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The TTArtisan 50mm f1.8 Neo Feels Like Something Canon Should’ve Made

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 07/03/2026
07/03/2026
2 Mins read
A hand holds a camera lens against a green background with the word Neo written behind it.
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Last Updated on 07/03/2026 by Chris Gampat

Upon getting the press release fro the new TTArtisan 50mm f1.8 Neo lens, a few curious questions went through my mind. First off, I really wondered why it didn’t have weather resistance. Even at $89, I think the company could’ve raised the price a bit and still added it in. But there’s something even more curious about this lens.

Clear lens with visible inner mechanics above text reading Stepping motor | Still & Motion. Reliable autofocus.

Ultimately, it reminds me of something Canon would’ve done years ago. Back in the DSLR days, the Canon 50mm f1.8 was so highly prized because it was so cheap and good enough for what you were paying for. In some ways, I think the TTArtisan 50mm f1.8 Neo is taking on that same philosophy.

Traditional publications and such would list out all the specs; but truthfully, when it comes to lenses most people don’t understand these. In fact, the other day I was on a call with Reviews Editor Alberto Lima and we discussed how little we care about MTF charts. The TTArtisan 50mm f1.8 Neo is available in Sony E, Nikon Z, and Leica L mounts. It is indeed a full-frame lens. Plus it boasts autofocus and the ability to use subject detection.

Collage of a woman outdoors with flowers and a camera; text highlights lens features like 50mm, STM autofocus, and f/1.8.

Here are some thing that photographers will totally care about:

  • Half a meter close focusing distance
  • Comes with a lens hood
  • 7 aperture blades, so the design is clearly something that’s a bit older
  • 167g, which is around the weight of an apple according to Google
  • 52mm filter thread mount
  • The rear cap has a USB-C port for firmware updates
  • You even get a warranty card with it

We’ve called a unit in for testing, so we’ll have a review sooner or later. Considering how small lenses like this are, we’re expecting people with an a7C series camera and an S9 to be totally in love with getting one. As it is, there are lots of really great small lenses for the S9 that photographers will love.

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50mm f1.8 leica lens mount nikon sony ttartisan
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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