In this blog, I will be giving you a quick overview and first impressions of the TTArtisan 40mm f2 prime lens for Sony EF-mount cameras. This isn’t a detailed review; it’s a first impressions based on a few days’ use. For full transparency, TTArtisan did send me this lens to keep. No money changed hands, they don’t have any input in this blog, and they will not see it before it’s published. There are no affiliate links here and I do not make any money if you decide to purchase it. All my thoughts are my own based on my personal experience with this lens. For testing this lens, I used a Sony A7RV and a Sony A7CII.

Purpose

Before going into the details, I would like to state the price of this lens, which is currently sitting at $168. This is an important factor and one to keep in mind as you go through the rest of the blog. A 40mm pancake-style lens is one of the most useful pieces of kit one can get. It’s perfect for documenting days out, it’s great for street photography, and it makes for an ideal backup travel lens. I personally have a 40mm as a backup with me at all times, so should I drop and damage the zoom, the 40mm prime will save the day.

What I Like

All-metal build including the lens hood.
Aperture ring with a solid click.
Build quality feel of a more expensive lens.
Focus ring smooth.
Very compact and light.
Wide f2 aperture.
Rear lens cap doubling as a dock to update firmware.

What I Don’t Like

AF is noticeably slower than a similar lens from Sony.
Image quality is good for the price, and for most people, it will be sufficient. However, pixel peepers might not be over the moon.
Can flare a fair bit.
No weather sealing of any kind (not a surprise given the price).
No AF/MF switch.
Not very close focusing.

Image Quality & Sample Photos

Overall, the image quality is good, and you can get some great shots with this lens. I am not one for pixel peeping, and from a normal viewing angle, the images look great. You do get quite heavy flaring, especially when stopped down; however, this can be mitigated with the lens hood or changing the aperture. Sharpness and detail are acceptable even on a higher-resolution sensor. I am very happy with how my shots turned out.

AF Performance

For me, this was the biggest negative about this lens. The AF felt noticeably slower compared to my 40mm from Sony. Of course, this is to be expected given the TTArtisan uses stepper motors, and the Sony has linear ones. Also, the Sony is more than four times the price. By no means is the AF slow. When fitted to any of my Sony bodies, the AF was still fast enough and reliable.

Summary

To summarise, this is a great little lens for the price. If you’re on a budget, you really can’t go wrong here. We are at a time where budget lenses are no longer awful and unusable. They are more than good enough for 80% of people. If I were starting again from scratch and had to get a 40mm prime on a budget, this would be my first choice.

You can find more about this lens from their website here.

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Featured

Lightroom Presets

£23.00

Instead of telling you how these will change your life, I would rather be practical and answer the most common questions that people tend to have when buying presets.

What are presets?
They are editing settings that are saved in a file and can be applied to any image.

Why do people buy presets?
Sometimes because they like the work of the photographer and want that style for their own photos. Mostly because they would like to see how other people edit and learn by reverse engineering the presets. Other times it’s just to support their favourite photographers, thank you!

What’s the overall style of these presets?
- Filmic
- Minimal
- Soft
- Bright

What are these presets suitable for?
Street & Travel Photography
Some Nature (with further editing)
Some Portraits (with extensive editing)

What do these presets look like?
These presets 100% reflect my current editing style. Please see examples of work below.

Do these presets get updated?
Yes, as my style changes, these presets will also be updated. Any time a new update is available, you will get a free update via email. Of course you also keep all the old presets in case you prefer the older looks. Only presets purchased from 2025 onwards will receive the updates.

What file types are these presets for?
- All RAW files
- JPEGs & TIFFs (not recommended)

What camera brands are these presets for?
These were designed around Fujifilm, Sony, and Leica sensors. With that said, they will work with all camera brands. While there might be subtle colour changes due to individual camera colour science, the overall feel of the preset will carry over.

Will these work with JPEG files?
Yes, but you will need to reduce the intensity and make further edits. I strongly recommend editing RAW files.

Are these one click edits?
95% No. You would need to do some basic adjustments as each image is different. These adjustments can include exposure, colour balance etc. In 5% of cases you can just apply and leave it alone.

Do I need to know how to edit?
You need to have a basic understanding of adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, etc. A more comprehensive editing skillset will let you get the most out of them.

How many presets are included?
15 in the main pack and 20 in the extras pack

Why two packs?
The main pack is what I use for 99% of my edits. The extras pack is random test presets, one-off looks, and looks I don’t use often.

What software do I need?
These presets will work with any of the following:
- Photoshop (adobe camera raw)
- Lightroom Classic
- Lightroom Desktop
- Lightroom Mobile

Will these presets work with free versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed for the full paid versions.

Will these presets work with very old versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed on and for the latest software.

What file type do I get?
XMP

What else do I get?
- Comprehensive PDF guide
- Short video of me editing using these presets

Can I modify these and turn them into my own?
Yes! In fact I encourage you to modify them and play around. Use these to help you get your own style.

I have more questions…. What do I do?
Make a cup of tea and drop me an email on hello@snapsbyfox.com

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying these presets is the most direct way you can support my work thus allowing me to make more videos / photos / tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

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The London Photography Guide

£27.00

If you're planning to visit London or you’re a local and want to know some of the best locations for photography, this guide is for you.

What you need to know:
- 170 Page PDF document (94mb)
- 50+ Locations
- 100+ Photo spots
- Only covers locations that consistently deliver good photo opportunities
- Clickable maps
- GPS Coordinates
- What 3 Words Coordinates
- Addresses

How will this guide help you:
- Save you time and give you a clear checklist of where to go
- Show you real world photos I took from the suggested locations
- Show you coordinates for those photos if you want to take the same
- Give you feedback on any pitfalls with specific places and attitudes to photographers
- Food / Drink / Restroom suggestions
- Lens choice suggestions
- General visiting advice
- Inspire you to head out and shoot by removing the “where shall I go” barrier

This guide is a result of years spent living and photographing London in all conditions and seasons. I have only recommended locations that have consistently delivered good photos that I have been happy with. This guide does not cover every spot, that would be impossible and a lifetimes work. This guide is there to put luck in your favour when visiting the capital.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work thus allowing me to make more videos / photos / tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

My Little Photography Book

£27.00

My Little Photography Book is everything I know about photography in one concise place. This book is designed to save you time and share years’ worth of knowledge in an easy-to-follow format. Think of this as a workshop and a course in one affordable 300-page package.

This book covers psychology, gear, lighting, composition, storytelling, style, and a lot more. In other words, I’ve emptied my photography brain into this PDF. As always, keep in mind that this is simply my approach to photography, and everything I share is from my own experience.

The book is a digital PDF download and comes in two flavours. Two page spread and single page. The spread might be better for landscape viewing and printing, while the single page is more suited for vertical scrolling on a phone or tablet. The total download will be just over 100mb with each PDF being around 50mb.

This book has been in the making since mid-2017 and is by far my most involved project to date. This is also entirely done by myself from scratch. All the writing, editing, formatting, everything… it’s all me with no external input. I really do hope you like it, and as always, I welcome any feedback.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, being a digital product means free updates when new chapters become available. The last update was in February 2025 to V2.

Thank you so much for your support
Much Love
Rome

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Lifetime Zine

£150.00

What on earth is this and why is this so expensive?!?!

A zine is a self-published body of work and serves the following purposes:

It showcases all photos from a given trip or period of time. Think of this as a digital contact sheet. I only share about 50% of the final photos online. This has them all.
It can act as a source of inspiration.
It can act as a visual planning tool for your travels. It will show you the types of photos one can get at said location.
Allows you to support my work, especially if the other products in my store are not suitable for your needs.

So what is a lifetime zine?

One payment gives you access to all current and future zines. You can download to store them offline, and even print them if you fancy.
As it stands, there are 39 zines published, and my first milestone is 100.
The price you pay today gives you full access for life, even if the price increases in the future.
One payment. No subscriptions. Lifetime of zines.

Ewww, digital… really?!

I can’t even imagine the logistical nightmare to print these and ship them to every corner of the globe.
Saves wasting resources.
Works out MUCH cheaper for you. Imagine buying 100 zines…
Formatted for tablets, phones, and laptops.
Makes this accessible to more people.

What’s inside each zine?

Between 100 and 350 photos.
Only the images, no writing.
Each zine focuses on a specific trip, location, or period of time.

When purchased, you will get a PDF document. In the document is a link where you can access all the zines. Each zine can be up to 200mb although I try to keep them closer to 100mb. This allows you to zoom in and see the images up close. However, due to this higher resolution, some older devices might take longer to load the images. For the best viewing experience, I suggest viewing on a device with a big screen, and if you have a choice between scrolling or swiping to change pages, I suggest scrolling for the best experience.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say another massive thank you for supporting me. This is the most direct way you can support my work.

Thank you for your support!

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iPhone Pro Camera Guide

£18.00

This Apple iPhone Pro guide is designed to save you time and get your phone camera set up and working just like I do.

What’s Included:

Detailed set-up guide
A guide on how to light and compose your shots
Detailed guide on the best formats, codecs, frame rates and more
8 Lightroom Presets for ProRAW photos
Free lifetime updates as new phones / iOS comes out

What’s Supported:

iPhone Pro 17 and 16 running iOS26
iPhone Pro 15 running iOS18
Presets will only work with ProRAW files (unless modified by user)

You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how I use the phone for photography and video, as well as run through the ideal settings for the best results. I will cover some photography essentials so even if you’re a total beginner, this guide will help you understand light, composition and storytelling. Finally there are 8 Lightroom presets specifically designed for ProRAW photos.

This guide covers the iPhone 17 and 16 running iOS 26. It also covers the iPhone 15 Pro running an older operating system. As new phones come out, an updated guide with the new phone and iOS will be released. The old guides will be archived and accessible for life.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 70mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Leica Q3 43 Camera Guide

£18.00

**Updated for firmware version 4.1

This Leica Q3 43 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. While the guide is for the Q3 43, pretty much all of it will carry over to the Q3 28mm camera too.

You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of photography and video experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 23mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Sony A7RV Camera Guide

£18.00

This Sony A7RV setup guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do.

You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of photography and video experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 13mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Ricoh GRIV Camera Guide

£18.00

This Ricoh GRIV set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. This guide covers all GRIV variants.

You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of photography and video experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 6mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Ricoh GRIII GRIIIx Camera Guide

£18.00

This Ricoh GRIII/GRIIIX set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. This guide covers all GRIII variants.

You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of photography and video experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 23mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm X100VI Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm X100VI set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 24mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm XT5 Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm XT5 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 25mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm XH2 Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm XH2 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 33mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm XH2S Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm XH2s set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 33mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm XT4 Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm XT4 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 21mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm XT3 Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm XT3 set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 22mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

Fujifilm X100V Camera Guide

£18.00

This Fujifilm X100V set-up guide is designed to save you time and get your camera set up and working just like I do. You will learn what the major features do and why I chose to set them in a certain way. I will show you how to assign the buttons and custom menus in order to have the most important features at your fingertips. Finally, I will walk you through how I expose and focus.

This guide is not a replacement for your user manual and does not cover 100% of the features. It covers the features that, in my experience, 90% of the people use 90% of the time. This is based on years of personal experience.

This guide is best suited for those who want to be up and running quickly with a tried-and-tested set-up.

This is a digital download and not a physical product. The download is around 16mb.

Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying this guide is the most direct way you can support my work, thus allowing me to make more videos, photos, and tutorials for you.

Thank you for your support!

Read more →

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TT Artisan AF 40mm f2 (Sony) - First Impressions

Help support this ad-free blog by checking out my products below