TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4

The TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 is a compact prime for APS-C mirrorless cameras. It comes in versions for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E. Choose the one made for your system. On APS-C, 23mm frames like a moderate wide angle on full frame.

That view suits street photography, travel and everyday scenes such as cafés and groups of friends. The f/1.4 aperture makes the lens usable indoors and after dark. The main trade-off is focusing: this lens is manual focus only, so every shot relies on your own eye.

The Canon RF version measures 2.36 in (60 mm) across and 1.59 in (40.5 mm) long, so it adds little bulk to a small camera. Other mount versions may differ in these measurements. A screw-in filter must match the 43mm thread on the front.

The 23mm focal length takes in a wide view without the strong perspective stretch of a wider lens. Streets and interiors keep a natural look. You can frame a shop front or a small group from a few steps back. For travel it covers courtyards, alleys and small rooms from one spot.

Focus as close as 0.7 ft (20 cm) lets you fill the frame with food on a table or goods on a stall. That close working distance suits detail shots while you walk a market or sit down to eat.

The f/1.4 maximum aperture passes much more light than a slower zoom. That keeps shutter speeds usable in dim interiors and lit evening streets while holding ISO down. The bright aperture also gives a clear view for composing and focusing by hand. Close to your subject it blurs a busy background, which helps for portraits at a table or a trader amid clutter.

Ten aperture blades keep the opening close to round when you stop down. Rounded openings tend to render out-of-focus highlights and background blur more smoothly. The optics specification scores 75 out of 100 on this page.

There is no image stabilisation, so in low light your shutter speed and ISO do the work of keeping the frame sharp. Brace your elbows or steady the camera against a wall. A support holds the camera still, but it will not freeze a moving subject.

The lens has no weather sealing. In rain or blowing dust, put the camera away or keep it under a coat until conditions clear.

Focusing is manual at all times. For quick street work at 23mm you can stop down and zone focus, trusting depth of field. For static subjects, take your time with the focusing ring and check the frame.

Eight elements sit in six groups, and one of them is a low-dispersion element. Low-dispersion glass helps reduce chromatic aberration, where different colours focus differently and form coloured fringes along high-contrast edges such as branches against a bright sky. The element count alone does not tell you how much fringing this lens shows.