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When I was done reviewing the Leica 35mm f1.2 APO for Leica M mount, I was yearning for more. I hadn’t looked so adoringly at photos like that in a very long time. So like any other photographer with GAS that needs to be vented, I went around the web searching. The quest brought me the path of the TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO. So I called one in for review. When I tell you that this is the lens that led me to question everything, I’m really, really not kidding you.

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Chinese Lenses Aren’t Cheap. Everything Else is Just Expensive

Every now and again, Reviews Editor Alberto Lima will pop by my office for a visit where we get some work done and we manage camera gear loans. We did an imformal comparison between the TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO and the Leica 28mm f2 APO SL which I own and adore. Anyone who owns Leica lenses will tell you that the SL APO lenses have the most visible effect on the image. However, both Alberto and I found in our investigation that the TTArtisan was delivering very similar results.

For background, one of the things that has made Leica so untouchable for years is part of the mystique of the Leica look. That look is often delivered with lenses that seem almost impossibly small compared to most other camera manufacturers. But when they aren’t all that small, they still deliver really big on the image quality. This is due in some small way to their Apochromatic lens designs — which boost micro-contrast into fooling the eyes to believe that f2 depth of field is actually that of an f1.4 lens. And it does this in a way while still keeping an f2 aperture as opposed to something like the Sony 100mm f2.8 Smooth Transition Focus G Master Lens (reviewed here.)

A bicycle covered in snow is parked on a snowy street with a blurred bus passing in the background. — Flic Film Chrome 100 with TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO in Leica M6

Few lens makers have been able to do this: Laowa, Zeiss, and Sigma are some of the exceptions here.

But here I was with a lens that costs around $470 that’s, delivering images that can nearly rival a $5,000 lens. Let alone, the Leica M-mount variant we reviewed here is closer to the $10,000 price point. Put a different way, a $5,000 lens is delivering images that a $470 can make.

I’ve stated many times before that Chinese lenses aren’t cheap, it’s just that everything else is very expensive. And sure, Leica delivers a lifetime warranty of some sort and provides support to products going way back. In the case of the SL lenses, there’s also autofocus and durability meant to match the IP-rated standard that their cameras are held to. But is it really worth that much?

And so things got even more complicated.

I Can’t Tell the Difference

A black Leica camera with a lens, resting on top of a closed book. — TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO product image

The TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO has a metal build on the outside. It’s designed for Leica M mount, and so it doesn’t have any weather resistance. But it’s built just like many other Leica M-mount lens. There’s a screw-on metal hood, clicky apertures, smooth focusing, and it’s cold to the touch. It is also big enough to sort of get in the way of the Leica M6’s viewfinder. I’ve come to expect this with rangefinders, though.

But here’s the thing: in a blind test, I don’t think anyone would be able to tell the difference between which lens is a Leica and which is made by TTArtisan just by feeling alone. Mind you, this is a statement coming from a legally blind man who’s been testing cameras for far longer than most of the YouTubers out there and also even most journalists reviewing cameras.

And here’s where things got even more complicated.

Close-up of a black camera with focus and aperture markings, resting on a blurred photograph.

A black camera with a lens and strap sits on a surface, bathed in soft natural light.

A black camera with a lens rests on a book featuring a vintage photo of cars in the background.

The $470 Lens that Makes Images Like a $9,000 Lens

A few quick journalistic declarations before I go on, the brand provided the TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO for keeps. I tested it on a Leica M6 and a Panasonic S1R II — both of which I own and purchased with my own money. The film is Flic Film Chrome 100, which is sold by the wonderful Blue Moon Camera company. I purchased the film from them for full price. It is one of the only other positive films available on the market right now beyond what the big two film manufacturers make. Blue Moon Camera developed the film free of charge, which is a service the Phoblographer negotiated with Blue Moon many years ago. I genuinely get all my film gear from them, I recommend that you check them out at this link here. They’re bound to be better than your local analog shop.

I tell you all this because I take a great amount of care in being transparent with the Phoblographer’s audience.

For most of this review, I photographed with the TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO on the Leica M6 as I exposed various rolls of Flic Film. But during the waiting period for it to come back from the lab, I tried it on the LUMIX S1R II. It delivered beautiful images — but so too does every single lens on the market.

That’s something that I really couldn’t believe that I was saying.

I’m not one to pixel peep, as I think that it’s a pedantic thing that camera manufacturers and old men hold onto to justify why something is much better than the other. That idea is as practical as looking at a pizza that my local mom-and-pop shop just gave me and complaining that a single pepperoni sliver didn’t get all that crispy. Seriously, imagine if the pizza industry went around saying, “We get our pepperoni crispy in the center and crispy in the corners.” It would not only be pedantic, but it would also be assinine because you’d eat the damn slice if you were hungry enough, no matter what.

That’s the truth about the TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO. When you look at the whole image, you can’t tell the differences.

Here are a bunch of images that haven’t been edited. These were made with the Leica M6 on Flic Film 100.

A blurred vehicle passes a store called Romantic Depot Queens on a city street with snow on the ground.

Busy city street at sunset with cars, pedestrians, and an elevated railway on the right.

Art Deco metal archway with a blue sign reading SUNNYSIDE against a clear sky.

Cars pass through a city street intersection at 44th St. under a green traffic light at sunset.

A person crosses a snowy street at sunset near an elevated train track and traffic lights.

A cyclist rides through a busy city intersection as a van and bus speed by, creating a motion blur effect.

Busy street under elevated tracks with snow piles, blurred cars, and a Mobil gas station in the background.

Mobil gas station at dusk with cars and price sign on a city street under an elevated train track.

Street corner with traffic lights, cars, and a brightly lit R.C. Richard & Son store at dusk.

A modern, multi-story building with a large banner, next to a busy street at dusk.

A Mobil gas station on a wet city street at dusk, with cars parked and snow on the ground.

A plate of tomato stew with fish on a wooden table, next to a fork, bottle, and spices.

A city balcony and street are covered in deep snow during a heavy winter storm.

Two patio chairs, a barbecue, and the floor of a balcony are covered in thick, fresh snow.

Cars drive past snow piled along a city street under an elevated train track on a sunny winter day.

Cars drive on a city street lined with snowbanks under an elevated train track on a sunny winter day.

Row of brick townhouses with snow on the ground and parked cars, under a blue sky with clouds at sunset.

Two wooden chairs near a window with people walking outside on a snowy sidewalk and parked cars visible.

A shop interior with shelves and a table displaying books, dolls, souvenirs, and various small items.

A dark table with headphones, a magazine, and other items illuminated by a beam of light.

Three brick garage doors, one with white graffiti, snow and boxes on the ground in front, during winter.

A wire fence with signs for no trespassing, picking up after dogs, and no littering, with snow on the ground.

Busy city street with red brick and tall tan buildings, bikes parked, and people walking in the foreground.

City street in winter with snow, pedestrians, cars, and buildings; traffic lights are red and green.

String lights hang from a tree in front of a row of residential buildings on a city street.

String lights and flags hang outside a brownstone building with a festive wreath on a red door.

A cozy restaurant bar with patterned tiles, empty chairs, and dim pendant lighting over the counter.

Snow-covered park at night with glowing street lamps and city buildings in the background.

Street view of a tattoo shop above a deli and grill, with cars parked outside, on a snowy day.

Snow-covered cars parked on a city street lined with apartment buildings on a winter day.

People viewing framed photos on display in an art gallery with bright lighting and wooden floors.

A green wall displays six framed photographs, each showing different scenes and groups of people.

A brick building with a black metal staircase, snow on the ground, and window air conditioning units.

Tall brick church with arched windows and a tower, viewed from below through a window.

City street at dusk with snow, glowing streetlights, and buildings with illuminated signs and windows.

A bar shelf with various liquor bottles, glassware, and some decorative items, warmly lit from above.

A white van is parked on a snowy street beside other cars, with apartment buildings in the background.

A subway platform with blue and yellow caution walls, tracks, and people in the distance.

People cross a snowy street in front of a bright red Mixue ice cream shop in a busy city area with many signs.

Tall city buildings with sunlight casting shadows, viewed from street level against a clear blue sky.

Dimly lit utility room with electrical panels, meters, and wires along the walls.

A wooden table set for tea with small teapots, cups, and a red patterned runner, hands visible on both sides.

Sunny cafe interior with empty beige chairs, wooden tables, and potted plants by large windows.

A person walks past Jeong Yuk Jeom restaurant with bright signage and large windows on a city street.

A modern glass skyscraper with blue windows against a cloudy sky, photographed from a low angle.

Cars parked and driving under a large concrete overpass with people walking in the background.

Here are a bunch of photos that were edited in Capture One using the Phoblographer’s presets. These are with the Panasonic LUMIX S1R II.

Blurry figures walk through subway turnstiles under green lights; one person wears a safety vest.

Industrial interior with metal railings, bright lights, and glass block walls; orange and yellow lighting.

Two men sit at a table with menus, a glass of water, and a brick wall in the background.

Two men sit at a restaurant table, serving and eating food from bowls against a brick wall backdrop.

A plate of grilled meat garnished with a purple flower on a restaurant table, surrounded by glassware.

Two people dining, with a plate of food garnished with an orchid and cucumber on a black table.

A man with white glasses sits in a restaurant booth, resting his head on his hand near drinks and flowers.

A person with glasses smiling on a city street at night, with cars and storefronts in the background.

A brightly lit pizzeria with neon signs on a mostly empty city street at night.

A split-leaf monstera plant with sunlight shining through its green and white leaves indoors.

Can you tell that these images were made with a Chinese lens? I can’t. Nor can I tell that they weren’t made with a Japanese lens or a German lens. Genuinely, we’re not a point of diminishing returns. We’re in the era of needing critical rethinking of the lenses that we buy.

In 2026, I’m really questioning every single product that comes out now.

A camera with a brown strap rests on top of a book with a blurred city photograph on its cover.

TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO Review: The $470 Lens in $9,000 Clothing

Can you tell that these images were made with a Chinese lens? I can't. Nor can I tell that they weren't made with a Japanese lens or a German lens. Genuinely, we're not a point of diminishing returns. We're in the era of needing critical rethinking of the lenses that we buy. In 2026, I'm really questioning every single product that comes out now.