Even though TTArtisan is a company that makes cheap lenses, it’s not a company that makes cheap lenses. Y'know?

Peruse any review of TTArtisan glass, and you’re going to get one thing—surprise. One would think that anything that costs under a hundred dollars is going to compromise on its quality. But TTArtisan seems to surprise time and time again.

So when the new TTArtisan 50mm f/2.0 was announced, it’s no wonder we were surprised once more. For only $69, this is the cheapest 50mm out there, and if the other lenses are anything to go buy, the quality should be there too. 

So how does TTArtisan make solid lenses for peanuts? They keep things simple.

All TTArtisan lenses have manual focus and aperture controls with simple optical designs. Some of them aren’t even coated. It’s the best quality for the buck without any bells and whistles. You get metal, and you get glass.

The new 50mm f/2 is made up of 6 elements in five groups and has a 10-bladed diaphragm to give you nice circular bokeh. To control spherical aberrations, it comes with two high refraction index elements and has a minimum focusing distance of .5 meters (or just a hair under 20 inches)

According to TTArtisan, the lens will give you an angle of view of 45 degrees for full-frame sensors and 32 degrees for APS-C and will weigh around 190 to 212 grams, depending on which mount you get. Those will come in E-mount, Fuji X-mount, M34, EOS-M, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and Leica L.

50mm f/2.0 in E-mount Credit: TTArtisan

Look, this thing is dirt cheap and will probably do a killer job if it manages to stay in the same ballpark as other TTArtisan lenses. If you’re just starting and need a nifty fifty cause you spent all your money on the camera body, this is the lens to get. Period. It’ll teach you how to focus, it’s fast enough for most use cases, and it’s built like a tank. 

Even if you’re a seasoned veteran, this lens is tiny and versatile enough to fit whatever camera you have and go shooting. Leave the expensive big boys at home. Every toolkit needs a good cheap lens just like every now and then you need the cheap bottom shelf stuff. And TTArtisan has that market covered.      

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