TTArtisan M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH.

TTArtisan released this 50mm prime in 2020 for Leica M mount. It covers the full frame, so the focal length frames people, food and everyday scenes as the eye sees them. The f/0.95 maximum aperture is the main draw, aimed at low light and portraits with strong background separation.

The trade-off is handling. Focusing is manual only, so the lens rewards slow, deliberate framing over quick grab shots. At 1 lb 7.6 oz (670 g), it also sits heavy on a compact rangefinder body. Anyone wanting autofocus, stabilization or a sealed barrel should look elsewhere.

The lens weighs 1 lb 7.6 oz (670 g), substantial for a 50mm prime, since an f/0.95 aperture needs large front glass. The barrel measures 2.83 in (72 mm) across. A screw-in filter attaches directly to the 67mm front thread. In bright daylight, an ND filter on that thread lets you keep f/0.95 open for shallow depth of field.

This lens opens to f/0.95, far wider than the usual 50mm maximum. That extra width passes more light, so handheld frames in dark rooms and late-evening streets stay practical at lower ISO settings. Faster shutter speeds also help freeze a walking subject, which matters for street reportage. The optics specification scores 74 out of 100.

Depth of field at f/0.95 is extremely thin. For a portrait, you focus on the eyes and let the background fall away. At portrait distance, eyelashes stay crisp while ears soften into blur. A slight focus miss softens the eyes, so use the rangefinder patch carefully.

Stopped to f/2.8, the lens covers small groups with both faces in focus. Closest focus is 2.3 ft (70 cm), a comfortable working distance for portraits and everyday subjects.

The 14 aperture blades keep the opening nearly round as you stop down. Point lights behind a street subject then render as smooth discs rather than clipped shapes. Night street scenes full of distant lamps show this effect most clearly.

There is no image stabilization, so the shutter speed you choose is the only defence against camera shake. The wide aperture keeps speeds high in the light it targets, but braced or tripod work is the answer in near dark. For still subjects in dim interiors, resting the camera on a table or rail works just as well.

There is no weather sealing, so keep rain and blowing dust away from the barrel. The front glass also carries no fluorine coating. Such a coating, where fitted, helps oil and water run off, so fingerprints here need prompt and careful wiping.

The optical path holds 11 elements in 8 groups, including one bi-aspherical element. Specially shaped surfaces of this kind help correct distortion and spherical aberration, faults a wide f/0.95 aperture can expose. Two low-dispersion elements help reduce chromatic aberration, where colours focus at different points and leave coloured fringes along high-contrast edges.