TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4

This small prime from TTArtisan suits photographers who work slowly and deliberately. It came out in 2020 and remains in production. You can buy it in Canon EF-M, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E versions. Pick the one made for your camera.

Every version shares the same optical design.

On an APS-C body, 35mm frames like a standard lens, so it suits street scenes, indoor portraits and dim restaurants. The main trade-off is focus. This is a manual-focus lens, so moving subjects and quick grab shots are harder. Its light build makes it a natural everyday carry.

At 6.3 oz (180 g) and 1.73 in (44 mm) long, this lens barely changes a camera's size or weight. The barrel is 2.2 in (56 mm) across. Our physical score for it is 57. Screw-in filters must match the 39mm thread, a small size.

The 35mm focal length sets the framing. On APS-C cameras it works as a standard lens, close to how the eye sees a scene. That view suits street, travel and environmental portraits. On Micro Four Thirds bodies it frames tighter, closer to a short telephoto for portraits and details. Framing never changes, so you move your feet to adjust it.

The f/1.4 maximum aperture is the lens's main strength. It lets you shoot indoors at dusk without pushing the ISO far. It also draws a viewer's eye to a face by blurring a busy background. Depth of field at f/1.4 is thin, so accurate focus matters. Stop down a little and focus becomes more forgiving.

Ten aperture blades keep the opening nearly round when you stop down. This helps out-of-focus highlights stay smooth instead of edged. Closest focus is 0.9 ft (28 cm), enough to frame food, flowers or small objects at a comfortable distance.

Autofocus is absent, so you turn the focus ring yourself. That suits stationary subjects such as posed portraits and still-life setups, and it builds skill over time. Setting focus at a set distance in advance helps with street scenes. The optics score for this lens is 75.

There is no image stabilization. Handheld shutter speeds must be fast enough on their own, and the wide f/1.4 aperture helps here. A camera body with its own stabilization can fill the gap. In deep shade, use a higher ISO or a support. A support steadies the camera but does not freeze a moving subject.

The body has no weather sealing and no fluorine coating. Keep it dry in rain, and wipe the front glass yourself after spray or dust. Basic care with a blower and a soft cloth covers the rest. This does not prevent everyday use.

The optical path holds seven elements in six groups. The Canon EF-M version lists no aspherical or low-dispersion elements in its construction data; figures for other mounts differ or are missing. This is a straightforward design, which fits a compact, no-frills prime.