Authorized Dealer
Lensbaby lenses can be used with most cameras that accept interchangeable lenses, mainly DSLR, SLR, mirrorless, 35mm film and PL mount motion cameras.[4][5]
The focus front standard can be manipulated off axis to move the
sharpest area of Focus (called the "sweet spot") to almost anywhere in
the frame. This allows the important part of the subject to be rendered
fairly sharp with everything else out of focus, even if it is the same
distance from the camera. The Lensbaby naturally focuses at
approximately 2 feet; closer focus is achieved by pushing the front of
the lens out, and infinity focus is achieved by pulling the front of the
lens toward the base of the lens. There is extreme spherical and some chromatic aberration outside the central "sweet spot".[6] Lensbaby lenses have no electronic components, disabling auto-focus
when mounted on modern cameras. The use of auto-focus is further
undermined by the spherical aberration in the lens. In most cases
Lensbaby lenses require aperture priority or fully manual mode. The Lensbaby can also be used for infrared photography, but does not include an index mark for infrared photography. Craig Strong, a professional photographer from Portland Oregon,
invented the first Lensbaby lens by combining a vacuum cleaner hose body
and a large format speed graphic lens. Strong redesigned the original
prototype. He then partnered with entrepreneur Sam Pardue to form
Lensbabies, LLC. The Original Lensbaby was launched in 2004 at the WPPI
tradeshow. Images taken with the Original Lensbaby featured a 'sweet
spot' of sharp focus surrounded by directional blur. This effect was
achieved through the use of a single element lens. The Original Lensbaby
used interchangeable drop-in apertures held in by a rubber o-ring.
In 2005 Lensbaby released the Lensbaby 2.0 an upgrade to the Original
Lensbaby which featured a sharper, brighter optic, creating greater
contrast between areas of blur and sharpness. The Lensbaby 2.0 used
interchangeable aperture disks that levitated in front of the optic
using magnets.
In 2006 Lensbaby introduced the Lensbaby 3G which used a threaded rod
system in combination with a locking mechanism to allow the flexible
lens body to be locked into place for repeatable results.
In 2007, the Lensbaby 3GPL was launched, allowing cinematographers to use Lensbaby lenses on motion picture cameras.
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