The TTArtisan AF 56mm F/1.8 is now available in silver

The black version of the TTArtisan AF 56mm F/1.8 was released in December 2023 and reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. As a budget portrait telephoto, the lens delivers excellent value in terms of image quality and autofocus performance.

The AF 56mm F/1.8 has an all-metal construction but is a very lightweight lens at 233 grams. The focusing ring is wide and comfortable in the hands, however, One downside is that it comes with a quirky lens hood that cannot be reverse-mounted or used with the cap. 

Image Credit: TTArtisan

The autofocus performance of the AF 56mm F/1.8 is solid but with some minor issues. For portrait work, the autofocus works well and will have no issues tracking subjects. Even in low-light conditions, the AF works accurately when shooting portraits.

The main quirk of the lens is when working at the minimum focusing distance, the AF system sometimes cannot lock on to the subject or engage focus. The solution is to reset the AF system by switching to manual focus and back to autofocus.

Images taken with the TTArtisan AF 56mm F/1.8 are sharp and vibrant. When shooting wide open at F/1.8, the lens isolates the subject very well and has a pleasing bokeh effect. The lens does tend to have soft corners and exhibits some vignetting but this is very common with most budget lenses. Overall, the image quality is great considering its price.

The silver version of the TTArtisan AF 56mm F/1.8 does not change anything with the build quality or optical formula. This update is purely aesthetic but it should be welcomed by photographers looking for a retro-style lens to match their cameras. We think this new lens would look great when mounted on two-toned cameras like the Nikon Zfc or Fujifilm X-M5.

If you are looking for a budget portrait lens, this one should be something worth considering considering what you get relative to its price. The TTArtisan AF 56mm F/1.8 is currently on sale for just $129 at selected retailers like Amazon and B&H.