TTArtisan has added several new mount options to its budget-friendly 500mm f/6.3, including DSLR options. Yes, you heard that correctly, a new lens DSLR lens in 2024!
We reported on the initial release of the TTArtisan 500mm f/6.3 Telephoto lens last year, which has been available for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L mount, and offers an affordable super-telephoto astrophotography lens. TTArtisan has now made the lens available for Fujifilm X and GF, but most surprisingly and to the joyous cries of DSLR users, Nikon F and Canon EF mounts as well!
This is the first mention of a new DSLR lens I have heard about in a long time, and may just be one of the last we are likely to see as the majority of manufacturers focus solely on a mirrorless future.
This may be a clever move by TTArtisan as, although the market is still in a state of rapid transition to mirrorless, there is still a market for DSLR lenses. Astrophotography is a genre that seems to be holding on to the DSLR format a little longer than the rest, and it makes sense that this lens caters to that market.
The lens in question has been a success with existing users, offering big performance at an affordable entry point – a specialty of TTArtisan lenses. The lens is a manual focus super-telephoto lens with a constant aperture of f/6.3.
Constructed of eight elements in five groups, with extra low-dispersion glass, it is marketed towards wildlife and astrophotography, enabling the capture of "stunning deep-sky objects in the night sky".
There is also an elephant in the room with the inclusion of a GF mount option. The GF mount is designed for the Fujifilm GFX system, which has a digital medium format sensor larger than the rest of the mount options.
A common theme among lenses that offer multiple-sized sensor options is vignetting at the larger end, but sample images from the 500mm f/6.3 show no vignetting at infinity. This is great news for GFX users, as native GF lenses do not come cheap!
We have recently seen similar telephoto prime lens releases such as the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports and the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S. The TTArtisan is a great alternative and, at a price of just $329 / £409 (Australian pricing TBC), it is hard to beat.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best lenses for astrophotography, the best lenses for wildlife photography, and the best DSLR cameras.
