Mini Reveiw: TTartisan 50mm F1.2

I recently purchased the TTartisan 50mm F1.2. I have to say I'm impressed from someone who has used the best DSLR Nikon Nikkor and Fujinon Lenses including the Fuji XF50mm f1.0. It's small, looks great having an all metal build and punches above its price point (under US$100). I wasn't expecting much after owning the TTartisan 55mm f1.4 which was close to horrible in terms of IQ and usability. This one however is is an improved version!

Focusing
The focus ring is dampened, smooth, and has right amount of resistance. Achieving focus on a narrow f1.2 depth of field therefore is very doable.

Aperture
Anyone who has used a click-less aperture ring that doesn't give you smooth exposure transition in video anyway would give it a thumbs down. Aside from not knowing what your aperture setting is at a given time, it's too easy to accidentally turn the ring. Not with this lens! As far as I know this is the first TTartisan lens that clicks on every f/stop. There are 2 nubs on the ring that also helps you turn it with one finger.

Image Quality
Ok... this is where I was surprised. The previous TTartisan lens I owned suffered from ghosting, noise, extreme fringing and lack of sharpness overall. The new 50mm f1.2 seems to have solved all that substantially. It's sharp in the center area wide open where it matters. Images are clean and colors are accurate (to my eye). I pixel peel so to talk about the lens positively is saying something.

Is it better than my Fujinon lenses? No. But it sure "feels" like it's close. So I recommend it whole heatedly.

Here are some simple sample images (Raw files converted using LR with default sharpening and no effective lens corrections. ALL are shot at f1.2.

As surprisingly good the lens performs, being a budget lens, there should be issues correct? The answer is YES! I found a glaring issue: pronounced barrel distortion for a "normal" (focal Length) lens.

Furthermore, the bokeh balls if you're into that thing, isn't the best. Here are additional samples again shot at f1.2.

TT Artisan 50/1.2 on an X-T3

The blue and amber balls are very strong street level lights. They're dimmer here and somewhat uneven. They also display a cat-eye shape and contain texture akin to an "onion-ring bokeh- artifacts of a type of lens aberration.

The VW bus was shot at f/9 and already polished in Photoshop.

As far as I remember those shelves are thick-gauged modular aluminum refrigerator shelves and therefore straight in reality... they're distorted here.

(NOTE: Click to Enlarge and View Details)