Lensbaby 55mm f/1.6 On The Way

[Canon Rumors]

<p class="p1">It’s been a while since I’ve seen a mention of Lensbaby products. Apparently they’re going to be announcing a 55mm f/1.6 for both Canon and Nikon in early April, with the potential of more mounts coming in the future. The lens will feature a macro capability and price is unknown.</p>
<p class="p1">Do you any of you own and use a Lensbaby product?</p>

 

[nvettese]

I own the Sweet 35, but I want the Edge 80. This looks like a great middle ground

 

[Haydn1971]

Hands up from me...

I'm a big Lensbaby fan, got all the drop in optics, macro lenses, the fisheye and the sweet 35 - for £300-400 it's a great play thing and really puts a smile on my face when I use it.

I'm guessing the 56mm f1.6 is a standalone lens product like the APS-C fisheye ?

 

[Tinky]

I have a composer with wide and tele converters.

Stopped right down, to f11 or f16 it's a passable way of doing fake minature.

I use mine in video where it can be quite good for drawing attention to a localised area such as a sign, or key phrases of text on a page.

Also good for interviews where you want to mask an identity.

But not a lens I use at all often.

They started off really quite cheap, and then took the mick a bit with their prices.

Instead of the edge 80 I got an Arsat 80 TS.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I've never bought one, but it is interesting as to how many third party lens manufacturers are putting out new products. It does not seem that they have a worry about Camera lens sales dropping drastically. With P&S sales going away, its possible that DSLR sales, particularly lenses will be a going concern.

 

[slclick]

I've been using Lensbaby since the original Composer was released.

I currently shoot with that (50mm double glass optic) and the Sweet 35. I have tinkered with the Macro lens adapter kits but Macro and minimal DoF combined with selective focus just aren't appealing as a dedicated Macro lens. YMMV. I am a lifelong LB shooter though, unlike many who buy, become disenchanted or can't wrap their head around the beauty and psychedelia of the possibilities.

 

[drs]

Love them, (35, 50, 80, double glass and soft, etc). Yes, as many others -- I was sitting long on the fence, it felt always like a toy, nothing serious. Well, I was gratefully wrong, tehehe.

They need some time and love to be explored (even I have a Petzval and a TS-E 24, it took me an afternoon to get a feel for it and to get something out of it that I personally like.)

Since then I shoot panoramas with it and found my very own expression with it.
I have some examples on my G+ account, perhaps some might not like it, it is more like "painting with lenses" (scroll down if you visit the profile, it is obvious which one:
https://plus.google.com/+DrSassiLA/posts

I look forward to a new lens from them, hopefully they have an intro offer...

 

[Markintosh]

I have sweet35 and 50 double glass. If new lens will be same construction model as sweet 55 — I will get one for sure. Can't get use to double glass

 

[mjardeen]

I own a Composer, with two optics, the Double Glass and the wide.

I have not had a chance to use the Wide as it was just purchased -- the regular gets pulled out a couple times a year. I find it fun but not at all necessary.

 

[clicstudio]

I don't understand the concept of the LensBaby. Why would u want to have a lens with FX or selective focus which are permanent? I mean, u have tons of filters for Photoshop that do the same and can be tweaked.
I don't get it.

 

[Haydn1971]

Lensbaby is all about creativity at the point of capturing the image. Playing around afterwards in Photoshop can be fun, playing around at the time of capture takes time, patience, can be frustrating, but ultimately getting a good result is like capturing a great photo on film - give me a great high.

 

[slclick]

I don't understand the concept of the LensBaby. Why would u want to have a lens with FX or selective focus which are permanent? I mean, u have tons of filters for Photoshop that do the same and can be tweaked.
I don't get it.

I will take IN CAMERA effects and alternative process lenses any day before the type you would do in front of a keyboard. I prefer photography over computer art.

 

[Tinky]

I don't understand the concept of the LensBaby. Why would u want to have a lens with FX or selective focus which are permanent? I mean, u have tons of filters for Photoshop that do the same and can be tweaked.
I don't get it.

I will take IN CAMERA effects and alternative process lenses any day before the type you would do in front of a keyboard. I prefer photography over computer art.

Lensbabies are also fairly useful for video, if thats your thing. A composer with double glass set to f4 (on aps-c & s35) actully makes a very nice interview set up, and it's very easy to introduce bokeh shapes when you have a suitable back or foreground, or both!

 

[Snodge]

I don't understand the concept of the LensBaby. Why would u want to have a lens with FX or selective focus which are permanent? I mean, u have tons of filters for Photoshop that do the same and can be tweaked.
I don't get it.

I don't understand the concept of the LensBabyPhotoshop. Why would u want to have a lens software with FX or selective focus which are not permanent? I mean, u have tons of filters and lenses for Photoshop cameras that do the same and can be tweaked.
I don't get it.

Sorry, just my sense of humour, and no offence intended!