TTArtisans 50mm F1.4 in Leica Mount

[Sonnar Brian]

Another lens made by DJ Optical. This is an original Optical Design, 10 element in 8 groups with 1 aspherical element. No floating elements. It is not a copy of a Leica lens.
Looking at the Thypoch Simera 50/1.4: closely based on the Asph Summilux 50/1.4.

So why did I pick this lens? It was lightly used and on Ebay for $240. That's about the same that the Canon 50/1.4 in LTM goes for, and about the same as what a Jupiter-3 in LTM is fetching. 1/3rd the price of the Thypoch and about the same as the Sales Tax on the Summilux. I have the TTArtisans 50/0.95, bought new from Popflash. Another under-rated lens. So this lens- cheap, and satisfies my curiosity.

TTartisans 50mm F0.95. Yet another addition to my need for speed.

Popflash had the Titanium Version of the TTArtisans 50mm F0.95 under $550 on Ebay. The filter size for the Titanium version is 62mm, less than the standard edition 67mm. Viewfinder blockage is less. As it is- a Hood on the lens will block the RF window at close focus. A vented hood helps. I had...

rangefinderforum.com

The 50/0.95- favored for the M Monochrom, use with a Yellow-2 filter.




The M240 with Olympus EVF. The latter- bought when the Olympus EP2 was brand new in 2010. This combination, makes shimming and testing lenses very easy.
This lens was spot-on out of the box. HOWEVER: Infinity is not a hard-stop. The adjustable Cam has leeway on the far end. I'm used to that with Mirror lenses. It takes some getting used to. It is not much difference, Infinity is the Start of the symbol. Hard stop is the center. If I were to calibrate this lens for an Orange filter on the M Monochrom, I would need that tolerance.

And- just for those who want to know "Who is this guy, using an M240 with an EVF and a Modern lens, what has he done with Brian"- posed on my Panasonic CF-52 Toughbook that boots up in DOS.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

This lens is well made, smooth focus, and good movement on the aperture ring. One issue- some of the internal surfaces of the aperture mechanism are shiny and this will cause flare when used wide-open. If I were to open up the lens, I would blacken them. I did years ago for the aperture blades of my Menopta and Helios-103, which got rid of the flare when stopping down. The TTart lens- Internal Reflections when pointed into the sun only when used wide-open, slightly stopped down the surfaces causing the problem are behind the aperture blades. This is a design flaw, and could have been prevented if the surfaces had been blackened.




Use a Hood with this lens. Despite what "another reviewer states", real men use Lens Hoods.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Some F1.4 and F2.8 Pairs.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

At F1.4 only. I use LR 4.4 for JPEG exports. I have LR4.4 from the M Monochrom. I copied the camera profiles from LR6 to LR4.4, as I have only one license for LR6.
I also copied them to ART. You can do that- they use an open-source file format.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

More F1.4 and F2.8 pairs.



This lens is sharp. Some residual astigmatism, even with Aspherical optics- need to decide between flatness of field and astigmatism footballs. Not bad- just there.

Worth $240? Again, rendering of lenses is a personal taste. Price- hard to beat. Less than a used Cosina/Voigtlander 50/1.5 in LTM. I'll probably take those two out for a comparison shoot. The latter- with adapter ring, around $400 these days. Mine- I got cheap as the front Group was loose. Fixed It.

 

[bjorke]

Dug mine out for a while earlier this year, while my Sonnar was in the shop -- it's really a pretty swell lens.

I'd say its only failings (versus just "character") have been the size (interferes with finder) and weight -- and that after a couple of yours the red dot fell off. I should use it more.

 

[sojournerphoto]

I like mine. It’s not great wide open at infinity, but works in the range I use most quite happily. It’s bigger than a C-Sonnar and more than a Planar, but not excessive, optically capable and inexpensive. A couple from the other morning for people interested - M11P













Plus can flare a bit too





And you don’t have to just shoot the allotment

 

[mapgraphs]

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[Sonnar Brian]

I'm glad to see other RFF members posting examples with this lens. Thank you.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Took the 50/1.4 to the Skating Rink today.

On the M240, RF used to focus. 1.25x magnifier.

Wide-Open, ISO2500, 1/45th second.

 

[sojournerphoto]

Another from the TTA 1.4/50 asph on the M11 - also in digital black and white

 

[rhl-oregon]

I bought the tilt version of this lens to have the defocus option. Here are a few samples from Leica CL between f1.4-5.6. (Haven’t downloaded examples from SL2 or M10M, or sent off film from ZI or CLE yet.)

 

[Ken Ford]

I’ve been reading a little about this lens. What is the calibration process like? I have Ms with EVFs, so that should help.

 

[Duofold RF]

What make Chinese made lens apart from Germany made lens? Here is the ChatGPT answer

Great question. While the gap between Chinese-made and German-made lenses has narrowed significantly in recent years—largely thanks to advances in computer-aided optical design and global supply chains—there are still several key distinctions that set them apart. Here’s a breakdown:

🔹 1. Optical Design and Engineering Tradition
• German lenses (e.g., Leica, Zeiss, Schneider) are known for decades of optical innovation, deep understanding of glass properties, and proprietary design philosophies (e.g., Zeiss T* coatings, Leica’s focus on micro-contrast and rendering).
• Chinese lenses (e.g., Venus Optics/Laowa, TTArtisan, 7Artisans, Zhongyi Mitakon) often use modern software (like Zemax) for design, allowing them to create complex optical formulas quickly, but may not yet have the same depth of refinement or tradition.

🔹 2. Build Quality and Quality Control
• German manufacturing is renowned for precision machining, tight tolerances, and consistency across production runs.
• Chinese lenses can vary—some companies have improved dramatically (e.g., Laowa builds are now quite good), but others still struggle with sample variation and looser mechanical tolerances.

🔹 3. Coatings and Glass
• High-end German lenses use custom glass types (sometimes from Schott or proprietary formulas) and advanced multicoatings that reduce flare, improve contrast, and control color fringing.
• Chinese manufacturers often use more readily available glass and generic coatings. That said, some have started developing competitive coatings, though performance may vary more in backlit or high-contrast situations.

🔹 4. Assembly and Tuning
• German lenses are typically hand-assembled and individually tested and calibrated.
• Chinese lenses are often mass-assembled, and while some undergo inspection, the attention to fine tuning is not always equivalent—though this is improving.

🔹 5. Price vs. Performance
• Chinese lenses offer exceptional value—a $300 lens from TTArtisan can sometimes rival a $1000 Zeiss in sharpness at certain apertures.
• German lenses offer consistent excellence, with performance optimized not just for sharpness but for rendering, bokeh, color fidelity, and long-term durability.

🔹 6. Artistic Rendering
• German lenses often emphasize “3D pop,” color rendering, and microcontrast—hallmarks of Leica and Zeiss design.
• Chinese lenses may prioritize sharpness or speed (f/0.95 etc.), sometimes with unique bokeh or flare—appealing to creative photographers but less neutral or consistent.

🔹 To Your Second Question:

Yes, in the era of computer-aided design, materials and design tools (e.g., optical software, global access to lens elements, coatings) are widely available. But:
• Access ≠ mastery.
• Experience in material behavior, manufacturing precision, and lens tuning still gives legacy manufacturers an edge in refinement and consistency.

 

[Duofold RF]

It is kind like cooking book, all materials are there, the final dishes may taste different from different chief.

 

[Ken Ford]

I looked around and figured out calibration is pretty simple - you can adjust infinity stop separately. I went ahead and ordered one from Amazon and downloaded a Zeiss Star to check for decentering.

Is it as good as a ‘Lux? Highly doubtful, but it’s probably good enough for my needs. I don’t have any fast M mount lenses.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I looked around and figured out calibration is pretty simple - you can adjust infinity stop separately. I went ahead and ordered one from Amazon and downloaded a Zeiss Star to check for decentering.

Is it as good as a ‘Lux? Highly doubtful, but it’s probably good enough for my needs. I don’t have any fast M mount lenses.

Feel free to post pictures in this thread, using the lens and adjusting the lens.

 

[Ken Ford]

Feel free to post pictures in this thread, using the lens and adjusting the lens.

I definitely will! Have you ever tested for decentering using a Zeiss Star? I need to look at the LensRentals blog post where I heard about it, but I don’t think they gave a distance.

 

[sojournerphoto]

I think these are with the TTArtisan 1.4/50 - it was the 50 I had that day.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I definitely will! Have you ever tested for decentering using a Zeiss Star? I need to look at the LensRentals blog post where I heard about it, but I don’t think they gave a distance.

No- I find fence slots and brick walls do the trick.