Viltrox 56mm f1.7 (affiliate links) Sony - will be here when released - geni.us/LSmIX Fuji - geni.us/jzFktTN Nikon - geni.us/n7VbcgR TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 (affiliate links) - geni.us/z05XD or geni.us/8boqkqB Sigma 56mm f1.4 (affiliate links) Sony - geni.us/52TuNBF or geni.us/7VvW Fuji - geni.us/NeZnYCv or geni.us/xofBz Nikon - geni.us/ea6tf or geni.us/YDCL89X Micro 4/3 - geni.us/hHRnW or geni.us/YR5pS Canon EF-M - geni.us/KwcZ or geni.us/n9pFN
Mark, This performance might go away with a firmware update. It seems like the viltrox has a bit of a curved focal plane and thus the autofocus is thinking the center is sharp when it reality its slightly back focused which makes that concave focus plane on line with the corners.
@@mizinoinovermyhead.7523 it's just sharper in the corners, apparently this happens sometimes. I shot the charts manual and autofocus just to be sure there was not an autofocus miss that could screw up the results.
I really appreciate that you accept a lens can be "good enough." Good enough became my philosophy when I purchased the first Sigma 50mm f1.4 (not the Art version) in 2008. I'm a Canon (and also Fuji currently) guy so I was tuned into lens reviews, criticisms and debate when the Sigma lens first came out. And the Canon 50mm f1.2 guys got their nose out of joint at the performance of the Sigma. I can recall a video comparing the two lenses and one aspect in dispute was bokeh. Now they did and do have excellent bokeh but side by side you could see the Canon lens was just a hair better but so close that unless you saw the images side by side you couldn't tell the difference. Given the price difference between the competing lenses, Sigma was my answer. And I recently bought the Viltrox 23 f1.4 and I will acknowledge the Fuji lens is better but for the photography I do the image is very good, good enough for me. I too as a newbie in photography sought out the "best." But over time I accept the concept that a well composed, exposed, creative image on a so - so lens was better than a so - so image on a great lens. And there are other considerations for a lens, size and weight being critical sometimes. In the Canon lenses, the holy trinity of zoom lenses is the 16 - 35mm, 28 - 70mm, and the 70 - 200mm. The trinity can be purchased in either the f2.8 and f4 format. So many newbies will purchase the f2.8 lens(es) in the series because it is the "best." My favourite zoom lens is the 70 - 200mm f2.8. The images are outstanding. But I would never buy one, it's just too heavy and bulky. In Victoria BC, there is a used camera gear store that is kind of like an ultra miniature KEH. I look at the web site almost daily and have done so for years. I have yet to see an f4 version of the 70 - 200mm lens appear on their website, but plenty of f2.8 versions available. And I know it is the weight and bulk that tires the photographer. This is also true on my local marketplace used gear with FaceBook, very few f4 versions available but lots of f2.8's out there. Sometimes good enough is good enough.
Great video Mark! I have the Sigma 56mm and I totally agree these new TTart and Viltrox lenses are so good it is hard to go wrong with any of them... Some have issues with the AF in certain video use case situations, and of course distortion can be weird at times but overall incredible what these companies are making for us camera nerds 👍I think they figured out how to mold the glass in some new way, because this optical quality for such a low cost was literally impossible a few years ago?
If I did not already own a Viltrox 56mm f1.4, I would be very happy with any of these lenses, but for me I would choose the Viltrox f1.7 over the other two (and indeed over my F1.4) purely because of its smaller size, which I value far more than any marginal differences in optical performance or AF, but that's just my preference. Honestly, when I think back to my film days and how I lusted after an 85mm but could not afford one as they were so expensive compared to most other telephoto and zoom lenses available at the time, I can conclude only that we are very fortunate nowadays to have a choice of capable and inexpensive short telephoto lenses.
Been looking forward to this video, and also really appreciate you throwing the Sigma in there. I know these technical comparisons videos aren't that quick or easy, so thanks for the hard work! But, I was also a bit apprehensive about this video because I picked up the TTA 56 on sale, so I'm glad it's still what I would buy after watching this lol
Thanks, yes, I find these videos painful to make, but will try to make at least a fw as I know they are useful. I like to watch them more than make them.
Just the comparison I needed! Owning a Sigma 16mm, I know how great a legacy they have with lenses but seeing that Viltrox and TTArtisan are starting to bridge the gap for a fraction of the price is exciting. I think for the sake of a $30 different I may lean a little more towards the TTArtisan just because I like the center sharpness, flare, and round bokeh more. Also very exciting since I am now getting more options on Z mount natively for my Nikon Z30 without needing to adapt my E mount lenses from my Sony ZV-E10
Another concluding consideration (which might be a deciding factor for some) is the place of manufacture. Viltrox and TTArtisan are made in Shenzhen, China. SIGMA lenses are made in Japan.
I purchased both Sigma's 30mm 1.4 and their 56mm 1.4 for my Fuji X system. The Sigma 56mm 1.4 is excellent, but the Sigma 30mm 1.4 has too much chromatic aberration for my taste. The 30mm is the first one of these lenses to be introduced in 2016 so it is the oldest one. I just purchased Fuji's 33mm 1.4 R WR in hopes that this is a better lens than the Sigma 30mm 1.4 I would have purchased the Fuji's 56mm 1.2 R WR, but it doesn't have a linear motor. I decided to purchase the Sigma 56mm 1.4 and save some money and I couldn't be happier.
I was really close to buying the TTArtisan, but glad I stumbled on the smaller Viltrox since the goal was to buy the smallest portrait lens for travel.
Based on you previous video, I picked up the TTArtisan and have been quite satisfied. My only complaint has to do with the mounting of the lens hood. It does not allow for an additional lens filter such as a UV/ND/sky/etc. while using the hood. If you want to use the hood, you cannot have any additional filters. It's possible that I am not using it correctly, but try as I might, I couldn't get it to work for me.
Yes, the hood thing is annoying! I should have mentioned that in the video. There may be some slim filters that do fit, not sure. Can not use the lens cap either.
I had forgotten about the lens cap issue, but you're certainly right. Do you know if the lens has a standard mount that would accept a more amenable 52mm hood?
I was torn between the Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 and the TTArtisan 56mm f/1.8 for my Sony a6700. I ended up going with TTArtisan, and I’ve been thrilled with it. The autofocus works surprisingly well even in low light, and the center sharpness is better than I expected, even at wide open. Paired with the a6700’s eye-tracking, the lens nails focus on portraits consistently. The design also feels super premium-full metal with a compact size, which balances perfectly with APS-C bodies!
I am delighted by my Viltrox lenses for Z-mount. The tiny and cheap 20 mm f/2.8, and now I have the bigger and much more expensive 16 mm f/1.8. They're doing what Nikon hasn't yet. And may not at this point.
Ordered the TTArtisan lens a week ago. No complaints here! This lens delivers sharp, crisp photos every time, and it feels really solid with the metal design.
TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 feels like a solid lens overall, especially at this price point. I think one of its biggest strengths is its balance of sharpness and softness in the background.
I picked up a Tamron 45mm 1.8 and the deciding factor was the image stabilisation. A very rare feature on a lens of this length. The "Vibration Control" on this lens makes it a killer addition to the stills and video kit. It is superb on the Blackmagic 6k as the crop factor pushes close to 75mm and the hand held footage looks dreamy. So, come on Sigma, Viltrox and TT, lens image stabilisation is the feature you didn’t know we wanted.
Bought the TTartisan and need to test it a bit more. But so far a very decent lens for the price! Sharp, lovely bokeh and decent and fairly fast performing autofocus. One time the AF motor was very loud weirdly enough. But when I removed the lens and reattached it again it was gone. Overall still a bit louder than I would like. And you can feel the motor working. But I can't complaint at this price point. Especially since I managed to get it with a discount! I never used a Sigma lens but I imagine it feeling a bit more premium to work with, perhaps quieter and with a smoother motor too?
I'm looking as well to get the TTArtisan for my ZVE10... but Mark recommends the Viltrox, but the TTArtisan is half the price of the viltrox on my country...
Hey @Mark would you be interested in doing a video on the Meike 55mm 1.4 AF? It's another offering in this range but hardly anyone's done any videos on it. Very curious how it stacks up against these. It's the only budget 55mm out there that has an aperture ring. Which is a must for Fuji.
Great review. FYI, here in Italy, the Sigma goes for 435 euros, the Viltrox is 320 and the TTA is 189. Do you have an opinion on the use of a 50mm vs. a 56mm for portraits? I use a Sony a6600 and have the Sony 50mm 1.8.
I think corner sharpness is really relevant on these lenses, so thank you for showing it. It's really interesting how good the Viltrox performs at the edges and corners because some people (including me) love to do landscape & cityscape shots with telephoto lenses. I walked around London and couldn't stop finding interesting architecture, patterns or just isolated compositions. So if you want to do that at night or in low light, the results from the Viltrox are really relevant and at the price it's almost a no brainer for 85mm landscape/cityscape travel photography. It's even more relevant than center sharpness imo, because a flatter center just makes the person more flattering in most cases but soft corners look shit for landscapes or architecture.
Thanks for sharing this! I'm taking the Viltrox out for the second time tomorrow, and so far having similar experiences in image and use as you have. For street photography, I think I will really like size, weight and "personality" of images. Cheers!
Great revue...though I am primarily a 30mm. 35mm 40mm lens kind of guy for full frame...for DX the 40mm does it for me...but for M43 the Olympus 60 macro serves as the portrait/macro lens...sometimes the Sigma 60/2.8 with extension tubes also works...Cheers
For Viltrox 56mm F1.7 case, How well does this lens create background blur (bokeh)? Additionally, could you provide insights on its low-light performance? I'm also interested in understanding how the autofocus performs specifically for capturing moving subjects in photography, not videography. [Fuji X Mount]
if you wanna test for chromatic aberration, i found that taking pictures of ultrasound photos in sunlight really brings it out of the lens lol i use the other viltrox 56mm (the all metal one they have) and i saw a lot of purple fringing on the ultrasound photos.
i went with the TT artisan 56mm sony mount - got it for 129$ on the Amazon prime day - cant wait to play around with it - Thank you for the excellent video!!!
This was a great comparison review,Loved it. I've been looking out to buy TTArtison 56mm, shouold I get it if I want smooth focusing. Say for example, I have a subject kept on a table,50cms away from the lens.. then I slowly take it away.. all the way to 2 mtrs,(or the other way), will it be able to hold up the focus? I am planning to get this for food videography. For Sony ZV-E10
I've been watching a lot of your videos this morning. Great content! I'm extremely new when it comes to cameras and lenses, and I am also a minimalist type of guy. I'm looking for one lens that will hit most areas and have been looking to grab the ZvE10 and Sigma 16-28 MM next week as my first Camra would you say that's the way to go ?
I shoot a lot of landscapes that have land features that are far away and I like the 84mm full frame aspect ratio. If my interest was landscape and street photography, would the viltrox be a good choice due to the edge sharpness advantage?
How much does the quality of the images differ compared to the fujifilm version? Is the price difference worth it? I do street and portrait photography as a hobby and currently only have the FF 35mm 1.4 and want a 56mm next to it.
Ttartisan 56mm have difficulty focusing up close. Also sometimes it just doesn't auto focus until you restart the camera! Also doesn't focus right if subject and background are similar colour. Keep this in mind when buying. It still a great lens! Very sharp and sturdy. Would've liked better lens hood with integrated cap.
Great content Mark, as always. You "made me" buy the TTArtisan 56/f1.8. Now you owe me considering these remarks, I feel 😉. First, for closed down apertures comparing vignettes makes sense but not the sharpness. Any lens can do well at f4+. Second, autofocus tests. You no doubt recognise that camera can make a big difference. Perhaps looking at the same lens on two bodies, mainly Fuji + Sony, could be interesting to both camps. I can offer the use my Sony a6700 for this purpose, if you don't have access to one. I'm located in Glen Iris and with time to spare. Third is my secret wish for a 30-35mm/f1.2 prime with autofocus to have a nifty-fifty look on an APS-C size sensor. Fourth, I'm waiting for a 40+ megapixel APS-C Sony to come out to knock Fuji out of the park in the lightweight camera category.
They are all great lenses, but so close that it's nearly irrelevant from the IQ perspective. I have the Sony a6700 too, but can only do so much testing. I try not to makes videos like this one, as they encourage pixel peeping and looking for milliseconds difference in autofocus. Worrying about these things can be the death a creativity.
@@markwiemels Thank you for reacting to my comments so promptly. The reason I mentioned testing one lens on two camera systems came from my experience with adapting Canon lenses to a Sony camera. It goes back to the days when e-mount lenses where not as ubiquitous as they are today. The autofocus experience was a hit and miss when using the a6500. After a couple of cheaper adapters, Commlite and Viltrox, I splashed for the Metabones to get eye detect working, which it did with some lenses. Out of curiosity, I put those adapters on the new 6700 just to see what'd happen. Out off the bat, all three adapters have worked with tracking, eye detect etc., which they refused to do reliably on the 6500. So I thought, the poorer tracking performane of some lenses you have observed on the Fuji may be more due to the camera rather than the lens abilities. Checking it out whenever you can may stop Sony shooters from discarding a lens because it was not best behaving on a Fuji body. At the same time, no need to recheck optical resolution on a Sony until we get my dream machine with 40+ Mpixels 😇. Cheers, Tadeusz
I hate to chose between lens so i comeback with compact and pocket camera for a long time. But its really sad that they didnt released any new "fun" compact anymore, still toying around with my old sony hx90v
Watched because the lens was in the title! Have gotten used to ignoring videos that don't mention name of lense as usually its a waste of time because don't fit my setup. Good video. Thanks!
Mark I currently use a Canon 50mm f1.8 STM with a fringer adapter on my X-T3 and i've been debating getting the Viltrox recently. Do you believe that it's a far enough leap over the Canon if you've used it before?
So, TTArtisan does not have this lens for Ef-m mount , do you think they will release it, is it worth waiting, or should I go for sigma 30mm 1.4 ? The 56mm sigma is out of my budget
Slightly confused about the comments on the bokeh and background of sigma and TT Art. It's seems contradictory... firstly saying sigma does it better... and then TT art does it better.... but then sigma does it best??? Maybe just a slip of the tounge?
Sorry. What I was trying to communicate is that the TT had the nicest quality bokeh, but the Sigma can blur that background more, which in some situations was more pleasing.
If you’re in an extreme tight budget… you should pick photography as your hobby . Great video. I think cheap lenses are important to keep better lenses in check of quality and price
Got the viltrox. Centre not sharp until f2.5 and outside can cast a nasty shadow in the images, even with sun behind me. Have to remind myself it’s cheap
The TTA 56 has been driving me crazy. Optically it isn't bad, but, the AF drives me insane and it seems to never quite be happy. I have to shoot is fast (over 1/100'th preferably) to get it razor sharp, even on stationary subjects, even with body stabilization on. In screaming hot light it starts to behave better but I'm finding it a major disappointment and wish I'd bought the Sigma. Maybe I'm spoiled but the AF on my Sigma 30mm and 18-50 just blow the TTA completely away. A leans with sketchy AF that I can't trust isn't much use to me.
I suspect these issues will be resolved in firmware, if it is the focus. I don't shoot a 56mm APS-C under 1/100 because of the blur due to hand shake at this focal length, it's generally not recommended, which may be what you are seeing.
When I see the AF performance of the Sigma on the doggo, I think I found what I want among the three. If I'm gonna take photos or videos of my puppers, I would want him to be focused 100% of the time.
This is why I think test charts are pointless, both cheaper lenses are better in corner and edge sharpness with less distortion, but this doesn't says anything about what is it like to using a lens in the real world. I had bad experiences with Viltrox or TTartisan lenses with the character of the flare because of the outdated or poor lens coating, I think the Sigma is worth the extra money and I love the flare performance and the character of the flare (it's only clinical in comparison with the other two lenses). All of them are great and worth their prices, but please don't judge a lens based on just test charts.
In times when people are encouraged to buy more and more and more and always the newest and fanciest stuff, especially by creators like you, the most important factor is not considered: resale potential. In regard of this, the Sigma is and will always be the best one of the 3.
The problem with this theory, and these lenses, is that the Sigma will like loose $130-$150 from the new to used selling price, this is the full price of the other lenses. Generally I would agree with you, but these are so much cheeper that is does change that equation a bit.
Sigma is a plastic, but feels good, and Viltrox is plastic, but feels cheap. Probably, brand is more important for the way you feel. I have non of them. For myself I bought Meike 1.4/55, and I believe that Meije not only feels good, but the best for head-n-shoulder portraits. And I never disuss bokeh that makes me loughter.
Wait. You were actually able to get Viltrox on the phone?? Do tell how to find that number. I've been trying to get someone on the phone about my 23mm lens issue.
Maybe relatively cheaper than first party alternatives? I think the closest first party that costs less with similar performance is the Sony 50mm F1.8 but it's also an older lens. Granted it's stabilized but also not sure for other systems what pricing looks like
@@JoseOnTheAir I use a Fuji system. A Sony lens was never available. There is the Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2, but it is 30-40% more expensive new than the Sigma 56mm lens, about $1000
Totally a fair point. It does depend on someones perspective. Not many of the major brands make f1.4 APS-C lenses, but Fuji does and the Simga's are much cheaper, so they are "budget" by that standard.
Viltrox 56mm f1.7 (affiliate links)
Sony - will be here when released - geni.us/LSmIX
Fuji - geni.us/jzFktTN
Nikon - geni.us/n7VbcgR
TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 (affiliate links) - geni.us/z05XD or geni.us/8boqkqB
Sigma 56mm f1.4 (affiliate links)
Sony - geni.us/52TuNBF or geni.us/7VvW
Fuji - geni.us/NeZnYCv or geni.us/xofBz
Nikon - geni.us/ea6tf or geni.us/YDCL89X
Micro 4/3 - geni.us/hHRnW or geni.us/YR5pS
Canon EF-M - geni.us/KwcZ or geni.us/n9pFN
Mark, This performance might go away with a firmware update. It seems like the viltrox has a bit of a curved focal plane and thus the autofocus is thinking the center is sharp when it reality its slightly back focused which makes that concave focus plane on line with the corners.
@@mizinoinovermyhead.7523 it's just sharper in the corners, apparently this happens sometimes. I shot the charts manual and autofocus just to be sure there was not an autofocus miss that could screw up the results.
Just got the TTArtisan 56mm/f1.8, and I’m really impressed. The sharpness is insane, especially when shooting portraits.
How much were they going for then? They are $129 now on Ama.
*cries in EOS RF mount*
Sigma is Releasing there lenses in Rf-s mount this year!
Laughing from x mount 😂
I really appreciate that you accept a lens can be "good enough." Good enough became my philosophy when I purchased the first Sigma 50mm f1.4 (not the Art version) in 2008. I'm a Canon (and also Fuji currently) guy so I was tuned into lens reviews, criticisms and debate when the Sigma lens first came out. And the Canon 50mm f1.2 guys got their nose out of joint at the performance of the Sigma. I can recall a video comparing the two lenses and one aspect in dispute was bokeh. Now they did and do have excellent bokeh but side by side you could see the Canon lens was just a hair better but so close that unless you saw the images side by side you couldn't tell the difference. Given the price difference between the competing lenses, Sigma was my answer.
And I recently bought the Viltrox 23 f1.4 and I will acknowledge the Fuji lens is better but for the photography I do the image is very good, good enough for me. I too as a newbie in photography sought out the "best." But over time I accept the concept that a well composed, exposed, creative image on a so - so lens was better than a so - so image on a great lens.
And there are other considerations for a lens, size and weight being critical sometimes. In the Canon lenses, the holy trinity of zoom lenses is the 16 - 35mm, 28 - 70mm, and the 70 - 200mm. The trinity can be purchased in either the f2.8 and f4 format. So many newbies will purchase the f2.8 lens(es) in the series because it is the "best." My favourite zoom lens is the 70 - 200mm f2.8. The images are outstanding. But I would never buy one, it's just too heavy and bulky.
In Victoria BC, there is a used camera gear store that is kind of like an ultra miniature KEH. I look at the web site almost daily and have done so for years. I have yet to see an f4 version of the 70 - 200mm lens appear on their website, but plenty of f2.8 versions available. And I know it is the weight and bulk that tires the photographer. This is also true on my local marketplace used gear with FaceBook, very few f4 versions available but lots of f2.8's out there.
Sometimes good enough is good enough.
Good insight!
Is there a used camera store in Vancouver?
@@cyano3d not that I am aware of but there is decent gear available through Facebook marketplace
Great video Mark! I have the Sigma 56mm and I totally agree these new TTart and Viltrox lenses are so good it is hard to go wrong with any of them... Some have issues with the AF in certain video use case situations, and of course distortion can be weird at times but overall incredible what these companies are making for us camera nerds 👍I think they figured out how to mold the glass in some new way, because this optical quality for such a low cost was literally impossible a few years ago?
Yah, I have been saying there had been some breakthrough recently, in design, production, or both. It really defies belief.
If I did not already own a Viltrox 56mm f1.4, I would be very happy with any of these lenses, but for me I would choose the Viltrox f1.7 over the other two (and indeed over my F1.4) purely because of its smaller size, which I value far more than any marginal differences in optical performance or AF, but that's just my preference. Honestly, when I think back to my film days and how I lusted after an 85mm but could not afford one as they were so expensive compared to most other telephoto and zoom lenses available at the time, I can conclude only that we are very fortunate nowadays to have a choice of capable and inexpensive short telephoto lenses.
This is exactly the video I wanted thank you Mark. I hope the polling helps the channel
Been looking forward to this video, and also really appreciate you throwing the Sigma in there. I know these technical comparisons videos aren't that quick or easy, so thanks for the hard work! But, I was also a bit apprehensive about this video because I picked up the TTA 56 on sale, so I'm glad it's still what I would buy after watching this lol
Thanks, yes, I find these videos painful to make, but will try to make at least a fw as I know they are useful. I like to watch them more than make them.
@@markwiemels may I ask what do you think of Meike 55mm f1.4? Another budget lens that came out at same time with viltrox and ttartisan
excellent video!! I have been wondering about these three myself
Thanks! Took ages to make.
Mark! You are our holly god, you are not allowed to watch anyone else videos! See what happens when your subscribers go out in the REAL WORLD@!!!!
Just the comparison I needed! Owning a Sigma 16mm, I know how great a legacy they have with lenses but seeing that Viltrox and TTArtisan are starting to bridge the gap for a fraction of the price is exciting. I think for the sake of a $30 different I may lean a little more towards the TTArtisan just because I like the center sharpness, flare, and round bokeh more. Also very exciting since I am now getting more options on Z mount natively for my Nikon Z30 without needing to adapt my E mount lenses from my Sony ZV-E10
Another concluding consideration (which might be a deciding factor for some) is the place of manufacture. Viltrox and TTArtisan are made in Shenzhen, China. SIGMA lenses are made in Japan.
Thanks for telling, I will buy Viltrox.
And what exactly is your point??
I purchased both Sigma's 30mm 1.4 and their 56mm 1.4 for my Fuji X system. The Sigma 56mm 1.4 is excellent, but the Sigma 30mm 1.4 has too much chromatic aberration for my taste. The 30mm is the first one of these lenses to be introduced in 2016 so it is the oldest one. I just purchased Fuji's 33mm 1.4 R WR in hopes that this is a better lens than the Sigma 30mm 1.4 I would have purchased the Fuji's 56mm 1.2 R WR, but it doesn't have a linear motor. I decided to purchase the Sigma 56mm 1.4 and save some money and I couldn't be happier.
I was really close to buying the TTArtisan, but glad I stumbled on the smaller Viltrox since the goal was to buy the smallest portrait lens for travel.
I own the TTartisan 25mm, fuji XC 35mm, and Viltrox 56mm and I feel that viltrox has the best color rendering and flare out of the 3.
When you say flare, that means is has more or less flare than the rest?
@@BogdanGrigore Not sure if it has more or less, but I just like it more. Aesthetic-wise.
Great video but why not throw the Viltrox 56mm f1.4 in also?? Would of loved to see it compared to those
same question here
Based on you previous video, I picked up the TTArtisan and have been quite satisfied. My only complaint has to do with the mounting of the lens hood. It does not allow for an additional lens filter such as a UV/ND/sky/etc. while using the hood. If you want to use the hood, you cannot have any additional filters. It's possible that I am not using it correctly, but try as I might, I couldn't get it to work for me.
Yes, the hood thing is annoying! I should have mentioned that in the video. There may be some slim filters that do fit, not sure. Can not use the lens cap either.
I had forgotten about the lens cap issue, but you're certainly right. Do you know if the lens has a standard mount that would accept a more amenable 52mm hood?
I was torn between the Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 and the TTArtisan 56mm f/1.8 for my Sony a6700. I ended up going with TTArtisan, and I’ve been thrilled with it. The autofocus works surprisingly well even in low light, and the center sharpness is better than I expected, even at wide open. Paired with the a6700’s eye-tracking, the lens nails focus on portraits consistently. The design also feels super premium-full metal with a compact size, which balances perfectly with APS-C bodies!
Yes, it's crazy how good that lens is, especially for the price. I'm glad it's working so well for you, I use on my a6700 too.
Thanks for this. I don’t consider the Sigma in the budget range. I’d like to see how the Viltrox 56/f1.4 and Mieke 55/f1.4 compare.
I am delighted by my Viltrox lenses for Z-mount. The tiny and cheap 20 mm f/2.8, and now I have the bigger and much more expensive 16 mm f/1.8. They're doing what Nikon hasn't yet. And may not at this point.
Ordered the TTArtisan lens a week ago. No complaints here! This lens delivers sharp, crisp photos every time, and it feels really solid with the metal design.
TTArtisan 56mm f1.8 feels like a solid lens overall, especially at this price point. I think one of its biggest strengths is its balance of sharpness and softness in the background.
Agree.
Viltrox 56mm F1.7 will answer for portrait photography. Great price and performance.
very interesting and clever review, thanks Mark!
Could you make a video to compare XF100-400, Sigma 100-400 and Tamron 150-500 for Fuji like this? Really appreciate that.
I picked up a Tamron 45mm 1.8 and the deciding factor was the image stabilisation. A very rare feature on a lens of this length.
The "Vibration Control" on this lens makes it a killer addition to the stills and video kit. It is superb on the Blackmagic 6k as the crop factor pushes close to 75mm and the hand held footage looks dreamy. So, come on Sigma, Viltrox and TT, lens image stabilisation is the feature you didn’t know we wanted.
that tammy 45/1.8 is on another level of price compared to the 3 he reviewed
@@afif294 Good point. I picked mine up second hand for not a lot so I may have over looked that entirely.
Many thanks for the comparison 🙏. Things are getting more interesting in Fujifilm mount.
I'm interested in why you do not included the Viltrox 56mm f1.4, a lot more similare compared to the Sigma's one...
Thanks, I missed in the comparison the SIRUI 56 F/1.2 I have the SIRUI 33 F/1.2 (for Nikon Z) not bad at all
I prefer the sigma. I would get a used, like, new Sigma 56 1.4 and call it a day.
What body do you have it mounted on?
@@Soul_Visuals_Photography Fuji XT5
Bought the TTartisan and need to test it a bit more. But so far a very decent lens for the price! Sharp, lovely bokeh and decent and fairly fast performing autofocus. One time the AF motor was very loud weirdly enough. But when I removed the lens and reattached it again it was gone.
Overall still a bit louder than I would like. And you can feel the motor working. But I can't complaint at this price point. Especially since I managed to get it with a discount!
I never used a Sigma lens but I imagine it feeling a bit more premium to work with, perhaps quieter and with a smoother motor too?
Will it be good for sports?
@@rjcaubalejo I think it will manage well but I'll come back to you on that!
@@Remy. Many thanks!
I'm looking as well to get the TTArtisan for my ZVE10... but Mark recommends the Viltrox, but the TTArtisan is half the price of the viltrox on my country...
Which is which
Hey @Mark would you be interested in doing a video on the Meike 55mm 1.4 AF? It's another offering in this range but hardly anyone's done any videos on it. Very curious how it stacks up against these. It's the only budget 55mm out there that has an aperture ring. Which is a must for Fuji.
I will check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@markwiemels Yeah, there isn't a good review for that meike, I will love watching it if there will be any. Thank you
Great review. FYI, here in Italy, the Sigma goes for 435 euros, the Viltrox is 320 and the TTA is 189. Do you have an opinion on the use of a 50mm vs. a 56mm for portraits? I use a Sony a6600 and have the Sony 50mm 1.8.
I think corner sharpness is really relevant on these lenses, so thank you for showing it. It's really interesting how good the Viltrox performs at the edges and corners because some people (including me) love to do landscape & cityscape shots with telephoto lenses. I walked around London and couldn't stop finding interesting architecture, patterns or just isolated compositions. So if you want to do that at night or in low light, the results from the Viltrox are really relevant and at the price it's almost a no brainer for 85mm landscape/cityscape travel photography. It's even more relevant than center sharpness imo, because a flatter center just makes the person more flattering in most cases but soft corners look shit for landscapes or architecture.
Thanks for sharing this! I'm taking the Viltrox out for the second time tomorrow, and so far having similar experiences in image and use as you have. For street photography, I think I will really like size, weight and "personality" of images. Cheers!
Make sure to update the firmware, improves the autofocus big time.
@@markwiemels Thanks for the reminder. Done!
Great revue...though I am primarily a 30mm. 35mm 40mm lens kind of guy for full frame...for DX the 40mm does it for me...but for M43 the Olympus 60 macro serves as the portrait/macro lens...sometimes the Sigma 60/2.8 with extension tubes also works...Cheers
I’ve been using TTArtisan’s autofocus lenses, and their 56mm f/1.8 delivers solid performance for a fraction of the cost.
20:04 FFXIV logo with Breakfast Club FC name spotted. That was so random lol 😅
For Viltrox 56mm F1.7 case, How well does this lens create background blur (bokeh)? Additionally, could you provide insights on its low-light performance? I'm also interested in understanding how the autofocus performs specifically for capturing moving subjects in photography, not videography. [Fuji X Mount]
I just bought the TTArtisan 56mm/f1.8, really bang for the buck. Crazy sharp for portraits.
Ciekawe byloby porownanie z viltroxem
My 56mm Viltrox is my favorite lens for my Canon M50..havent tried the other brands
Is performance good?
if you wanna test for chromatic aberration, i found that taking pictures of ultrasound photos in sunlight really brings it out of the lens lol i use the other viltrox 56mm (the all metal one they have) and i saw a lot of purple fringing on the ultrasound photos.
I have the TTArtisans; my first lens outside of a kit lens I picked up at the same time I got the camera body.
i went with the TT artisan 56mm sony mount - got it for 129$ on the Amazon prime day - cant wait to play around with it - Thank you for the excellent video!!!
It’s kinda like trade offs, Vil have very good sharpness in focused area, but difficult to handle busy background.
This was a great comparison review,Loved it.
I've been looking out to buy TTArtison 56mm, shouold I get it if I want smooth focusing. Say for example, I have a subject kept on a table,50cms away from the lens.. then I slowly take it away.. all the way to 2 mtrs,(or the other way), will it be able to hold up the focus? I am planning to get this for food videography. For Sony ZV-E10
I also came across the Meike for Fuji. But no real reviews on it.
I've been watching a lot of your videos this morning. Great content!
I'm extremely new when it comes to cameras and lenses, and I am also a minimalist type of guy. I'm looking for one lens that will hit most areas and have been looking to grab the ZvE10 and Sigma 16-28 MM next week as my first Camra would you say that's the way to go ?
Also, it will be used more for pictures than videos.
A very big thank you for your unbiased opinions and reviews, cheers 👍👍👍
I shoot a lot of landscapes that have land features that are far away and I like the 84mm full frame aspect ratio. If my interest was landscape and street photography, would the viltrox be
a good choice due to the edge
sharpness advantage?
Tried both Viltrox and TTArtisan. The close-up performance on TTArtisan feels like a step up from Viltrox.
i want to buy that ttartisan 56mm next month. very cheap compare to viltrox, sigma and sirui.
First review I see mentioning the weird decision to include a lens hood for an ultrawide lens on a short telephoto lens, nice job, subscribed
The sigma distortion is a dealbreaker if it is 3to4 times the price of the other lenses.
its the reason i sold it... the distortion is crazy with this lens...
@@kloakan1 what lens did u buy instead
@@janjamesramos247 I bought Viltrox 56 f1.7 and 75mm f1.2 instead. Both amazing lenses.
How much does the quality of the images differ compared to the fujifilm version? Is the price difference worth it?
I do street and portrait photography as a hobby and currently only have the FF 35mm 1.4 and want a 56mm next to it.
Hey mark which is the clear winner in 56mm for sony a6600 , viltrox or Ttartisians . I need direct answer so i can go for it
Ttartisan 56mm have difficulty focusing up close. Also sometimes it just doesn't auto focus until you restart the camera! Also doesn't focus right if subject and background are similar colour. Keep this in mind when buying. It still a great lens! Very sharp and sturdy. Would've liked better lens hood with integrated cap.
Keep and eye out for a firmware update.
Great content Mark, as always. You "made me" buy the TTArtisan 56/f1.8. Now you owe me considering these remarks, I feel 😉.
First, for closed down apertures comparing vignettes makes sense but not the sharpness. Any lens can do well at f4+.
Second, autofocus tests. You no doubt recognise that camera can make a big difference. Perhaps looking at the same lens on two bodies, mainly Fuji + Sony, could be interesting to both camps. I can offer the use my Sony a6700 for this purpose, if you don't have access to one. I'm located in Glen Iris and with time to spare.
Third is my secret wish for a 30-35mm/f1.2 prime with autofocus to have a nifty-fifty look on an APS-C size sensor.
Fourth, I'm waiting for a 40+ megapixel APS-C Sony to come out to knock Fuji out of the park in the lightweight camera category.
They are all great lenses, but so close that it's nearly irrelevant from the IQ perspective. I have the Sony a6700 too, but can only do so much testing. I try not to makes videos like this one, as they encourage pixel peeping and looking for milliseconds difference in autofocus. Worrying about these things can be the death a creativity.
@@markwiemels
Thank you for reacting to my comments so promptly. The reason I mentioned testing one lens on two camera systems came from my experience with adapting Canon lenses to a Sony camera. It goes back to the days when e-mount lenses where not as ubiquitous as they are today. The autofocus experience was a hit and miss when using the a6500. After a couple of cheaper adapters, Commlite and Viltrox, I splashed for the Metabones to get eye detect working, which it did with some lenses. Out of curiosity, I put those adapters on the new 6700 just to see what'd happen. Out off the bat, all three adapters have worked with tracking, eye detect etc., which they refused to do reliably on the 6500. So I thought, the poorer tracking performane of some lenses you have observed on the Fuji may be more due to the camera rather than the lens abilities. Checking it out whenever you can may stop Sony shooters from discarding a lens because it was not best behaving on a Fuji body. At the same time, no need to recheck optical resolution on a Sony until we get my dream machine with 40+ Mpixels 😇. Cheers, Tadeusz
I prefer the look of the ttartisan ,why these lenses choose plastic case?i don't see any advantage except a litttle bit portable..
Looking for a cheap, small, decent quality 35mm lens. No need for ultrawide aperture. Any ideas? AF would be a cherry, but manual is OK too.
I hate to chose between lens so i comeback with compact and pocket camera for a long time. But its really sad that they didnt released any new "fun" compact anymore, still toying around with my old sony hx90v
Can you make a comparison of new budget 85mm, like meike 85mm f1.4, new yongnuo 85mm f1.8 and 7artisans 85mm f1.8
Watched because the lens was in the title!
Have gotten used to ignoring videos that don't mention name of lense as usually its a waste of time because don't fit my setup.
Good video. Thanks!
Mark I currently use a Canon 50mm f1.8 STM with a fringer adapter on my X-T3 and i've been debating getting the Viltrox recently. Do you believe that it's a far enough leap over the Canon if you've used it before?
Uso el Sigma 56mm en mi olympus mft. Es muy nítido, pero en el sistema mft falla mucho el enfoque automático. Aún así es un gran equipo
I'm thinking of replacing my Viltrox 56 1.4 with one of these lenses because it is very soft wide open aperture
Should I get the sigma 56mm or 18-50?
So, TTArtisan does not have this lens for Ef-m mount , do you think they will release it, is it worth waiting, or should I go for sigma 30mm 1.4 ? The 56mm sigma is out of my budget
Tokina makes a 56mm and a 23mm as well if you’re comparing AF lenses
Slightly confused about the comments on the bokeh and background of sigma and TT Art. It's seems contradictory... firstly saying sigma does it better... and then TT art does it better.... but then sigma does it best??? Maybe just a slip of the tounge?
Sorry. What I was trying to communicate is that the TT had the nicest quality bokeh, but the Sigma can blur that background more, which in some situations was more pleasing.
If you’re in an extreme tight budget… you should pick photography as your hobby .
Great video. I think cheap lenses are important to keep better lenses in check of quality and price
I have the sigma 56 but have been curious about the tt artisan. You get what you pay for
Got the viltrox. Centre not sharp until f2.5 and outside can cast a nasty shadow in the images, even with sun behind me. Have to remind myself it’s cheap
and that's the new f1.7 not the older f1.4? mine is not like that at all. I do know the older f1.4 lenses are more like that.
For my sony zv e10 which one do you recommended tt artisan 56mm or 35mm for beginner?
Go for 56mm
How does the sigma compare to Fuji’s version?
Mark you had me at that burger pic lol. Burger time tonight thanks lol 😊
Haha… it was awesome.
Great vid tx
The lens hood on the TTartisan seems like a total pain in the ass, as you have to take it off to put on the lens cap
Agree! I keep forgetting to mention that. They need to make a lens cap that clips on the lens hood.
add the meike 55m f1.4
The TTA 56 has been driving me crazy. Optically it isn't bad, but, the AF drives me insane and it seems to never quite be happy. I have to shoot is fast (over 1/100'th preferably) to get it razor sharp, even on stationary subjects, even with body stabilization on. In screaming hot light it starts to behave better but I'm finding it a major disappointment and wish I'd bought the Sigma. Maybe I'm spoiled but the AF on my Sigma 30mm and 18-50 just blow the TTA completely away. A leans with sketchy AF that I can't trust isn't much use to me.
I suspect these issues will be resolved in firmware, if it is the focus. I don't shoot a 56mm APS-C under 1/100 because of the blur due to hand shake at this focal length, it's generally not recommended, which may be what you are seeing.
When I see the AF performance of the Sigma on the doggo, I think I found what I want among the three. If I'm gonna take photos or videos of my puppers, I would want him to be focused 100% of the time.
I have the Sigma 56mm it's the sharpest lens I have ever seen unreal quality.
This is why I think test charts are pointless, both cheaper lenses are better in corner and edge sharpness with less distortion, but this doesn't says anything about what is it like to using a lens in the real world. I had bad experiences with Viltrox or TTartisan lenses with the character of the flare because of the outdated or poor lens coating, I think the Sigma is worth the extra money and I love the flare performance and the character of the flare (it's only clinical in comparison with the other two lenses). All of them are great and worth their prices, but please don't judge a lens based on just test charts.
The AF and optical performance of Viltrox eliminate it for me. TTArtisan is a maybe. Sigma is the money shot.
Now a days it’s not about the image output but the user experience of using the lens.
Bought the TFT Tristan for 135 on Amazon ….super deal
Vitrox has the 3-D pop, micro contrast.
Good info, thanks!
Review I was looking for. I really want that cheeseburger.
Every Friday for me. So freakin good.
Ordered the viltrox at usd102. I won't complaint at all 😂
In times when people are encouraged to buy more and more and more and always the newest and fanciest stuff, especially by creators like you, the most important factor is not considered: resale potential. In regard of this, the Sigma is and will always be the best one of the 3.
The problem with this theory, and these lenses, is that the Sigma will like loose $130-$150 from the new to used selling price, this is the full price of the other lenses. Generally I would agree with you, but these are so much cheeper that is does change that equation a bit.
Prefer the look of TTArtisan. Given the price, it's great quality.
Sigma is a plastic, but feels good, and Viltrox is plastic, but feels cheap. Probably, brand is more important for the way you feel. I have non of them. For myself I bought Meike 1.4/55, and I believe that Meije not only feels good, but the best for head-n-shoulder portraits. And I never disuss bokeh that makes me loughter.
Wait. You were actually able to get Viltrox on the phone?? Do tell how to find that number. I've been trying to get someone on the phone about my 23mm lens issue.
The Sigma lens was never cheap. I wonder why this lens is considered a cheap lens.
Maybe relatively cheaper than first party alternatives? I think the closest first party that costs less with similar performance is the Sony 50mm F1.8 but it's also an older lens. Granted it's stabilized but also not sure for other systems what pricing looks like
@@JoseOnTheAir I use a Fuji system. A Sony lens was never available. There is the Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2, but it is 30-40% more expensive new than the Sigma 56mm lens, about $1000
Totally a fair point. It does depend on someones perspective. Not many of the major brands make f1.4 APS-C lenses, but Fuji does and the Simga's are much cheaper, so they are "budget" by that standard.
Sharpness and Detail isnt important for most portraits...dont wanna see hyper zits and blemishes
I won’t
Why 56mm? Why not just 55mm?
More to photography than blurry backgrounds! Overuse is such a novice giveaway