TTArtisan Launches 40mm Macro f/2.8 APS-C Lens for Multiple Mounts

TTArtisan has released the TTAritsan 40mm Macro f/2.8 APS-C lens which is compatible with Fujifilm X, Sony E, and Micro Four Thirds cameras. It costs just $100.

TTArtisan's latest lens is billed as a fast prime with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a 1:1 magnification which gives life-size reproduction, and a filter size of 52mm.

The lens has a durable metal body and weighs between 371 to 403 grams depending on the lens mount version. This makes it a lightweight lens option for comfortable handheld shooting as well as an affordable one. The front inner barrel can also be disassembled when shooting if required.

TTArtisan 40mm Macro f/2.8 is constructed of eight elements in seven groups, including two low-dispersion elements. It is built with eleven aperture blades for what TTArtisan says will be smooth and round bokeh. The lens is manual focus only and has a clickable aperture ring that can close down as far as f/16.

TTArtisan says the lens is particularly suited for shooting close-ups, still life, and portraiture with a minimum focusing distance of 6.7-inches and an equivalent full-frame focal length of 60mm. It should be noted that in order to use the lens, users have to set the in-camera settings to "shoot without lens" or "release without lens" otherwise the lens will not be recognized by the camera.

Earlier this month, the company released a trailer for its upcoming lens which demonstrates the various ways the lens could be used. The final price wasn't announced at the time and most guessed that the lens would cost well above its eventual launch price of $100.

Below are a set of example images provided by TTArtisan:

This is not the only budget lens that TTArtisan has released this year. Others include the 11mm f/2.8 fisheye lens for Fujifilm GFX mount and 50mm f/1.4 for multiple full-Frame mirrorless systems. The 90mm f/1.25 lens for Leica M-Mount, released in May 2021, came with a significantly higher price of $770 which is reflected in its optics and build that bear close similarities to Leica's own.

The TTAritsan 40mm Macro f/2.8 APS-C lens is available for purchase on the TTArtisan website along with a full camera compatibility list.

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This Lens Kit Turns Your Room Into a Right-Side-Up Camera Obscura

Finnish company Bonfoton has launched the BonfotonUP, a new device that allows users to project a camera obscura image right-side-up in contrast to how the visual phenomenon -- projected onto walls -- is traditionally formed upside-down.

Camera obscura, which means "dark chamber" in Latin, is an early ancestor of the photographic camera. The phenomenon can be achieved by blocking out any incoming light in a room and creating a small hole that projects the outdoor scene into the room. The brighter it is outside, the more crisp the projected details and colors are.

By Tommi Pirnes

The visual effect works as sunlight transfers images through straight moving rays of light that are then reflected in all directions. When those rays enter a darkened or blacked-out room through a small hole, the alive and colorful image is then projected upside-down on all the room's walls.

Although anyone can create their own DIY version of camera obscura at home using office supplies to create a simple pinhole, the Finland-based company Bonfoton released its own camera obscura lens in 2017 that helps focus light onto walls, which then creates a sharper and brighter image compared to using a pinhole. The new lens helped project a more vibrant scene, but it was still upside down.

This time, however, Bonfoton has developed an improved optomechanical device called the BonfotonUP -- with the help of an optical system design professor and a mechanical engineer -- that can project the scene the right-side-up. The BonfotonUP kit includes two switchable lenses for use in different room sizes, has a direct attachment to the window screen using a strong suction cup, is compatible with tripod use, and the image position on the wall can be adjusted vertically using the optical head tilting mechanism.

By Tommi Pirnes By Tommi Pirnes

To achieve an upright view, the device uses a large optical-grade glass prism that weighs 400 grams (0.9 lbs). This prism facilitates the inversion of the propagating light, along the longitudinal axis of the prism for the second time by 180-degrees, thus creating a clear and colorful upright image.

By Tommi Pirnes

Although the camera obscura phenomenon can make for interesting photos and timelapses, it can also be used for educational purposes to introduce newcomers to photographic principles. The BonfotonUP kit is available for €439 ($515) on the company's website and the Bonfoton Instagram page showcases many different photos achieved by those who use the company's products.

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Image credits: All images individually credited and provided courtesy of Bonfoton.

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