M-mount fisheye lens TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye
A review and photo examples of the TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye.
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Table of contents
Gallery
The sample photos were taken with a Leica M10
Review
1．Overview
The TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye is a fisheye lens for the Leica M mount. In addition to the M mount, it is also sold for mirrorless cameras.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are provided in the specifications.
The lens consists of 11 elements in 7 groups, with a minimum focusing distance of 0.17m, and it does not work with the rangefinder of a rangefinder camera.
Filters cannot be attached to the front of the lens.
The M mount version comes with a dedicated viewfinder, so it is more expensive than other mounts.
2．Usability
As it is a fisheye lens, the image is naturally distorted in the corners, but the image does not break down even in the corners, and the image is flawless across the entire surface.
The contrast is slightly low, and ghosting occurs in backlit conditions, but this is unavoidable since it is an ultra-wide-angle lens.
The lens is easy to operate, with a focus ring that is wide enough to allow smooth focusing. It is unusual to have a pin attached to the aperture ring, but since it is not changed frequently, it is not appreciated.
The included viewfinder is only for checking the shooting range, but it does not look very good, so it is more reliable to shoot with an EVF attached. Therefore, if you do not care about the versatility of the M mount, it is cheaper to purchase a dedicated mount without a viewfinder.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye, although it has a focal length of 11mm, it is difficult to distinguish it from a standard 15mm or 16mm fisheye lens due to the distortion around the edges. If you choose the M mount, you can use it with a variety of cameras via a mount adapter.
Specification
The TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye’s specifications state it’s compatible with 35mm film, has a focal length of 11mm, and a diagonal angle of view (hereafter referred to as “angle of view”) of 180 degrees. I was intrigued by the idea of creating a fisheye lens with an 11mm focal length, so I tried it out, but when I looked at the actual photos, I couldn’t see any clear difference from a 16mm fisheye lens.
This is because I was distracted by the difference in focal lengths between 11mm and 16mm and overlooked the fisheye element.
A 16mm focal length on a 35mm film has an angle of view of 107 degrees, which is expanded to 180 degrees to create a fisheye. On the other hand, this lens has a focal length of 11mm, and an angle of view of 126 degrees on a 35mm film, widening the angle to 180 degrees.
While there’s a 5mm difference in focal length and a 19-degree difference in angle of view, both fisheye lenses expand the field of view to 180 degrees, so the shooting range is the same.
The curvature of distortion will differ between 16mm and 11mm, but the difference is likely only noticeable when shooting the same subject on a tripod.
When I asked the manufacturer why they chose 11mm, they said it was to differentiate their specifications from those of other companies.
One advantage of the 11mm focal length is that it offers a deeper depth of field than 16mm, making it more suitable for deep focus shooting.
The following is a photo taken with the LEICA R-mount fisheye lens FISH EYE ELMARIT 16mm and a HASSELBLAD X2D-100C equipped with a medium-format digital sensor. I tried to achieve the equivalent of 16mm * 0.8 = 13mm, but there is some vignetting caused by the lens hood. This is unavoidable given that the lens was designed for 35mm film.
| Items | 11mm F2.8 Fisheye | FISH EYE 16mm |
| Manufacturer | TTArtisan | LEICA |
| Focal length(mm) | 11 | 16 |
| Max aperture | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 16 |
| Aperture blade | 7 | 6 |
| Lens Construction | 11群17枚 | 8群 11枚 |
| Min distance(m) | 0.17 | 0.3 |
| Lens length(mm) | 73 | 60 |
| Lens Max diameter(mm) | 67 | 71 |
| Filter Size(mm) | – | – |
| Weight(g) | Around 439~600g | 470 |
| Release date | ? | 1974(*2) |
| Production numbers | ? | 2950(*2) |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | ¥75,000- | ? |
Reference links
- TTArtisan 11mm F2.8 Fisheye Lens Official Page
- TT Artisan Fisheye Lens 11mm f 2.8 – Amazon Affiliate Link
Affiliate links
Update history
- 2025.8.25
- 2024.12.14
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