TTartisan will launch a new series of lenses called Neo – and the lenses lack both a focus ring and an aperture ring. The brand kicks the series off with a 50mm f/1.8, with an 85mm f/2.8 to follow. Both lenses are autofocus (AF) primes for Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount.
The announcement was made on Instagram, and while part of me likes the idea of lenses with minimal functionality to keep costs down, these ringless kits mean that aperture settings can only be adjusted via the camera body, which I’m not a fan of.
For me, one of the main benefits of a focus ring in particular is the ability to look through the viewfinder while sharpening up your image, so to speak.
According to the Instagram post, the 50mm will cost $89 in the US, which converts to approximately £66 / AU$125 / CA$122.
It’s tricky to say whether these simplified lenses will strike a good balance between cost and effectiveness, as so far the only official information we have on the Neo series is what can be seen in the Instagram announcement.
However, Photo Rumors reported that they’ll feature an STM stepping motor autofocus, an 8-element, 12-group optical design, a 52mm filter thread, and a minimum focusing distance of 0.48 meters.
These specs don’t sound too shabby, especially at $89, but will face strong competition from the likes of Viltrox EVO lenses and Meike AIR lenses, which feature lens rings and therefore greater functionality, and only for slightly higher prices.
With this in mind, TTartisan’s Neo lenses might be seen as more of a gimmick than effective pieces of kit, at least by more serious photographers.
TTartisan hasn’t announced a release date for the Neo series, so we’ll have to wait for further information. But one last rumor: apparently, these lenses will be customizable with psychedelic third-party sleeves.
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