The new TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 lens - a mini review
I bought this lens about a week ago and took it on a photowalk to check it out. I usually shoot street, and although I use my Fuji 27mm pancake lens quite a bit my preferred focal length is around 50mm, and it took a while getting used to a lens as wide as 23mm. I haven't compared the 23mm shots to my usual 27mm shots yet as I've been too busy. But in my hands the 23mm felt quite a bit wider than the 27mm to the point where I was finding it a little harder to find subjects to shoot, and when I found them I had to walk backwards and forwards to get the framing right - something which comes instinctively now with the 27mm.
I had the shutter speed and ISO set to Auto for the first test, then went to full manual later on in the day. The photos I've included here were the first three shots that came out sharp enough - and that was another problem all day long: whether using zone focusing at times or manual focus assist (peak) I found it difficult to get well-focused shots. I think I just need more time with the lens. The 23mm also seemed to get darker shots than I'm used to, so I've bumped the brightness up a bit with the first two, but that's the only processing they've had.
I made sure that the three example shots were mixed subjects: architecture, plant life, and street with a human subject. They're shown here at 1024x683. Feel free to click through to Flickr to see them at different sizes.
Buildings on the Mall
ISO 200 1/2000
This one shows how easy it is to miss focus, but the lens still produced what is - to me - an acceptable shot. It also shows light and focus fall-off in the corners, something which - again, to me - gives the lens some character.
Buildings on The Mall by
Garry Knight, on Flickr
Catkins in St James's Park
ISO 200 1/2200
You'll notice corner fall-off, heavy fringing, unusually at the centre of the photo, and another acceptably sharp shot. I'll see if I can find one with visible bokeh later on, but it was dull light that day.
Catkins in St James's Park by
Garry Knight, on Flickr
Your Name in Lights
ISO 200 1/14
Zoom in to 100% and you'll see, especially with the text at the bottom right, just how sharp this lens can be when you get the focus spot-on. Also note that the shutter speed went right up to 1/14 of a second.
Your Name in Lights by
Garry Knight, on Flickr