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Lensbaby 3G
While I’ve played with previous generations of these lenses, I’ve always been frustrated with issues of repeatability. The results were often interesting, but because I had to manually hold the position and angle of the lens to achieve a certain look, it was difficult to produce consistent results. The Lensbaby 3G eliminates that issue with an innovative design.
With the equivalent focal length of a 50mm lens, the Lensbaby 3G is based on the same principle as the other lenses before it: a lens barrel that can be compressed and bent to change not only the focus point, but also the plane of focus. The big difference, however, is the inclusion of focusing poles that allow for the fixing of the lens position, providing the repeatability that I’ve always desired.
As I love using the lens for close-up work, it was an easy thing to pull the front lens assembly and lock it into position by pressing a single button. I could then frame my subject and fine-tune focus using the barrel-focusing ring, which controlled the multicoated optical glass doublet. Adjusting the plane of focus was easy by just slowly twisting the rotating knobs at the end of the focusing poles.
The resulting images are distinctive and offer a playful alternative to the traditional close-up or landscape image. The Lensbaby 3G helps photographers play and discover new possibilities for their photography. It not only keeps photography interesting, but it’s also a whole lot of fun. List Price: $270.
Contact: Lensbabies, (877) 536-7222, www.lensbabies.com.
Specs Of Note
Focal Range: 50mm
Aperture: ƒ/2.0-ƒ/22
Filter Size: 37mm
Lens Construction: Coated optical glass doublet
Size: 3×3.25 inches
Weight: 5.7 ounces
1 Focusing poles allow for fixed-lens position
2 50mm-equivalent focal length limits barrel distortion
3 37mm filter thread for optional filters
4 Fine-tune focus using barrel focusing ring