A walk on January 4, 2023
I went on a quick walk down the road to get the mail, with my Fujifilm X-T5 equipped with the TTArtisans 50mm f1.2. I picked this lens up used from B&H ($80 USD!) as an add-on to some other order. And I LOVE it.
I used to avoid manual focus lenses because I just couldnt be bothered to take the extra time (I sold my Helios 44-2, sad face). Lately, though, I prefer slowing down and embracing the process.
I will say that it is exceedingly difficult to nail focus at f1.2 on a close up subject (see water droplets below). Even with Fujifilm’s focus assistance tools, I had difficult getting a super sharp focus point. Part of the problem is that the lens is simply not sharp anywhere but the very center at f1.2. That said, I loved shooting middle range subjects (like the bush with the house in the background) wide open. The effect is otherworldly.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the results. For close-up subjects with this lens, I’ll probably stick to f2 or smaller in the future. But I love the effect the huge aperture and weird swirling gives those medium range nature shots.
