Lens ReviewMorten ByskovMay 18, 2022TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 Review, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X Review, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 Review sample images, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 sample images, TTArtisan 17mm f14 review, TTArtisan 17mm review, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 Handling and Specs, Zone Focusing, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 vs. Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4, TTArtisan f/1.4 Image QualityComment

TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 Review

TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X-Mount

Do you really need to spend hundreds or perhaps even a thousand bucks on a fast wide-angle lens?

What if I told you, you can get a decent wide-angle option for a mere $118.00, a lens that is fun to use, a lens that will offer plenty if you understand how to work around its limitations?

The TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 is the third TTArtisan lens I have reviewed and it is probably my favorite of the three, the other two being the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.2 and TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4.

The TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3

TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 - Introduction

The TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 is a little over a year old, released in the spring of 2021, and is available in a black or silver version. As of March 2022, it is also available in titanium-grey if bought as a trio of lenses including the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4, and TTArtisan 50mm f/1.2.

At the time this review was posted, the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 was priced at $118.00.

The Vancouver Public Library roof top lookout. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 — Vancouver Public Library roof top look out, Fujifilm X-Pro3, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4

TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 - Handling and Specs

The TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 feels solid in the hand with a smooth manual focus ring. The aperture ring, clickable in half stops, goes from f/1.4 to f/16 and feels about the same as on the TTArtisan 50 f/1.2 and better than on the TT Artisan 23mm f/1.4.

The lens has a nice metal mount (without electronic contacts) and is available for Fujifilm X, Canon EF-M, Nikon Z, Leica M, Sony E, and micro four-thirds mounts.

With a low weight of 8.7 oz, 248 g, it makes for an easy carry-around lens for just about any Fujifilm camera. The camera/lens balance ratio is excellent on my X-Pro3.

Lens construction is 9 elements in 8 groups with one aspherical element. It has 10 diaphragm blades resulting in fairly decent bokeh. The filter size is 40.5mm and the closest focusing distance is 7.9", 20 cm.

The TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X shown on the X-Pro3 — The TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3

In the looks department, I am not crazy about lens group graphics on the lens barrel but at the same time, I was surprised by how it works as a quick visual aid as you know the lens is at infinity when the graphic is centered at the top.

TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 in Action

I took the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 out through my usual stomping grounds for general travel style and street photography.

I had thought the TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 and 17mm f/1.4 would have been more equal but I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the 17mm more so.

Perhaps it was the weather but I suspect it has more to do with general image quality being slightly better, and also exploring a new focal length. 17mm is uncharted territory for Fujifilm and it may be a surprise to some but every millimeter of focal length on the wider end makes a big difference.

Fujifilm has two comparable and excellent lenses in this range, the XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR and XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR.

17mm yields a 26mm full-frame equivalent field of view on Fujifilm X and it lands squarely between a traditional 24mm and 28mm lens. Especially for street photography, I found this focal length interesting.

A woman stops to smell the beautiful spring flowers in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 — Stanley Park, Fujifilm X-Pro3, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 yielding a 26mm full-frame equivalent field of view

Zone Focusing With the TT Artisan 17mm f/1.4

The 17mm focal length lends itself well to zone focusing and it is a great way to take advantage of the natural attributes of a wide angle which gives you ample depth of field, especially when stopping the lens down.

The TTArtisan has a distance scale and for many of the street photography sample images in this review, I set the lens to f/8, then adjusted the focus ring and aligned “infinity” with the f/8 marker on the distance scale. I set the X-Pro3 to auto-ISO.

This way I did not have to worry about manually focusing the lens as everything from about 2.5 feet to infinity would be in focus. It is a perfect way to completely focus on your surroundings and then quickly snap a photo without any hesitation or delay.

The distance scale on the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 showing zone focusing. — Zone focusing with the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4. I set the lens set to f/8 and put the infinity marker on f/8 to ensure in-focus photos from 2.5 feet to infinity.

TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 vs. Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4

The cost difference is significant as the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 retails for $999.00 in comparison to $118.00 for the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4. At completely different ends of the spectrum, you can argue that both are excellent choices.

If you are looking for a lens with autofocus, fast and silent linear motor, stellar optics with corner-to-corner sharpness, weather-sealing, internal focusing, and color accuracy rendering, the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is for you.

However, if you are on a budget, looking for a lens to use occasionally, do not mind manual focusing, and can live with less-than-perfect image quality the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 gives surprisingly good results at a bargain price.

You can read more about the XF 18mm f/1.4 here:

Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR - Review

A cyclist rides across the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4. — Burrard Bridge, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4

TTArtisan f/1.4 - Image Quality

Especially when stopped down the TTArtisan provides surprisingly decent results and as a walk-around snapshot lens colors and sharpness is also quite good. Especially when considering the price point bokeh is also half decent when shooting wide open. In the three sample images below the photos are captured at f/1.4, f/4, and f/11.

Please click to view larger.

Red Truck Beer. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 at f/1.4 — TTArtisan 17mm @ f/1.4

Red Truck Beer. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 at f/4 — TTArtisan 17mm @ f/4

Red Truck Beer. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 at f/11 — TTArtisan 17mm @ f/11

Barrel distortion shows in some of the architectural shots in this review but you should be able to clear some of this up in post-processing. Vignetting, while noticeable, is not too bad, even at f/1.4.

The sample images in this review can be viewed up to 2500 pixels wide, depending on your monitor size. Please click the view larger photos.

Green ferns in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Sample image from a TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 — Stanley Park, Vancouver Fujifilm X-Pro3, TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4

Conclusion

Taking the low price point into account the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 is a decent performer but not without shortcomings. Bokeh gets busy at lower f/stops, you have to focus manually, and there is no electronic contact delivering EXIF info to the camera.

The is no mention of weather sealing but at this price do we really need to worry that much? Depending on the environment you operate in this may or may not be an issue.

The TTartisan 17mm f/1.4 shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3 — The TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm X shown on the Fujifilm X-Pro3

Image quality cleans up and gets better by f/4 and I find the images quite good. It is not on par with Fujifilm's rival lenses but your savings are considerable with the TTArtisan.

In the TTArtisan vs. Fujifilm debate, it is not so much a question of right or wrong but more so a question of realistic expectations. I hope by showing the sample images in this review you can see what you can expect from the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4.

Pros

Compact
Good build quality
Smooth focusing ring
Value for money spent

Cons

Busy bokeh

Please see more sample images below.

Price / Availability

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TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 - B&H Photo

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TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 - Sample Images

Please see the sample images below. Editing was done in Capture One and I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos. Some photos are slightly cropped.

Please click to view larger images.