If you're considering investing in a budget portrait lens for your Fujifilm X Mount, Nikon Z, or Sony E mount camera, there are two compelling options: the Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 and the TTArtisan 56mm f/1.8. Both lenses are affordable and perform well, but each has distinct strengths and weaknesses.
Coming to you from Dustin Abbott, this detailed comparison video pits the Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 against the TTArtisan 56mm f/1.8. The Viltrox lens is priced at $139, making it about $30 cheaper than the TTArtisan. It's also lighter and more compact, weighing 171 grams compared to the TTArtisan's 236 grams. The Viltrox’s maximum aperture of f/1.7 also offers a slight advantage in light gathering over the TTArtisan’s f/1.8.
The Viltrox also includes a more traditional lens hood, allowing for the use of filters and easy storage, whereas the TTArtisan’s hood design is unconventional and less practical for storage and filter use.
Optically, the Viltrox is more consistent in sharpness and contrast across the frame. It delivers sharper corners and a flatter plane of focus, making it more reliable for detailed shots. For portraits, Abbott found the Viltrox lens produced slightly better contrast and sharper details around the eyes and lips, enhancing the overall image quality. The Viltrox also showed no focus shift, maintaining sharpness even when stopping down the aperture.
On the other hand, the TTArtisan lens boasts superior build quality with an anodized metal finish, giving it a more premium feel. Its focus ring is better implemented, providing a smoother and quieter manual focus experience. Despite being new to autofocus lenses, TTArtisan’s autofocus performed better on the Fujifilm body, with smoother and more confident focusing transitions compared to the Viltrox.
The TTArtisan lens also offers a higher magnification, focusing closer and delivering stronger performance at close distances. It has a slightly longer effective focal length, providing a tighter frame, which can be advantageous for detailed shots. In terms of distortion and vignetting, the TTArtisan showed slightly better control, and its flare resistance and sunstars were more pleasing than those from the Viltrox.
So, which is best for you? Check out the video above for the full rundown from Abbott.
Interesting how you dodged Canon. There are amazing and affordable portrait lenses available as well.
Fast 85mm (ish) RF mount for about $158 or less?
I just use a tripod and a low ISO. The lighting is the key, not the lens. Also, this deal with always using young women as portrait examples is annoying. It teaches you nothing about portraits.
Tell us you are a frigid prude without telling us you are a frigid prude:
1. This wasn't a lesson about portraits. It's a lens review.
2. She's his daughter. It's not their fault she's doing something for you. Contain yourself.
3. She's not the only one he shoots his tests with. Sometimes his son, their cats and barnyard fowls, etc, etc. So you can relax. The sky isn't falling.