Frequently Asked Questions
Spark has a fixed f/5.6 aperture.
Yes. Spark is compatible with all 37mm threaded Lensbaby accessories, including: all items in Accessory Kit (EXCEPT for the Creative Aperture Kit), Macro Converters, 0.42x Superwide Conversion Lens, & Step-Up Shade.
Spark is designed for use with the pre-installed Spark optic. All current Lensbaby optics will fit but it is not recommended for use with the Sweet 35, Fisheye and the Edge 80 Optics. These optics are too heavy and unwieldy/awkward when used with the Spark.
Canon EF and Nikon F mount.
Spark has a 50mm optic installed.
- Each lens body is designed differently to accommodate your shooting style.
- The lens body attaches directly to your camera body in place of your normal lens.
- Each lens body comes with an optic installed. Swap out your optic with any of our eight other optics which are available for purchase on our webstore.
- Each Lensbaby comes with an optic installed so you can start shooting right away.
- When you purchase additional optics they all come in an Optic Swap Tool/Container. The black lid is your optic swap tool.
- The Edge 80 and Sweet 35 Optic do not require an optic swap tool to remove or install it.
Lensbaby has a wide variety of accessories to use with your lens body and optics.
Wide Angle Telephoto Kit
- Use the 0.6x Wide Angle to convert your 50mm optic to a 30mm optic.
- Use the 1.6x Telephoto to convert your 50mm optic to a 80mm optic.
- Attach by screwing either one to the front of your optic.
- For use with the Double Glass, Single Glass, Plastic, Soft Focus and Pinhole/Zone Plate Optics.
Super Wide Angle
- Use the .42x Super Wide to convert your 50mm optic to a 21mm optic.
- Attach by screwing the accessory to the front of your optic.
- For use with the Double Glass, Single Glass, Plastic, Soft Focus and Pinhole/Zone Plate Optics.
Macro Kit
- Kit contains both a +10 and +4 glass elements that screw onto the front of your optic. Using the Macro Kit will allow you to get within 2-13 inches away from your subject.
- For use with the Double Glass , Single Glass, Plastic, Soft Focus and Pinhole/Zone Plate Optics.
Macro Converters
- Compatible with all eight Lensbaby optics. Available as a set containing one 8mm and one 16mm converter, stacking them together will make a 24mm converter.
- The converters fit between the optic and the lensbody. See our short video on how to install and remove them: http://lensbaby.com/videos-instructional/macroconverters
Creative Aperture Kit 2
- Pick one of the nine magnetic disks and simply drop it into the front of your optic. The shape will appear in your out of focus highlights and shiny objects.
- For use with the Double Glass , Single Glass, Plastic and Soft Focus Optics.
Step Up/Shade
- If you like to use filters attach the Step Up/Shade to your optic of choice. You can then attach a standard 52 mm filter.
- For use with the Double Glass , Single Glass, Plastic, Soft Focus and Pinhole/Zone Plate Optics.
Try these helpful links to learn more:
Lensbaby Newsletters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhole_photography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_plate
http://photo.net/pinhole/pinhole.htm
There are two differences between the Original Lensbaby and Lensbaby 2.0: the optic and the aperture system. The optic in the Original is a single non-coated glass element, while the 2.0 optic is a coated glass doublet. Essentially, this means that the optic in the 2.0 is sharper.
The Lensbaby Optic Swap System is only for use with the Muse, Composer, and Control Freak. It is not designed to work with the Original, 2.0 and 3G.
The Original Lensbaby (Single Glass Optic) gives your pictures a softer, dreamier look; it has been called a “Holga on steroids" or a “digital Diana". Because the Original optic is non-coated, your pictures will show some diffusion, and occasionally, prismatic color shifts. Some portrait photographers lean toward the Original because it is softer and more forgiving. All Lensbabies have manual aperture systems: they come with a set of disks that drop into the front of the lens. The Original disks are held in place with a rubber gasket. To change the aperture, you pluck the gasket out, change the disk and drop the gasket back in.
The Lensbaby 2.0 (Double Glass Optic) comes with one more aperture than the Original (f 2.0). There are shielded magnets inside the 2.0. The magnets work together with disks that are made of metalicized plastic, so they drop in and stay in. The aperture controls the size of your Sweet Spot and how much blur appears in your picture; choose the aperture for the effect that you want to achieve, then compensate with your shutter speed.
The Lensbaby 3G (Double Glass Optic) has the same optics and aperture system as the Lensbaby 2.0. It comes with 3 extra apertures: f 11, f 16 and f 22. The major difference between 3G and the two earlier versions is that you can lock the 3G into place. Once it is locked you can fine-focus it. This allows you to repeat your shot and work in lower light situations using long exposures. You can shoot unlocked as you would with the Original or the 2.0 or you can lock it into place, fine-focus and adjust the tilt.
Many world renowned Photoshop® authorities, such as Katrin Eismann, Jack Davis, and Jim DiVitale, have told us that it is impossible to replicate with software the natural, organic optical effects a Lensbaby creates. But, many devoted Lensbaby users will not even argue that point because even if software could emulate the Lensbaby's look, there are many reasons why using a Lensbaby is more satisfying:
1) Speed
2) More organic
3) Multiple angles
4) Curved field of focus
5) Showing instant results to client
DOUBLE GLASS OPTIC
- Provides a tack-sharp Sweet Spot of focus with a graduated blur and minimum diffusion at all aperture settings.
- 50mm multi-coated optical glass doublet.
SINGLE GLASS OPTIC
- Update of the Original Lensbaby's primitive optic, ideal for fine art, portraiture, black and white images and any shot requiring a subtle, soft, dreamy effect.
- 50mm single, non-coated glass element.
PLASTIC OPTIC
- Perfect for plastic fanatics.
- Our softest optic overall, creating very ethereal photos with abundant chromatic aberration.
- Uncoated 50mm double convex plastic singlet.
SOFT FOCUS OPTIC
- Much like a classic Imagon portrait lens, it creates images with an overall soft and diffused look.
- You can vary the amount of softness by changing and stacking the aperture disks.
- Use with the Scout lens body for ideal results.
- 50mm flat field multi-coated doublet.
FISHEYE OPTIC
- Captures eye-popping fisheye views from infinity all the way down to one inch from the front of your lens. (Fisheye adapter required for use with the Muse and Control Freak*)
- Use with the Scout lens body for ideal results.
- Ultra-wide 12mm focal length with a 160 degree field of view.
PINHOLE/ZONE PLATE OPTIC
- Shift easily back and forth from pinhole to zone plate mode with your digital SLR by simply sliding a toggle inside the optic cup.
- Pinhole (f 177) and zone plate (f 19) options achieve softer focus, producing dreamy images that are equally sharp from edge to edge.
- The surface area of the zone plate is larger than the pinhole and therefore requires less exposure time.
- The zone plate will also produce images with a much more glowing and diffused light than the pinhole, which tends to be sharper.**
- Use with the Scout lensbody for ideal results.
SWEET 35 OPTIC
- 35mm selective focus optic with a 12-blade adjustable aperture.
- Creates a tack sharp Sweet Spot of focus surrounded by blur.
- Widest focal length of any selective focus Lensbaby optic.
EDGE 80 OPTIC
- 80mm f/2.8 flat field of focus optic with a 12-blade adjustable aperture.
- When tilted, Edge 80 delivers a slice of tack sharp focus through the image, bordered by a soft blur.
- When pointed straight ahead the Edge 80 can be used just like a high-quality straight lens.
* Please note: the Fisheye Optic requires an adapter to use it with the Muse or the Control Freak. The adapter is sold on the accessories page as the Fisheye Adapter. If you use the Fisheye with the Muse or Control Freak without the adapter you run the risk of crashing the optic into the mirror inside your camera due to the size of the optic.
You will not see any Lensbaby blur in the Pinhole and Zone Plate, Soft Focus or Fisheye photos. These optics are extra creative options that Lensbaby offers. You should keep your Lensbaby centered facing straight ahead when using these optics.
The Macro Converters are necessary if using the Fisheye, Sweet 35 or Edge 80 Optic with the Composer with Tilt Transformer.
COMPOSER PRO
Ultra-smooth and refined for the professional photographer and videographer.
- It utilizes a metal ball and socket that stays in place when you tilt your lens.
- Rotate the ultra-smooth focus ring to find your point of focus.
- Comes with the Double Glass or the Sweet 35 Optic installed and is compatible with the full Optic Swap System.
- Available for Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony, Olympus and the following mirrorless cameras: Samsung, Sony NEX, Olympus and Panasonic cameras.
COMPOSER
Great for a smooth and precise shooting style.
- It utilizes a ball and socket that stays in place when you tilt your lens.
- Rotate the focus ring to get that Sweet Spot in focus.
- Comes with the Double Glass Optic installed and is compatible with the full Optic Swap System.
- Available for Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony and Olympus SLR cameras.
MUSE
Great for photographers with a fast and loose shooting style.
- Compress the flexible tubing to find focus, and tilt the lens to move that focus.
- Press the shutter while holding the lens in place.
- Great for street photography, and fun shooting on the fly.
- Comes with either the Plastic or Double Glass Optic installed and is compatible with the full Optic Swap System.
- Available for Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony and Olympus SLR cameras.
CONTROL FREAK
Great for macro and table-top photography
- Perfect for photographers who have a methodical and step-by-step shooting style.
- Compress the flexible tubing to find focus, and tilt the lens to move that focus.
- Apply the locking mechanism to keep it in place.
- Fine tune the tilt and focus with the focus ring and rods.
- Comes with the Double Glass Optic installed and is compatible with the full Optic Swap System.
- Available for Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony and Olympus SLR cameras.
SCOUT
Scout is ideally suited for Fisheye photography because your image will always be perfectly centered.
- The first Lensbaby lens body that does not bend, which is perfect for using the Fisheye, Soft Focus and Pinhole/Zone Plate Optics.
- Comes with the Fisheye Optic installed and is compatible with the full Optic Swap System.
- Available for Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony and Olympus SLR cameras.
All Lensbaby Accessories will work with the Composer with Tilt Transformer.
Olympus PEN digital cameras will automatically recognize your Composer with Tilt Transformer or Nikon lens on Tilt Transformer, and will meter in Aperture Priority or Manual metering modes. Panasonic Lumix G Micro System cameras require a quick and easy custom settings change. Simply go into Custom Menu on your camera and choose Screen 5, then Shoot without a Lens, then select ON, then exit the menu. You're now ready to shoot - in Aperture Priority or Manual metering modes as well.
All Nikon mount lenses will work with the Tilt Transformer. However, wide angle zoom lenses that do not have close focus capabilities can have trouble focusing to infinity when shooting at wider focal lengths, approximately 24mm and wider, especially when shooting at very wide open apertures.
The Composer with Tilt Transformer is two products in one – use it just like a Lensbaby Composer on your Micro Four Thirds or Sony NEX camera, and enjoy all the creative freedom the Lensbaby Optic Swap™ System offers. The Composer with Tilt Transformer comes with the Double Glass Optic installed and produces an image with a Sweet Spot of focus, surrounded by blur. Or - remove the front part of the Composer with Tilt Transformer (called the Composer Focus Front), and replace it with any Nikon mount lens. When you tilt your Nikon mount lens, you get a slice of sharp focus through your image that falls off into beautiful blur. Both the Composer with Tilt Transformer and the just the Tilt Transformer by itself are available now for Panasonic Lumix™ G Micro System, Olympus PEN® and Sony® α NEX digital cameras.
The Tilt Transformer is for use on Micro Four Thirds and Sony Alpha NEX cameras. It is an adapter that allows you to use Nikon lenses on your Micro Four Thirds camera, and do tilt photography. When you tilt your Nikon mount lens, you get a slice of sharp focus through your image that falls off into beautiful blur. The Tilt Transformer is available now for Panasonic Lumix™ G Micro System, Olympus PEN® and Sony® α NEX digital cameras.
It’s not because we don’t love Canon shooters. We love you all very, very much and several of us are Canon shooters ourselves. Canon EF lenses have an electronic aperture that cannot be adjusted by our Tilt Transformer on your Micro 4/3rds camera. Canon lenses on Micro 4/3rds and other mirrorless cameras only shoot wide open. And if being forced to shoot at your brightest aperture wasn’t enough of a deal breaker, you’d also be unable to focus to infinity (or anywhere close) due to the Canon’s narrower flange distance.
We are listening and keeping track of your requests. We're always looking at how we can offer new and exciting creative effect photographic lenses and accessories to visual artists like you.
All Optics are compatible with the Composer with Tilt Transformer. Those compatible optics - Double Glass, Single Glass, Plastic, Pinhole/Zone Plate and Soft Focus - do require the Composer Focus Front Optic Adapter in order to function properly. Due to the lens being situated much closer to the sensor in these mirrorless Micro Four Thirds cameras, as compared to DSLRs, this Optic Adapter is necessary to focus to infinity. The Composer with Tilt Transformer ships with this Optic Adapter.
Lensbaby Macro Converters are required when using the Edge 80, Sweet 35 or Fisheye Optics with the Composer with Tilt Transformer.
You can send us a cashier's check or money order as payment and we will ship your Lensbaby when it clears. We also accept PayPal at Kirsten@lensbabies.com.
Domestic shipping is free with USPS Priority Mail for purchases over $30. We also offer UPS Overnight, 2-Day, 3-Day and Ground. For international orders, USPS Priority International starts at $18 to Canada and $28 for other countries. UPS is offered to some international destinations. To calculate shipping simply choose your items and enter your zip/postal code and you will get a quote with options and prices door to door. Please note that USPS does not offer detailed tracking.
Overseas customers may indeed have to pay import duties and other taxes such as VAT. Lensbabies does not have a list of all the taxes collected by various countries.
Sure, if you have any problems, just send us an e-mail (customerhappiness@lensbaby.com) or give us a call (toll free: 877-536-7222 or outside the USA: 971-223-5662) and we will do our best to answer your questions. You may be able to find the answer you need below, under Technical Questions.
All Lensbabies come with a 30-day money back guarantee, provided the Lensbaby is in new condition. The customer covers the shipping charges. You can return it to: Lensbaby, LLC. Attention: I don't love my Lensbaby. 824 SE 16th Avenue. Portland, Oregon. 97214 USA. You do not need an RMA. Just enclose your invoice or a letter with your order information so we know who to credit.
See our Retailers page
Absolutely.
The Composer stays in place, the Control Freak can be held in place by a locking mechanism you engage by pressing a button. The Muse does not stay in place by itself - you need to hold it in place while you shutter. The legacy Lensbaby lenses, the Original Lensbaby and Lensbaby 2.0 are like the Muse - controlled by your fingertips. The 3G is like the Control Freak, you can use it loose or locked.
First determine the Flash sync shutter speed for your camera: this is usually between 1/60 and 1/500 of a second. Set your camera at this shutter speed or SLOWER, (i.e. 1/60, 1/30). If your camera has multiple options, put it in Manual or Aperture Priority mode.
Digital camera users can take a test shot and look at the histogram for correct exposure. * If the image is overexposed, use a higher aperture (smaller hole) or decrease your flash power by 1 stop. Continue to decrease aperture size or flash power as needed. You may have to experiment to find the right balance between flash power and aperture size to get the correct exposure with the amount of blur you want. * If the image is underexposed (not likely) use a larger aperture.
For film cameras used in combination with an external Flash Unit, do one of the following: * Use a flash light meter to measure the amount of flash being emitted from the Electronic Flash Unit and set your aperture according to the readings (make sure you calculate for the correct film speed!). * Calculate the distance from subject to camera and set the Flash according to the chart on your Flash unit. The users manual of the Flash Unit will also give you more information.
Some cameras have built in flashes that can meter TTL (through the lens) and adjust your flash for correct exposure.
Please go to our Electronic Flash page for more information.
No. The inside of the older generation Lensbabies are very different than the new generation and there is no way to retrofit the swappable optics to work in them.
Yes. One side effect of using a teleconverter that goes between the body and the lens is that you will be eliminating a good portion of the Lensbaby blur around the edges, whereas a screw-in conversion lens will give you a longer focal length while keeping the sweet-spot small.
No, the Lensbaby is an actual SLR lens. You take your current lens off your camera and replace it with the Lensbaby.
Lensbaby offers a unique way to do selective focus photography with both curved and flat field of focus optics available. Unlike a tilt shift you cannot fix converging lines with a Lensbaby.
Lensbabies are available and work on almost all versions of Single Lens Reflex cameras that have interchangeable lenses. We have 5 different mounts.
The Canon EF Lensbaby will fit on all Canon DSLR and SLR bodies, the Nikon Lensbaby will fit on all Nikon SLR and DSLR bodies, etc. We also make Pentax Olympus 4/3 and Sony mount Lensbabies. The Sony Lensbabies also fit Maxxum and Dynax SLR cameras.
If your camera is a point-and-shoot, the Lensbaby won't work.
The specks are actually dust on your sensor. The specks are visible when using the pinhole optic because the aperture is so small that it casts a well-defined shadow of the dust onto your sensor. Normally these specks aren't visible at apertures of 5.6 or brighter because the amount of light prevents the specks from appearing.
Yes, you can find it on the user guide page.
- 50mm-Double Glass, Single Glass, Plastic and Soft Focus Optics.
- 55mm-Pinhole/Zone Plate Optic
- 12mm-Fisheye Optic
- 80mm-Edge 80 Optic
- 35mm-Sweet 35 Optic
If you are shooting with a crop sensor camera, multiply your camera's crop factor by the focal length of the Lensbaby optic.
The Double Glass, Single Glass, Pinhole/Zone Plate, Soft Focus and Plastic Optics all have 37mm threads. You can use any 37mm threaded accessory including our Lensbaby accessories which are available in our webstore. The Lensbaby Step Up/Shade allows you to use 52mm filters on the above optics. The Edge 80 and Sweet 35 Optics have 46mm threads which means they are not compatible with the Lensbaby accessories except for the Macro Converters.
Simply unscrew the top of the optic. The Fisheye optic is f 4 with no disk and comes with disks that range from f 5.6 to f 22.
When using your Lensbaby, exposure is most easily controlled with your shutter speed and ISO adjustments. Exposure can also be adjusted by swapping out apertures on your Lensbaby. The aperture will not show up on the LCD or in your meta data. Aperture is controlled with the set of disks that come with your Lensbaby.
See images above for a comparison between two different crop sensor cameras and a full frame sensor camera.
The focal length is approximately 50mm with the Double Glass, Single Glass, and Plastic optics. The focal length with the Pinhole/Zone Plate is 55mm. The Original Lensbaby, Lensbaby 2.0, and Lensbaby 3G all have a 50mm focal length. Lensbaby Wide Angle and Telephoto accessory lenses screw onto the front of the Lensbaby, changing the focal length to 30mm and 80mm, respectively. Use of the Lensbaby 0.42x Super Wide Lens changes the focal length to 21mm. If you are shooting with a crop sensor camera, multiply your camera's crop factor by the focal length of the Lensbaby.
The Composer focuses from 18 inches to infinity. The Muse and the Control Freak, as well as the Original Lensbaby, Lensbaby 2.0, and Lensbaby 3G, when fully extended have a minimum focus distance of about around 12 inches, and the maximum distance for achieving sharp focus is infinity on all Lensbaby lenses. With the Muse and the Control Freak, as well as the Original Lensbaby, Lensbaby 2.0, and Lensbaby 3G, you can actually focus on subjects as close as 9 inches away by pushing on the focusing collar rather than pulling in on it. The Macro Kit allows the user to focus between 2 to 13 inches away.
D200, D300, D700, D3, D2x, D2h(s), D1x, D1, D3, F100, N90(s), N70, 8008(s), FA, N2000, N2002, F5, F4, F3, FE(2), FM(2), F2, N6006, N8008, and the Fuji S5
Nikon mount Lensbaby' caps turn in the opposite direction of most other manufacturer's rear lens caps (remove the cap by turning clockwise).
Older and more expensive current Nikon cameras have a mechanical link between the aperture mechanism on lenses with an aperture ring. Nikon stopped putting this mechanical interface on the lower priced camera bodies. In order to make a mount that physically accepts all F-mount lenses, but avoids messing up an active meter that has no way of knowing what aperture the lens is going to be at the moment of exposure, Nikon disabled the meter altogether on these lower priced models (this a relative criteria since we are talking about $2000 D100 cameras and $400 N80 cameras).
Nikon has disabled TTL flash metering when these cameras do not sense an autofocus lens mounted. In order to use the built-in pop-up flash on these cameras:
1. Go into your custom settings (CSM) menu and set your pop-up flash to manual rather than TTL (if this is not clear then your Custom Menu may need to be changed from Simple to Detailed in the Set Up menu).
2. Start by setting your flash power to 1/2 with a shutter speed/ISO combination that gives you an ambient exposure that is 1 to 1 1/2 stops too dark so your background does not go totally black. Test the ambient (non-flash) exposure by shooting a few test shots with the flash off. Play with the power of the pop-up flash from full power down to 1/16 to get proper exposure on your main subject(s).
Hotshoe mounted Nikon Speedlight flashes must be set to either manual or auto exposure modes. TTL modes on your Nikon Speedlight flash will not work with a Lensbaby on the D80 or D90 type camera bodies.
All Canon bodies will work with your Lensbaby when set to Aperture Priority Mode. The camera will meter the light coming through the lens and will set the shutter speed accordingly. You can also shoot in Manual Mode.
The Safety Release Lock needs to be disabled. On the LCD panel, move the Right Arrow to the <sLock> icon. Next, press the <FUNC.> button. Turn the dial and place the setting on “0".
An Olympus 4/3rd (E1) mount
To allow the Digilux to fire with a lens that doesn't communicate electronically with your camera (like the Lensbaby), you must go into the Custom Menu Settings, page 4 and set “No Release without Lens" to “OFF". Then the Camera will meter through the lens, adjusting the shutter speed appropriately.
With Lensbaby 3GPL, you can use all of the Lensbaby accessory products except the Lensbaby Macro Kit and Step-up/Shade. You can use all Lensbaby accessory products with the Muse PL. In addition, with the Muse PL you can use the Single Glass, Fisheye, Soft Focus, and Plastic Optics. These additional optics are not compatible with the Lensbaby 3GPL.
In order to use a Lensbaby with your digital video camera, you will need to use an adapter. The following companies make adapters which have been tested and used successfully with a Lensbaby: P+S Technik, Redrock M2, Brevis35, Letus35 and SGpro. To use an adapter with the PL mount Lensbaby, you will need to choose an adapter that will attach to your camera (has the correct thread size, for example 72mm or 82mm) and features a PL Mount on the other end. You can also use an adapter with a digital video camera and an SLR mount Lensbaby; in this case you will need to choose an adapter that will attach to your camera and features an SLR (for example, Nikon) Mount on the other end.
No. Lensbaby does not offer a dedicated B4 mount Lensbaby and has no plans of offering one in the near future. The main problem in developing a Lensbaby for the B4 mount is the small sensor size. Since the Lensbaby relies on depth of field to create blur around the sweet spot of focus, a longer focal length is necessary than is viable for the small sensor cameras.
Lensbaby 3GPL and Muse PL are both PL mount camera lenses that allow rapid and fluid tilt photography. There are two major differences between the lenses. First, you can lock the 3GPL into a tilted position and then you can focus front to back with a manual fine focus ring. The Muse PL, on the other hand, cannot be locked and it does not have a manual fine focus ring.
The second major difference is that the Muse PL features the Lensbaby Optic Swap system while the Lensbaby 3GPL has a fixed Double Glass Optic. With the Muse PL you can swap any one of 5 different optics in and out of the lens, with each optic giving you a different look. The Muse PL ships with the Double Glass Optic installed, which is Lensbaby's sharpest selective focus optic.
In addition, you can use the Plastic, Single Glass, Fisheye, and Soft Focus Optics in the Muse PL, giving you a wide creative range. The Lensbaby 3GPL ships with the Double Glass Optic installed and you cannot swap this optic.
Yes.
* Please note: The Composer with Tilt Transformer is not compatible with the Olympus OM-D E-M5.
Follow these directions to get your Panasonic Lumix camera to work with a Lensbaby.
1. Open your camera' s CUSTOM MENU
2. Select SCREEN 5
3. Select SHOOT WITHOUT A LENS
4. Select ON
5. Exit the menu and you will now be able to start shooting with your Lensbaby.
