OT: Lensbabies

[fgianni]

I have seen some intriguing pictures taken with a funny lens called Lensbaby, that lens is essentially focused using your fingertips, and allows the user to mimick some of the movements of a field camera on an SLR.
So my question are:

Has anyone got one of there?

How easy are they to focus with an SLR, I am asking since it seems to me that you can't use the split prism because more often than not the focus point is off centre, and you can't recompose after focusing because the focus point is going to move as well, but of course I may be wrong since I don't have any first hand experience.

Cheers

 

[nico]

Hi,
no I haven't but I'd like to make on my own following this:
http://www.mkaz.com/photo/tools/homemadelens.html
http://www.orbit1.com/dailyphotos.aspx?photoid=785

It should be a lot of fun.
Bye
Nico

 

[J. Borger]

Francesco,

I did it the more expensive way and used the (Canon) 24 TS-E and 45 TS-E for the lensbabie effect ....... especially the 45 TS-E is fantastic .
A more expensive but also more versatile option because you also have shift for architecture or the tilt to extend dof .... not to mention a perfect tool for stitching panos.

The first two samples below are with the 24 TS-E tha last with the 45 TS-E

 

[fgianni]

Francesco,

I did it the more expensive way and used the (Canon) 24 TS-E and 45 TS-E for the lensbabie effect ....... especially the 45 TS-E is fantastic .
A more expensive but also more versatile option because you also have shift for architecture or the tilt to extend dof .... not to mention a perfect tool for stitching panos.

The first two samples below are with the 24 TS-E tha last with the 45 TS-E

Great pictures, I really enjoyed looking at them, but a bit too expensive for me; what chances do I think I have to pick up one of these lenses for £100 or so?

 

[Ash]

damn you francesco! Now I want to make my own!

I think there are two versions of lensbabies, so the older versions are cheaper to pick up now

 

[boilerdoc2]

They should work with a split prism. Try one at a camera store and see. Also have macro attachments for the things. Little tricky trying to squeeze the lens and line up the shot. Definitely a Holga-like result. I call them 'the lens that turns your $5000 SLR into a $15 Holga'!
Steve

 

[kbg32]

You don't focus a lensbaby as you would a normal lens. You focus by bending, pushing, and to some extent, a limited pulling of the lens itself, which is mounted within a very short bellows.

 

[fgianni]

You don't focus a lensbaby as you would a normal lens. You focus by bending, pushing, and to some extent, a limited pulling of the lens itself, which is mounted within a very short bellows.

That's why I think it won't work with the split prism unless you want the focus point always to be right in the middle of your picture, remember that with the bending the focus plane is not parallel to the film plane anymore, so focusing and recomposing won't probably help.

 

[kbg32]

It is really quite easy to focus whether you use a split screen or not.

 

[jan normandale]

most of the work I've seen using a "lensbaby" has been to emulate the fuzzy OoF effects of those cult fave Diana, Holga etc MF cameras. So "inaccuracy" of the image on the film plane is probably something most users are pleased to achieve

I haven't noticed too many users wanting them for architectural shots to emulate a LF camera with swing, tilt and shift

 

[ampguy]

cool. I would like to try one on my slr. hopefully folks will get bored and they will show up cheap on ebay soon...

 

[lubitel]

cool. I would like to try one on my slr. hopefully folks will get bored and they will show up cheap on ebay soon...

thats what I was hoping when I first heard about these babies about a year and a half ago. Still havent seen one cheap on ebay.

 

[fgianni]

thats what I was hoping when I first heard about these babies about a year and a half ago. Still havent seen one cheap on ebay.

I just gathered that, prices on e-bay are not much cheaper that the prices brand new.

 

[lynn]

I've used mine (which I won; I don't know if I would have actually bought one) on my Nikon FE, and was happy with some of the results: it's a fun little toy. The thing about using it on an SLR, though, is that you can't really be sure of the exact effect you've achieved until you pick up your photos - a split second and a single millimeter can shift the sweet spot, so surprises are inevitable!

 

[fgianni]

I've used mine (which I won; I don't know if I would have actually bought one) on my Nikon FE, and was happy with some of the results: it's a fun little toy. The thing about using it on an SLR, though, is that you can't really be sure of the exact effect you've achieved until you pick up your photos - a split second and a single millimeter can shift the sweet spot, so surprises are inevitable!

Really a nice effect on your pictures, are you selling yours by any chance? 😀

 

[Chaser]

I have made my own out of a 75mm enlarger lens...
here are some of the results...

http://www.chaseallgood.com/photoblog/index.php?x=browse&category=6

 

[ywenz]

This lensbaby gets old quick. All the shots have the same effect... Not worth the price they're asking for IMO.

Just look thru this flickr gallery.. you'll see what I mean.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lensbabies/pool/

 

[julianphotoart]

I bought the original Lensbaby quite some time ago in F-mount. It was cheap. Focusing push-pull, like what you see, and snap. I think they're trying to do too much with the newer versions. The original is simple and charming. Though it would indeed get old fast if I used it a lot, it's cheap enough to carry around and use it periodically on a whim. It offers a number of types of effects and it's a nice surprise to see exactly what I end up with for each shot.

 

[ampguy]

hmmm

hmmm

I can't justify one of those, maybe if I end up with a trashed lens I will try to make one sometime.

I just gathered that, prices on e-bay are not much cheaper that the prices brand new.

 

[pvdhaar]

I think they're expensive for what they do.. I'd rather just put an old cheapie filter with a dab of vaseline in front of my lens.. Would work on an RF too..