Fujifilm 27mm vs TTArtisan 27mm
In this blog I will compare the two most popular pancake primes for the Fujifilm system. The Fuji 27mm f2.8 vs the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8. Both of these lenses offer the same thing but in very different packages. For detailed reviews on each lens please see blogs below.
Fuji Pros
Let’s start with the build quality. This lens is all metal with full weather sealing meaning you can use it in almost any conditions. The aperture ring is metal with solid clicks and a locking mechanism too. The focus dial is smooth and the lens feels like a premium product. The size is small and very light which allows you to make some cameras like the XT30 almost pocketable. Moving to the image quality, it’s fantastic at all aperture values. Of course when stopped down to around f5.6 - f8 it cleans up even more. With that said I’ve been mostly shooting it at f2.8 - f4 and I’m very happy with the results. Of course this will never be as sharp as the large f1.4 primes but even on the 40mp sensor, the results are great. Final pro is with this being a native lens, it has the best integration with the camera.
Fuji Cons
The first con is the price. At £400 this is rather expensive however it’s understandable why so given how much is packed into a small package. The second con is the outdated focusing system that is loud and clunky. The focusing system is totally fine for most photography that doesn’t include any tracking or fast movement. For most people this will be fine, however those that wish to use tracking features, it might not be as reliable.
TTArtisan Pros
The biggest pro of the TTArtisan is the price. At around £160 it’s an absolute steal and makes this type of lens affordable to most people. If you’re on a tight budget, this lens is fantastic. The focusing is all internal and is quiet and precise. I wouldn’t use it for sports or wildlife but for pretty much everything else it is great. Image quality is ok after around f5.6.
TTArtisan Cons
Let’s start with build quality and although it has a metal mount, the body itself is plastic. Furthermore there is no weather sealing. Moving on to the dials, the aperture dial can be hard to grip and turn. When it does turn it feels like plastic on plastic rubbing and feels rather cheap. As for ergonomics it is bigger than the Fuji and sticks out more but not by much. The final issue is what caused me to sell it and pay the extra for the Fuji lens. At f2.8 the image quality just falls apart. You get horrible halos, very low contrast and it feels like someone has put a strong mist filter or rubbed some cream over the lens. Once you stop down to around f5.6 the image cleans up and is good. This makes this lens useless at night.
Why Pick Fuji
If you want the smallest package, the best image quality, weather sealing and the best performance wide open, the Fuji is the clear winner.
Why Pick TTArtisan
The only reason you’d pick the TTArtisan is for the cost. Perhaps you want an emergency backup lens or you really are on a shoestring, then this is a good option as long as you don’t plan to shoot at f2.8. If you only shoot during the day and never go below f4, this lens will be good.
