In this article, I will introduce the brand new TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens, designed for full-frame cameras and priced at $419. While there are many tilt-shift lenses available on the market, most are either tilt or shift versions. What sets the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro apart is its unique tilt-shift design, making it a standout option among camera lenses.
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens is compatible with various camera mounts, including Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon, and m43. If you are interested in purchasing one for your camera, you can find it on Amazon.
In this review, I will thoroughly test the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens, evaluating its image quality and performance in various aspects. Additionally, I will compare this lens with the Laowa 100mm Macro lens to determine which one is the best choice for your needs. The Laowa 100mm Macro is also highly regarded in the market for its excellent quality and is priced at $499.
Table of Contents
Design and build quality
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro lens does not have any electronic features and is a fully mechanical lens. It features a solid, full metal design and weighs around 700 grams, depending on the camera. In comparison, the Laowa 100mm Macro lens is also quite heavy, weighing in at around 650 grams.
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro lens comes with a 67-millimetre front filter thread and features four small screw holes on the front of the lens. These holes allow users to attach a shoe bracket that comes with the lens, which can be used to attach accessories such as LED lights to the front of the lens
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro lens has a large focus ring that provides a smooth and satisfying feel when used. The focus throw is 90 degrees, which is slightly longer than some other lenses, and the ring is a bit tight but still easy to use. Additionally, the focus ring is clicked, which adds to the overall tactile experience of using the lens.
Image sharpness
Let’s begin with the centre sharpness of the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens at F2.8. The centre is sharp, but sharpness could be improved at F4.
However, when stopping down the aperture to F5.6, the lens exhibits great sharpness that remains consistent until F11. Further stopping down the aperture slightly reduces sharpness.
Compared with the Laowa 100mm Macro at F2.8, the Laowa lens is slightly sharper, but there is no discernable difference between the two lenses when stopped down to F4 or F5.6.
Let’s examine the corner sharpness of the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens. At F2.8, the corners are slightly soft but still usable.
The Laowa 100mm Macro performs better, with the sharpness improving as the lens is stopped down. However, as the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens is a shift lens when shifted to the maximum horizontal direction at F2.8, the extreme corner is quite soft.
By adjusting the focus and focusing on the corner, the sharpness of the corner improves significantly, with only the last 5% remaining slightly smudgy. At F8, there is not much difference in corner sharpness between the TTArtisan and Laowa lenses.
Marco Features
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens offers 2x magnification when shooting at the minimum focus distance, which is around 8cm or just over 3 inches. This distance is ideal as the lens provides some distance from the subject. When shooting at the maximum aperture of F2.8 at 2x magnification, the centre sharpness is quite good, and all details are usable. However, nailing the focus can be challenging due to the narrow depth of field at minimum focus distance and F2.8 aperture. Stopping down the aperture to F4 improves the sharpness slightly, but with a 24-megapixel camera, the image can appear a bit soft.
When comparing the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens with the Laowa 100mm Macro, the Laowa lens appears to be sharper at F2.8. However, the narrow depth of field makes it challenging to achieve accurate focus, and any differences in sharpness may be due to user error. Nonetheless, both lenses can produce sharp images at 2x magnification, even when shooting at maximum aperture. Adding 1x magnification will increase the working distance to 12mm or close to 5 inches, which is quite good.
Bokeh
Bokeh is an important factor to consider when purchasing a camera lens. The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens produces pleasing bokeh, with no noticeable nervous highlights near the bokeh ball. The transition from the edge of the bokeh ball to the background is smooth, resulting in a great bokeh effect.
Vignetting
As a tilt-shift lens, the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens has a larger image circle than the average lens, resulting in excellent vignetting performance. In my tests, the lens exhibited minimal vignetting even at F2.8, and it disappeared when the lens was stopped down slightly.
Comparing the TTArtisan with the Laowa lens, the Laowa has noticeable vignetting, particularly when wide open. However, once stopped down to F5.6, both lenses have very similar vignetting performance.
When shooting at macro distances with the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens and shifting the lens to the maximum, a black and dark corner may appear. However, this issue is only noticeable when shooting at macro distances. By turning the focus ring back slightly from around 0.3 to 0.4 meters, the black corner disappears.
The shift feature of the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro lens is primarily used when the lens is at infinity focus distance for shooting landscape or architectural photos. Therefore, the issue with the black and dark corners when shooting at macro distances is not a significant problem for most users.
Chromatic Aberration
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens has minimal chromatic aberration, with only a slight amount of fringing visible. When compared to the Laowa 100mm Macro, the TTArtisan lens exhibits slightly more chromatic aberration. Nonetheless, both lenses have good overall performance in chromatic aberration.
Distortion
Both the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens and the Laowa 100mm Macro lens have no noticeable distortion, making them suitable for shooting architectural photos with long straight lines. Therefore, you do not need to worry about distortion when using these lenses.
Lens Flare
Lens flare is one of the weaknesses of TTArtisan lenses, and the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt-Shift lens is no exception. Shooting images under strong light sources, especially those outside the frame, may cause significant contrast drops and create bright areas in the photo due to lens flare. The lens does not come with a lens hood, but if you purchase one that screws into the 67-millimetre filter thread, it may help to reduce the lens flare issue.
Sunstars
The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro lens produces excellent 12 sun stars from F8 onwards. As the lens is stopped down further, the sun stars become sharper and more defined. Similarly, the Laowa 100mm Macro lens also produces excellent sun stars. Both lenses are great for capturing sun stars.
Sample Photos
Related Posts
- Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 Full Frame Lens Review
- TTArtisan AF 27mm f2 8 XF vs Fujifilm 27mm f/2.8 WR
- Viltrox 13mm f1.4 for Fujifilm X-T3 Review
