TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 Bubble Bokeh - Lens review and specs

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Compare with

100mm

Focal length

f/2.8

Max aperture

307 g

Weight

14mm35mm85mm200mm600mm

▲ 100mm

Max aperture

f/1.8

f/2.8

f/5.6

Constant Aperture

Aperturef/2.8

f/2.8f/22

Near focus17' 0"

Far focus18' 7"

Total DOF1' 6"

Hyperfocal406' 7"

Subject distance17' 9"

Focal length100 mm

Aperturef/2.8

SensorFull Frame

Illustrative scene preview based on this lens's focal length, aperture, and sensor coverage.

This preview uses 100mm, f/2.8, and Full Frame. Subject distance is estimated to keep lens previews comparable.

Min aperture: f/22
Diaphragm blades: 13

Optics

Optical construction: 3 elements in 3 groups

Focusing

Minimum focus: 90 cm

Physical

Weight: 307 g
Filter thread: 49 mm
Color: Black

Recommended Use

Ideal for: Macro, Portraits

Release year: 2023
Announced: Aug 7, 2023
Approx price: $183 USD
Optical correction & RAW development: NDPix Photo Editor

The best

Classic Triplet Aesthetic: Relive a legendary optical design that turns any ordinary background into a stage of brilliant bubbles, ideal for photography with a strong artistic component.

Also

Ultralight Metal Body: Weighing only 307g, it is an incredibly portable 100mm telephoto lens that does not outweigh the weight of small cameras, ideal for long outdoor sessions.

Summary

The TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 Bubble Bokeh is a manual focus lens designed for Full Frame sensors that seeks to recover the optical character of classic European lenses. Its most distinctive feature is the generation of a "soap bubble" blur (soap bubble bokeh), where out-of-focus points of light have bright, sharp edges instead of being soft and diffuse. With a simple optical scheme of 3 elements in 3 groups (type design Triplet), this lens prioritizes a nostalgic and artistic visual signature over the technical perfection of modern optics.

Despite its design inspired by the past, it features a modern construction in aviation aluminum with an anodized finish, making it lightweight (approx. 307g) and durable. Originally released with mount M42 and Leica M, has become extremely popular thanks to its versatility, as it can easily adapt to almost any current mirrorless camera. Its diaphragm ring has clicks, allowing precise tactile adjustments, and its minimum focusing distance of 0.9m makes it suitable for half-length portraits and nature details where the background plays a fundamental narrative role.

Its main uses are linked to creative portrait photography, where the textured background adds a layer of visual interest that separates the subject in a unique way. It is also highly valued in the flower and nature photography, taking advantage of the light that filters through the foliage to create the famous bubble effect. It's a lens ideal for photographers looking to escape excessive clinical sharpness and prefer a tool that provides an organic, ethereal and distinctive "look" directly from the shot, minimizing the need for post-processing.

NDPIX · PHOTO EDITORTurn your photos into something more.A focused photo editor for Mac and Windows. Essential tools, non-destructive RAW editing, and a workspace designed to stay out of your way.Download NDPix for freemacOS and Windows · 7 languages

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Pros & Cons

Pros

Authentic and very marked "soap bubble" bokeh effect.
High quality metal construction, but extremely light and compact.
Vintage aesthetic that brings a unique artistic character to the images.
Highly versatile: The M42/M mount allows it to be used on almost any system with the appropriate adapter.
Excellent value for money to obtain an aesthetic that is usually much more expensive.

Cons

Moderate sharpness and low contrast at maximum aperture (part of its artistic design).
Sensitive to flares and loss of contrast in strong backlights.
Manual focus requiring precision, especially due to its telephoto nature.
Minimum focusing distance of 0.9m, somewhat limited for close-up photography.
No electronic contacts: There is no aperture or focal record in the EXIF data.