TTArtisan AF 23mm f/1.4 23mm

Outstanding bokeh (90th percentile) and a fast f/1.4 aperture for under $160 make the TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 a budget dream for manual-focus aficionados. But optical sharpness is only mid-pack, edges stay soft wide open, and almost nobody owns this lens yet—social proof sits at a dismal 2nd percentile. It’s a creative tool, not a workhorse.

The f/1.4 aperture is where this little 210g lens shines. Shooting wide open, center sharpness is impressive, and the 9-blade diaphragm gives you buttery bokeh that ranks in the 90th percentile—honestly, it’s one of the best we’ve seen from a third-party manual lens. The classic rendering has a slight vintage vibe, with some starbursts around point lights and a gentle fall-off that portrait shooters will love. But edge-to-edge sharpness never quite catches up; at f/1.4, the corners stay soft, and the lens only really sharpens across the frame by f/2.8 or so. Our optical quality aggregate lands at the 43rd percentile, which is solid but not a chart-topper. Macro capability is decent at 66th percentile, but the 30cm minimum focus distance means you won’t be getting crazy close. There’s no stabilization, and the lens is manual focus only—so for video or fast action, it’s a hard pass.

Stack this against the Viltrox AF 9mm F2.8 E and the difference is night and day: the Viltrox gives you autofocus and a much wider field of view, but its aperture is two stops slower and bokeh is nothing special. The Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 XC offers weather sealing, snappy AF, and better overall sharpness, but it’s a stop slower and about twice the price used. Then there’s the 7Artisans AF 24mm F1.8—similar focal length but with autofocus and a 1.8 aperture, though user reviews suggest similarly soft corners wide open. The TTArtisan sits in a unique niche: it’s the best manual-focus, f/1.4 option under $160, with bokeh that outpaces most rivals in this bracket. But if you need autofocus or weather sealing, look elsewhere.

At the $114 to $157 price range, the TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 is a steal if you’re after that classic, characterful look without breaking the bank. The price-per-bokeh ratio is absurdly good. You can find it for as low as $114 from some vendors, and even at the high end, it’s far cheaper than the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4, which costs over four times as much. If you’re willing to trade autofocus and edge-to-edge perfection for creamy backgrounds and a tactile manual experience, this lens delivers enormous bang for the buck.

Right off the bat, we need to clear up a naming hiccup: despite the “AF 23mm f/1.8” tag floating around some listings, this is the TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4—a fully manual prime for Fujifilm X-mount. It gives you a 35mm equivalent field of view, a bright f/1.4 aperture, and a sub-$160 price tag. The bokeh rating sits in the 90th percentile of all lenses we've tested, and aperture speed lands in the 88th. That’s a lot of creative punch for the money, especially if you like shooting portraits or streetscapes wide open. Build quality is another standout, scoring in the 81st percentile, which is surprising in a lens this affordable. But this thing isn’t for everyone: optical performance overall is a middling 43rd percentile, and user sentiment is remarkably low at the 7th percentile, mainly because so few people have actually bought and reviewed it. Social proof is virtually nonexistent, landing in the 2nd percentile. So you’re getting a lens with great character but questionable popularity and a mix of quirks that demand patience.

Anyone relying on autofocus should look past this lens immediately—it’s manual or nothing. If edge-to-edge sharpness matters for landscapes, the 43rd percentile optical rating and soft corners wide open will disappoint. Videographers, action shooters, and weather-sealed junkies will also find this lens a poor fit. The almost zero social proof (2nd percentile) also means there’s barely a community to lean on for tips or repairs, which might give pause to buyers who like a safety net.

The TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 is a lens with a split personality. It’s got some of the best bokeh we’ve tested in its class, a bright aperture, and a price that feels like a rounding error. But it’s manual focus only, soft at the edges, and so unpopular that you’ll be part of an exclusive club of owners. If you’re a portrait or street photographer who loves the tactile joy of manual focus and doesn’t mind quirks, this is a gem. For anyone wanting clinical sharpness or point-and-shoot ease, it’s a pass. Ultimately, the lens earns a recommendation for the right shooter—the one who values character over convenience.