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.