TTArtisans 40mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Canon EOS M5 with TTArtisans 40mm Macro Lens

Back in early May, I purchased a used Canon EOS M5 from KEH, intending it to replace the long-serving Nikon 1 system that I had owned for nearly a decade.  The 24 MP APS-C sensor on the M5 was certainly an improvement, but so was the availability of lenses in the EOS-M mount.  My first lens for the M5 was the TTArtisans 35mm f/1.4, and while a fully manual lens with no electronic contacts, it worked well in A-mode, and the focus peaking feature on the M5 is a great help with manual focus lenses.  It was several months before I purchased the 15-45mm Canon AF zoom for the M5, and reaped the benefits of auto-focus and the nice zoom range with the image stabilized lens.  However, I still prefer to use prime lenses in much of the photography that I do with this nice mirrorless camera (which is probably being abandoned by Canon as it keeps pushing out the R-series mirrorless).  It suits my needs perfectly, and the one thing that I lacked was a lens for macrophotography.  I’m not into getting adapters to put big 35mm SLR lenses on a petite camera body, which negates the mirrorless camera’s advantages.  When I saw that a macro lens was available from TTArtisans, I knew that it was just the lens that I was looking for.  

beautiful circular aperture

All metal construction

sturdy and substantial lens

52mm front filter ring

With an APS-C sensor, the 40mm is roughly equivalent to 60mm in 35mm full-frame. Since the lens is capable of 1:1 reproduction without any accessories, that sealed the deal for me.  I ordered it from Adorama in NYC, and it was $99 before tax and free shipping. How a lens like this is only $100 baffles me, but if I didn’t like it I could always return it.  One reason these lenses are inexpensive is that they are fully manual with no electronic connections, motors, or "modern" conveniences.  The other reason, I presume, is that they are made in China. The third reason, is that they are available in a number of mirrorless camera system mounts.  

The lens arrived from Adorama in a padded envelope, and is packaged very well in the box from TTArtisans.  The lens barrel is all metal, no plastic, giving it a heft that surprised me.  The focus ring turns smoothly and very precisely - there is no play in the focus, and the aperture click stops from f/2.8-16 feel perfect when handling.  The sort of precise feel that’s missing from modern lenses, in my opinion - because of electronic aperture control.  The lens, when fully extended, is 11.5 cm long, and when at infinity, it is 7 cm in length.  The filter ring is 52mm in diameter.  The working distance at 1:1 magnification is 4 cm.  The all-metal body weighs 388 grams. Compare that to the plastic-bodied 15-45 Canon zoom, which weighs 137 grams! I should note that the TTArtisans 35mm f/1.4 lens weighs 200 grams.  This is a well-constructed, precise lens that will definitely impress you with its build.  Of course, the other half of the equation is - the optics.  I’ve had the lens for about a week, and I’m totally impressed with it.  

Fully extended lens at 1:1

In terms of handling, it’s a great match for the M5 body. Focusing and aperture adjustment are easily performed, and the results from the lens so far are very pleasing.  The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is pretty much what one expects from a true macro lens, and while the minimum aperture is f/16, it matches well with the APS-C sensor size.  Beyond f/16, we would see diffraction starting to make images less sharp.  The aperture is perfectly circular, making for a pleasing bokeh when wide open.  

from the TTArtisan site - 8 elements in 7 groups

As a 40mm lens on the M5, it’s going to also be good for portraits, still-lifes, and of course, it excels as a macro lens.  For really close-up work, you’ll need lots of light if you wish some semblance of depth of field.  Raising the ISO will help in that regard, as I have yet to try external flashes with my M5, but LED light panels can do a pretty good job for many subjects. In my experience, nothing pumps as much light as a burst from a flash unit, so I’ll need to experiment to see what I can do in those situations.  

field of view at 1:1

zoomed and crop of the previous image - loads of detail

Overall, I find no faults with this well-built, affordable lens.  TTArtisans sells it in all popular mirrorless mounts, including Fuji-X, M4/3, Nikon Z, and Sony.  For me, it’s easily carried around on the EOS M5, and is a lot of fun to take outdoors, where subjects abound and it only requires that you look. The TTArtisans 40mm macro lens will open new doors in your photography if you have never shot true macro before!

I really like the results from the EOS M5

I'm a long-time Nikon user, and you might wonder why I didn't switch to a Nikon Z-system mirrorless body.  Price, for one.  I paid less than $400 for the Canon EOS M5. Second, I just don't need a camera for video.  All the newer bodies seem to put video first and foremost in the features, and still photography is almost a second thought.  While the EOS M5 does do good video, it's definitely just part of the features.  In the end, it's a matter of the most bang for the buck, and the EOS M5 got my bucks. 

Reflx Lab 400D Film Review

A few months ago, I received a package from China with two rolls of film from Reflx Labs.  I’d seen their products on Instagram, and they offered to send me a couple of rolls  to try out. I hoped that I would have gotten this review done sooner, but now that I have developed the second roll, I think I can finally provide some observations on this film.

The Reflx 400Daylight is actually Eastman Vision 250D with the remjet layer removed.  I commend Reflx Labs for providing this information on their website.  There is only one company making ECN-2 film at this time, and it’s Eastman Kodak. While the film is being pushed 2/3 of a stop, the Eastman Vision 3  film has enough latitude to handle the modest push.  

I really like the screw-top aluminum canister that the film cassette is sold in.  That harkens back to the really good old days, and the aluminum canister reminds me of some 1960s Perutz film.  Inside the canister is the roll of film, a keychain ring, and a DX-code sticker to replace the one on the film cassette.  There is a small hole on the end of the spool to attach the keychain, which means you’ll need to ask the film lab to return the cassette if you wish to use it on the keychain.   There’s nothing second-rate about this cute little package, and I loaded up the first roll in my Nikon FE.   I shot that roll at the end of July, and had my local lab (Ball Photo) process the film as C-41.  The results were quite good, though at the time, I thought I was seeing some “light piping” going on.  There was a tiny bit at the beginning of the roll, but further camera testing revealed that I had a slight light-leak by the film door hinge. Argh!!

The second roll was loaded into my Nikon F3HP which does NOT have any light leaks. I shot that roll during my trip to Lexington, VA, and finally developed it with the new Film Photography Project ECN-2 kit.  Even though the remjet has been removed, the ECN-2 chemistry and temperatures are just a bit different from C-41, and are the recommended developer.  It also allowed me to compare colors with the first roll.

The only problems that I have seen with this film are the obvious light-piping early on in the roll, and after going through the images and editing, there are quite a few frames on the second roll that have black hair-like marks in the image.  Dust spots and hairs will show up as white in scans, but emulsion defects will be black.  It could be that these are caused by the remjet removal process, which is done prior to packaging.  They are easily cloned out in editing, but I'd rather not have to do that. This wasn't seen on the first roll, so maybe it's just a random occurrence.

the arrow points to the black lines on the image

Not all were as bad as this - the arrows point to the black lines

on the image.  The next image shows the edited version.

The lowest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway - over the James River in VA

I did not attempt to test the 400D in all types of situations, but shot it as I would any color film, and I think the images I got from the two rolls are very good in rendition - though there are a few times when there is some halation effect - an orange-ish halo around a "hot spot."

It should be no surprise that another seller has done what Cinestill has done. In the world of ECN-2 film stocks, Cinestill figured out a way to remove the remjet coating before packaging the film, so that the film could be processed as C-41.  In addition, Cinestill uprated the Vision 3 500T film to 800 ISO, about 2/3 of a stop.  I typically advise shooting the ECN-2 films at the box speed, but a 2/3 stop push isn’t a big deal.  The Reflx Lab 400D is similarly uprated, and the results show that the push isn’t a problem - at least in my experience. It looks good developed in C-41  as well as the native ECN-2.

Images from Roll 1

note the reddish halation from the bright spots

Images from Roll 2

ghostly sprite from the light piping

Conclusion - overall, I like this film - Vision 250D is an excellent daylight film - which I have always shot at box speed.  The Reflx Lab 400D may need some additional care by the company to avoid the light-piping along the frames and the abrasive marks that I see on roll 2.  As in any secondary sale of a film, there is always the chance that your results may vary if uses or treatment are different from the manufacturer's recommendations.

Moving from 50mm to 35mm as the “normal” lens

 

Nikon FE 10 with Series E 35mm f/2.5 lens

For the good part of almost 50 years, I have considered a 50mm lens to be my “normal lens” for a lot of my photography, no matter what 35mm system I used.  For good reason, the 50mm lens was typically the “kit lens” and what was affordable at the time.  My first SLR was an Exakta Exa 2a with a 50mm f/2.8 Meyer-Optik Domiplan.  Cheap at the time (1974), and that's the ONLY lens I had for that camera for nearly a decade.  My second SLR was a Pentax ME in 1983, and I bought it with a Takumar 50mm f/2, and a 135mm f/2.8 lens at Service Merchandise in Ann Arbor, MI.  Again, that 50mm lens was my main lens until the year 2000, when I decided that I was going to get serious about photography. Since then,  the many SLR cameras and systems that I have owned have always had the 50mm prime lens as  my every-day lens.  You name it – Pentax K-mount and M-42 bodies, Minolta SLRs, Olympus, Miranda, Zenit, Nikon, Canon, Yashica, Fujica, Topcon – all had a 50mm lens as the primary lens.  Now, within that 50mm range, are lots of variations, and some amazing glass.  While I most often liked using a 50mm f/1.4 because of low-light shooting as well as shallow depth of field, some of the lenses such as the Minolta 58mm f/1.4 really is a fantastic lens.  However, I am a Nikon guy for the most part (aside from my Pentax Spotmatic love), and my typical lens has been anything from a 50mm f/2 (one of the sharpest lenses on the planet), to the pretty good 50mm f/1.8, to the every-day use 50mm f/1.4, and the 55mm f/1.2 Nikkor – which is a bit of a beast.   Now I have a LOT of different lenses, and use them according to the situation.  However, I'll bet that 70% of my images have been taken with a 50mm lens.  

35mm f/3.5 Super Takumar, Kentmere 400 film

A 50mm lens typically has a field of view of 39°, whereas a 35mm lens has a field of view of 62° - certainly wider, but not as wide as 28mm, which has a field of view of 74°.  A 16mm fisheye lens has a 180° field of view, in case you are interested.  So, with that significantly wider view, the 35mm lens shines in being able to capture more in a scene, if that appeals to you.  For one thing, you don't have to back off as much to get things in the frame, making it a great choice for street photography.  I find that it's also great for natural scenes as well, and for landscapes, it gives a more normal view.

35mm f/2 Super Takumar. Ultrafine Extreme 100 film

35mm f/2 Super Takumar, Ilford HP-5

Previously, the only camera that almost always was paired with a 35mm lens is my Leica M2 and the fantastic 35mm f/1.4 Summilux.  A great travel combo, and that should have told me something, right?  So, I am starting to change.  This summer, I used a 35mm f/3.5 on my Pentax Spotmatic, and really came to appreciate the slightly wider view on my Takumar Trek (see previous posts).  I started using my 35mm f/2 Nikkor on my Nikon bodies, and it's a fantastic lens.  Again, I used it on a recent trip to Lexington for a lot of my photography, and that slightly wider view became my “normal” view. For street photography and landscapes, as well as architecture, 35mm is a great choice.  It's hard to believe that it's taken me this many years to fully grasp how great a 35mm lens is for what I like to shoot.   

Leica M2, 35mm f/1.4 Summilux, Fomapan 100.

For a lot of things, the 50mm range is still very useful, and I'd never give them up.  But for travel, street photography, and the types of subjects that I enjoy, I'll be using 35mm lenses a lot more.    I am a prime lens enthusiast, but if you have a 35-70mm zoom, that'll work too.  In the Nikon world, there are several different 35mm lenses – if one looks at old and new, and in many cases, the lenses have not changed appreciably from non-AI (non Auto Indexing – see my post on Nikkormats for a full explanation) to the AIS versions, except for coatings.  In the auto-focus world, there are fewer choices, and I assume that there have been some changes made.  

35mm f/2 Nikkor, Ilford HP-5

NIKON 35s:

Nikon F with the 35mm f/2.8 and the 35mm f/2 non-AI lenses

    • 35 mm f/2.8 Nikkor  - introduced in 1959, this lens was a non-AI lens.  I have one that I keep on my plain prism Nikon F.  By later standards, it's not the greatest 35, but it's okay.

    • 35mm f/3.5 PC Nikkor – This is a perspective control lens, as the front elements are able to shift along one plane to keep the camera parallel to the subject, so it's a special lens for architecture, and could also be used on a bellows for product photography.

    • 35mm f/2 Nikkor – This faster 35mm lens is optically superior to the f/2.8, and was hugely popular with photojournalists. It's that wider view that aids when closer to the subject, and the more modern AIS version is what I am using.  

    • 35mm f/1.4 – Introduced as a non-AI lens, this was also popular with professionals, and is sharp corner to corner.  A highly regarded lens that remains popular in whatever version. Alas, I have never used one.

All these non-AI versions above were upgraded to AI mounts in 1977. Then again, in 1982, to AIS.  

Nikon FM3A with the 35mm f/2 AI lens

    • 35mm f/2.5 Series E – actually, a nice lightweight and compact lens that works well with the compact bodies such as the FG, EM, and FE10.   

    • 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 – if you want a short zoom – this is a good choice.  Very sharp at all focal lengths.

    • 36-72mm f/3.5 Series E lens – a short, lightweight constant aperture zoom.  I consider it to be underrated. 

 Nikon AF lenses

    • 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 AF  and AF-D– A good choice for a carry-all short zoom. 

    • 35mm f/2 AF and AF-D - Excellent, like the manual version, but also focuses closer.  

    • 35-70mm f/2.8 AF and AF-D – a big lens with a 62mm front filter ring, this push-pull zoom is very sharp, and at the 35mm end, it is cable of 1:4 closeups.  Add a diopter on the front for even more magnification.  This is a great lens, though I consider it to be very beefy as short zooms go.

    • 35-80mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-D – A kit lens that Nikon sold with The N50 ad N70 cameras, it's not fast nor great, but like any kit lens, it will do well enough for the users it was intended for.

PENTAX

My favorite SP body with the diminutive 35mm f/3.5

Spotmatic (M-42)

    • 35mm f/3.5 Super-Takumar – compact, and while not fast, it's great!

    • 35mm f/2 Super Takumar  – with a 67mm filter ring, this is not a tiny lens, but it is fast.  I highly recommend it if you can find one.

The two 35s from Asahi Pentax in M-42 mount

M-42 non-Pentax

Due to the longevity and sheer numbers of cameras that used the M-42 mount, you'll find a variety of 35mm f/2.8 lenses available.  They may have the names Albinar, Chinon, Vivitar, Makinon, Soligor, as well as Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon, Meyer Optik Primagon, etc.  There is a fast 35mm f/1.9 old Vivitar lens that is supposedly very good.  If the thrill is in the hunt, you'll have fun looking for 35mm screw-mount lenses.

Soligor 35mm f/3.5 M-42 mount lens

K-mount

Pentax released a number of lenses in K-M, K-A (to be able to operate in P mode), as well as AF and Digital versions.  I am only listing the manual lenses.

    • 35mm f/2

    • 35mm f/2.8

    • M-35mm f/1.4 (58mm filter ring)

    • M-35mm f/2.8, M-35mm f/2 – both have 49mm filter rings

    • M-zoom 35-70 f/2.8-3.5

    • A-zoom 35-70mm f/4

    • A-zoom 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5

non-Pentax K-mount

    • Tokina SL 35mm f/2.8

    • Chinon  35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 MC Macro zoom

    • Rikenon P Zoom 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 Macro (maybe the same lens as the Chinon?)

MINOLTA

    • 35mm f/1.8 MD 

    • 35mm f/2.8 MD – I have used one of these, but it's been a while.  Like many MD lenses, it was also made earlier with an MC desgnation.

    • 35mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/2 Maxxum (now Sony Alpha) 

CANON

    • FL-mount (can be used with FD cameras, too)

    • FL 35mm f/2.5 – 58mm filter

    • FL-35mm f/3.5 – 48mm filter

    • FL-35mm f/2.8 “pancake” lens, 48mm filter

FD-mount

    • FD- 35mm f/2 S.S.C.  55mm filter

    • FD- 35mm f/3.5 S.S.C. 55Mm filter

    • FD- 35mm f/28 TILT-SHIFT  S.S.C.  - tilts and shifts – fantastic choice for architecture.  

    • FD -35mm f/2.8 S.S.C. 52mm filter

    • FD- 35-70mm f/3.5 zoom – with its “macro” setting, it can provide some very good close-ups.

EOS-mount 

    • EF- 35mm f/2

    • EF -35mm f/1.4 USM L – expensive!

OLYMPUS

    • OM Zuiko 35mm f/2

    • OM Zuiko 35mm f/2.8

    • OM Zuiko Shift 35mm f/2.8  - a perspective control lens

While I haven't listed every single 35mm lens out there, this list is at least be a starting point.  There are lots of 35-70mm zoom lenses that I have not listed, and that may be a good choice for you, but remember, those zooms won't usually have as large an aperture as a prime lens. 

Last, but not least, Leica R4 with a 35-70mm f/3.5 Vario-Elmar

No matter what 35mm SLR system you use, or rangefinders with the M-39 Leica thread mount  or Leica M mount, there exists a 35mm lens to get you a bit wider view.