a much-sought-after film-like look from your digital camera. It’s not for everyone, but, for the price, it’s worth a try, especially if you are unsure what to buy with that gift card in your wallet.

This review contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated a small amount if you make a purchase using my links.
Amazon $79

Below are camera-made JPEGs that I captured using the Pergear 50mm f/1.8 lens attached to my Fujifilm X-T30. For the color pictures I used my new Kodak Portra 400 v2 recipe (available on the Fuji X Weekly App for iOS), except for the the top picture, which was captured with Velvia, and the two night pictures below that, which were captured with Porto 200 (also available on the app). For the black-and-white pictures I used my Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe. The photographs of the lens (above) were captured with a Fujifilm X100V using my Superia Premium 400 recipe.

*Piano Abstract* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Train at Night* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Windshield Bokeh* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Red Berry Tree* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Resting Girl on Chair* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Handicapped Parking* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Trash, Truck* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Rural Trash Can* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Dam & Bridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Water Under The Bridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Cold Country Road* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*December Reeds* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Hunting Journey* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Winter Sunflower* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Reed by a Frozen Lake* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Cattails* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Pole Cone* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Duck Hunters* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Grass in the Cold Water* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Motor Vehicles Prohibited* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Steel* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Barren Landscape* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Grass in the Frozen Marsh* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

*Storm Over Frozen Marsh* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Pergear 50mm f/1.8

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