Can't uninstall Microsoft Office?

I recently found I was still using the 32-bit version of Office. I tried to download Office 64-bit but it would not install, it told me I must first remove/uninstall the existing Office 32-bit. Fine I thought, I went to Settings | Apps | Installed Apps. I found Microsoft Office in my list and uninstalled it. When I tried the Office 64-bit installer again, it still complained Office 32-bit was still installed. 

Solution

I downloaded a special Microsoft app called 'Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant'. You can find it here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/uninstall-office-from-a-pc-9dd49b83-264a-477a-8fcc-2fdf5dbf61d8

Install and run that application, it will take some time but eventually it does cleanly remove the existing Office installation from the computer. 

TTArtisan 23mm F1.4 for macro

I have the manual focus TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 lens. I have extension tubes. I wondered how they would work together. It turns out that they are a pretty good combo! In this article I'll talk about my experience. I am just an enthusiast, take all I say with a grain of salt, it is just my opinion and I haven't made any scientific tests. Maybe a real world account will be helpful to you though, if so, read on...


Setup

The TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 can focus to 20cm, this isn't macro but you can get some nice close-up photos, excellent for flowers. To get even closer, I attached a 10mm extension tube and my TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 lens to my Panasonic GX9 Micro Four Thirds camera.

The TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 is a very reasonably priced manual focus lens. Click here for more on this lens. The 23mm focal length is not really the best (a longer focal length would be better) for close-up or macro but I thought this was an interesting experiment.

The 10mm extension tube I have is the Meke MK-PAF3A. But any extension tube will do. They are easy to find on Amazon, eBay, etc, for a reasonable price. 

I also have a 16mm extension tube. Using the 10mm, I had to get very close to the subject to have it in focus. For this particular 23mm lens, I found the 10mm extension tube was best. But of course you can experiment and it depends on your lens focal length which combination of extension tube will work for you. Generally, for close-up or macro work, it's better to have longer than a 23mm lens.  

Technique
When I tried to focus with the lens focus ring, it didn't really work. The solution was to set the focus to the minimum focus setting on my lens 0.2 (20cm). To focus, I moved the whole camera forwards and back until the subject was in focus. 

 

I had to get very close to the subject to get it in focus

As you can see from the above, to get the image in focus I had to be very close to it. The usual 20cm was reduced to about 10mm (measuring from the camera the sensor to the subject). This is not a good working distance but for static subjects it's fine. 

Even with the lens set to f5.6, because the lens is so close to the subject, it can be difficult to get the subject in focus. In the above picture, on the screen you'll see some blue, that is the focus-peaking, it helps a lot. Just wait until the subject edges have a little blue (or whatever colour you are using) and press the shutter button!

Look carefully at the two pictures above. Getting that critical focus on the subject is not easy. I took these photos handheld but if you use a tripod this will be easier. 

Aperture

On Youtube and the web in general, everyone goes on about aperture, how the larger it is (the lower the f number), the better. The lens I'm using starts at f1.4, that's fantastic for portrait or similar photos. For close-up or macro, a higher f number makes more sense. In the example above I used f5.6 and yet very little of the photo was in focus because I had to get so close and the subject was very small. Experiment, perhaps f8 or even higher would be better. It depends on the look you are trying to get. Here are a few example photos taken with the TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 and 10mm extension tube, at different apertures.

The first photo taken at f1.4, the second at f5.6

The first photo taken at f5.6, the second at f8

When using the 10mm extension tube I really didn't find using f1.4 made any sense. The depth of field was so thin. F4 perhaps but often I was using f5.6 or sometimes f8. It depends on the subject, the lighting, the background. The fun of photography is often in the experimentation!

Cost

Are you interested in macro photography but don't know if you want to spend several hundred on a specialised lens? This combination of the TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 and 10mm extension tube is a very cheap option. Brand new the lens is less than USD 100 and extension tubes are perhaps about USD 20. Technically it isn't true macro but you are getting close and you can get some nice shots. I've used this 23mm lens because I have it in my collection. Maybe you have a different lens, that's fine too. There are so many excellent manual focus lenses at the around 100 dollar mark. 

Alternatives

As an alternative to extension tubes, try a converter. In a previous article I wrote about the Olympus MCON-P02 Converter. Fit it to the front of the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens and you have a great little macro solution. It has an advantage over extension tubes, with the converter you can easily remove it and put it back on. Perhaps you want a macro photo and then see something else that is far away, with an extension tube it's a pain, with the converter it is a little quicker to remove. The negative with the converter is that it fits only specific lenses and it is nearly 100 dollars. 

A more obvious solution would be to buy a true macro lens. There's the Panasonic 30mm f2.8 macro and Olympus 30mm f3.5 macro. I've not used either of those but all the reviews I've seen boil down to them being excellent choices. Both those are around the USD 300 mark so pretty good value. If you can afford it though, I would recommend the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro. I own this lens and I love it! Here's an article I wrote on the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro. It is around the USD 500 mark but truly excellent!

True macro lenses have some big advantages. They were designed for macro so the image quality is optimised for that kind of photography. You will get true 1:1 macro, which means the subject will appear at the same size in your image. Also, a true macro lens makes it easy to switch between near and far. What I mean is, if you are photographing a flower close up, then you see a bird in the corner of your eye, with the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro you can quickly change and take photo of the bird. With a lens and extension tubes you'd have to take the lens and extension tubes off and put the lens back on... the bird would've gone in that time. 

There's also the Laowa 50mm f2.8 2X Ultra Macro. I've no experience of it but it's just USD 400 and it provides 2:1, meaning the image is twice the size of 1:1. Maybe an option if you need to get closer. Although you could add extension tubes to the Olympus 60mm lens to achieve this. Perhaps the ultimate solution would be the new OM Pro 90mm f3.5 macro lens. But that is around the USD 1500 mark!

Conclusion

The TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 lens on its own is good for close up photos with the native 20cm minimum focussing distance. When fitted with a 10mm extension tube the minimum focussing distance is much less and it's possible to get some excellent macro (or at least macro-like) photographs. This combination works well. 

The downside is that you have to get very close to the subject. If you want to photograph insects, I'd say this combination won't work well. With the very short focussing distance you might get some shadow of the lens in your photo, that's also not good for macro as you need all the light you can get. Perhaps a longer focal length would be better... but despite this, I enjoyed using the TTArtisan 23mm and 10mm extension tube, I found it useable and fun!

GX9 + 10mm extension tube + TTArtisan 23mm f1.4, photograph taken at f5.6, ISO 200

Disclaimer
I have not received any remuneration for this blog article. This is just my opinion, nothing more. I take no responsibility for your choice or decisions. I am just trying to help here, to share my experience, I hope you find it helpful.

TTArtisan 23mm F1.4 lens (for Micro Four Thirds cameras)

January 2022, a new lens was released by TTArtisan. A 23mm f1.4 manual focus lens, designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras. I bought this lens for my Panasonic Lumix GX9 Micro Four Thirds camera. In this article I will share my opinion and practical experience of the lens. I am not a pro photographer and I won't be doing any lab tests. However, I hope my real world experience will help if you are considering this lens.

Build and handling

The lens is built mostly from metal. When you hold the lens in your hand, it feels dense and it has some heft to it. To the touch it can be cold due to the metal build. The focussing ring is smooth. It is very easy to focus, you feel in control as you turn it.

TTArtisan 23mm F1.4

The aperture ring has clicks for each f stop. That's a nice feature, you can change aperture without taking your eye from the subject. I have heard in some reviews that the aperture clicks are in the wrong place, my lens doesn't have this issue, it is just right. Some complain the aperture ring is not nice to use but I also beg to differ on this too. The aperture ring is thin with teeth, your fingers can easily find it and grip it. Perhaps that isn't to some people's liking, to me it is practical.

The TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 is a very well made lens. It feels premium despite the low asking price.

One of the stand-out features of the 23mm F1.4 lens is its look. It is a good looking lens, retro with the black with silver accents. This may sound like a frivolous thing to some but it is a major reason I bought this lens. The look and feel of a lens and camera can encourage some to go out and take photos. Sometimes on YouTube I've heard professional photographers talking about lenses and cameras as "tools". For enthusiasts it can be different, perhaps we will be spurred on in our photography.

There is an optional lens hood available. I bought this, it is a screw on hood. It can be a pain to screw on. The hood is also metal, the edges are a bit sharp. It is square, this adds to the retro vibe of the 23mm lens.

I do like the look of the 23mm on my GX9. I prefer the look without the lens hood. With the lens hood on, if you sit the camera down, it will tip forward. This is because of the weight. The GX9 has some heft to it already, together with the 23mm lens, you do find yourself holding a bit of a brick. This can work to your favour, the camera can seem easier to steady. It is not a big deal but personally because of the weight, I don't think I'll ever use this as a travel lens. Of course I am used to small light lenses, if you are coming from the world of Full Frame you may laugh at me!

I have the JJC grip for the GX9. With the grip fitted the TTArtisan 23mm is a better balance. I prefer this, although the entire set up is of course still hefty.

Manual focus

This lens is manual focus only. There are no electrical contacts which means EXIF data for the aperture and focal length are not saved.

The focus ring is smooth but not loose, it won't easily slip. I like the focussing, it works very well. In the camera I have switched on focus peaking and in can also magnify the image. These features are very important, especially when using the f1.4 aperture. 

Focal length

23mm on M43 is a 'standard' focal length. The field of view is equivalent to 46mm on full frame, close to the iconic 50mm. I enjoy this focal length, it is similar to our usual field of view. It can be used for all sorts of photography.

Minimum focus distance

This is not a macro lens but the minimum focus distance is 20cm, that is excellent for close ups of flowers, for example. As a general purpose walk around lens, it does the job. It is fun to get close to the subject for that detailed photo. However, be warned that at f1.4 aperture, close up it is tricky to get focus and in any case the background blur might be too great, consider stopping down to f4 or f5.6. Remember that being closer to the subject means the background blur will be greater, even if you are at f5.6 it may look smooth. The great thing with this lens is that you have the choice.

GX9 + TTArtisan 23mm f1.4, taken at f1.4

Focus distance scale

On the barrel of the lens there are a bunch of numbers including a distance scale. It can be used for zone focussing. It's not something I use much but with a little practice it could be useful.

F1.4 aperture

One big reason to get this lens is the maximum aperture of f1.4. This means you can take photos in low light and also have some wonderfully blurry backgrounds.

In practice using f1.4 is something you should approach with care. F1.4 makes some very thin depth of field, especially if you are close to your subject. Make use of your camera's manual focussing features. Sometimes peaking only shows some edges. I recommend double checking by magnifying the image.

Above there are two photos, both taken at f1.4. The first is not a crop, I held the camera as close as I could to the subject. In the second photo I stood back with a greater distance between me and the subject. Both photos have a very dreamy out of focus area. Remember that the aperture is not the only factor in creating bokeh, the distance in front and behind of the subject also creates that subject isolation. 

Image quality

Excellent. If you want something more in-depth, there are many technical reviews on YouTube, I would recommend Rob Trek and Red35, I've added links at the end of this article.

The bokeh, or out of focus area behind the subject is smooth and I've been happy with pictures taken wide open at f1.4. There is sometimes a nice look to the photos, a sort of dreamy look. 

GX9 + TTArtisan 23mm f1.4, taken at f1.4

It works well at f5.6 too. For more depth of field and general snaps, the lens works very well. Use focus peaking, perhaps the zone focussing number on the lens barrel for a guide and you have a nice setup for street and similar photography.

GX9 + TTArtisan 23mm f1.4, taken at f5.6

The above photo is a JPEG straight from the camera, no post processing. The colours are punchy and that's not just because of the time of day I took the photo. I do feel the lens gives a slightly more contrasty picture. In any case, let's just say again, the image quality is excellent.  

Competition

The TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 has a big advantage, it's price. About 99 US dollars plus another 10 dollars for the hood. For anyone looking for a new standard focus length lens at an affordable price, this lens hits the mark. However, you should consider whether a manual focus lens is for you. I already owned the Panasonic 25mm f1.7 lens before buying the TTArtisan 23mm f1.4. I wanted the challenge of a totally manual focus lens, the f1.4 aperture and the retro look. Your priorities may be different.

If I compare the 23mm to my Panasonic, purely from a practical standpoint, the Panasonic 25mm f1.7 is the better lens. It has auto-focus, great image quality and it is light, it feels great on my GX9 camera, a better balance in the hand. The Panasonic is a little more costly, approx. 150 US dollars. Keep your eyes peeled for deals though, sometimes you can pick one up for closer to 100 dollars. If you are looking to purchase your first prime (non-zoom) I would recommend the Panasonic over the TTArtisan. Having the option of auto-focus and the light build is important. Now many might argue with me on the build, the Panasonic 25mm f1.7 is plastic. I don't mind plastic and certainly when I hold the two lenses in my hands, I prefer the light weight Panasonic. If good old metal is important to you, go for the TTArtisan.

I took some test photos to compare the bokeh between these two lenses. Below the first two photos are using the TTArtisan and the third is with the Lumix 25mm at f1.7. See what you think...

1. TTArtisan 23mm f1.4, the photo was taken at f1.4 
2. TTArtisan 23mm f1.4, the photo was taken at f1.7 
3. Lumix 25mm f1.7, the photo was taken at f1.7

The first thing to note is the difference in the field of view. The Lumix 25mm (picture 3) looks bigger in the frame. But to my eyes the difference in bokeh is not a lot between the images, even f1.4 doesn't make that much of a difference. Of course it depends on circumstances, in my test photos there was a fair amount of distance behind the subject, that helps create the bokeh effect anyway. 

If you really must have a f1.4 aperture lens around the 23mm focal length, there are alternatives but they tend to be more expensive. The Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 for example, a wonderful lens by all accounts but about five times the cost of the TTArtisan 23mm f1.4. There's a Sigma 30mm f1.4 at around the 300 dollar mark. The OM 20mm f1.4 is also a great choice but again it is a bit pricey, even more than the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4. 

Conclusion

If you are used to modern photography but perhaps wish to taste how it was done in times past, the TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 is a great choice. It isn't expensive and for sure you'll enjoy looking at it and using it. It is fun to use. The images from it are excellent. Of course sometimes you miss the focus a little, especially at f1.4. But that's the fun factor, that you are in full control, in fact you have no choice, you must auto focus and the end result is up to you. 

I think it is a great lens to give as a gift. The lens comes in a very elegant box. A nice premium feel all round. That special someone might think you've spent much more than 99 dollars!

I recommend this lens. TTArtisan have done a great job, providing a low cost lens for enthusiasts. The image quality is excellent. Do you really need to spend hundreds on a new lens, if you don't need auto-focus, maybe consider this or similar lenses.

Reference

Buy from Pergear: https://www.pergear.com/products/ttartisan-23mm-f1-4

Review by Red35: https://youtu.be/FIWCZ2YHbOg

Review by Rob Trek: https://youtu.be/TEj62o0TK5U

Disclaimer

I wrote this article to help others and for my own pleasure. I have no affiliation with TTArtisan or any other photography company. These are just my own thoughts and opinion. If you disagree, that's fine.