Lens Baby 2

[Rob Leslie]

I shot these as a demo of Lens Baby 2. Most were at f2.8 and one wide open f2. Camera was the Pentax K10D
Lens baby can go this close without any extras and closer with tubes or close up lenses. I use it with either.
I know many ‘Traditional’ lens users don’t rate Lens Baby, in fact some just hate it.
There has probably been more Lens Baby published magazine shots than any other single lens. There are more ‘Creative’ pros with a Lens Baby in their bag than ones without.
It is a lens that needs time and practice to get to know and to use, but what doesn’t? If you are not the sort who pictures the finished result in their mind before you pick up the camera you will hate Lens baby. It isn’t a snapshot lens.
I would not expect everybody to change their minds about Lens baby and want one (I hope they don’t) but it may make some think?

This was shot wide open f2. (See crops)


f2.8 (See Crops)

f2.8


f2.8




Some have the mistaken idea that you could reproduce Lens Baby in PS
Try reproducing this in Photoshop!

Just in case you can’t work it out it is small waterfall

Lens Baby isn’t a Sharp lens !!!
100% crops. These are f2.8 and f2 As you reduce the aperture the ‘Sweet spot’ becomes larger. Using the lens at f16 (Pointless) gives a fairly normal image on a crop DSLR.





I have another ‘Selective focus’ ‘Flexible’ lens. A Lubitel f4.5 80mm Triplet lens with a home made mount.

[A G Photography]

I passed over the lens baby because of the cost. I'm seriously thinking to build something similar to your homemade lens though. Better optics and at a fraction of the price.
Still waiting for the nikon fit tilt adapter to use my Pentacon Six lenses on the D80. I'll post some examples when it'll finally find my way home.

[Rob Leslie]

It isn’t difficult to build your own. I have made a few but they are not the same (In any way) to Lens baby. Lens baby is designed to provide the aberrations that give it its character.
Many will tell you different and my first question to them would be ‘Do you or have you owned a Lens baby?’ or even made and used a flexible mount lens? Those who have made them seem to pick the wrong lens for the wrong reasons and consequently get little from the exercise except a few test pictures.
If such Home made lenses were the same why do you think I have both? Why don’t I just put Lens baby on ebay?
I don’t understand your comment ‘Better optics’ I would ask why you want a lens on a flexible mount? Are you missing the point?
The tilt adaptor for ‘Pentacon’ lenses again is a different thing to lens baby.
I wouldn't mind a Hartbei but not as a replacement for a lens baby, they are very different types of lenses with different uses. They are Tilt and Shift lenses. Lens Baby is not a Tilt and shift lens.
Or perhaps it is in the same simple way you could just describe a Fish eye lens as a Wide angle!
Both the Harbei range of lenses and the Pentacon/Kiev adaptor are available for Nikon, so you can buy. I have seen plenty of good work done with the Herbei but nothing with Pentacons and adaptors.
If you think Lens baby is expensive I suggest you have a look at one.
They are very well made and IMO lens Baby 1 and 2 are a bargain. I do agree Lens baby 3 is a bit pricy.
Lens baby 3 is the same optics as 2 but LB 1 is very different and well worth looking into.

[A G Photography]

Don't misunderstand me. I love the effects you achieved and the images you posted are top notch. Still don't see the difference that a home made flexible lens could have with a lens baby, does lens baby behave to different laws of optic? I don't think so. The only difference could be the flexibility of the adapter and the type of lens you use. Another weak point of lens baby is the diaphragm that need to be manually substituted unmounting the lens every time.
All in all I see lens babies as fun creative lenses to achieve extreme frontal tilts and shifts but not lenses I can use in studio shots where I need the ability to replicate them, impossible unless you use the G3 that looks like a royal pain in the *** with all that knobs, screws etc.
For that kind of stuff, sincerely, I'd better spend my money on a cheap large format camera, which also has rear movements, with a graflock back with nikon mount.

[luisalegria]

I love the effect of the lensbaby. There are good reasons why it is the "pictorial" lens of our time, and this sort of photography has a long and glorious history.

And you have some excellent samples there by the way !

My problem with it - and its a character flaw - is that I am by experience and avocation a snap-shooter. I don't have the patience to work with it, to create the picture, rather I hunt for pictures waiting to happen, and I want the picture I see to come out as accurately as possible to what I imagined through the viewfinder. I'm afraid that a lot of us are limited like that.

[Rob Leslie]

Alessandro. Thanks for your nice comment on my work
I think you have hit the nail on the head.
Lens Baby is not a lens for studio shots where you need the ability to replicate shots. For such work you would be better spending money on a cheap large format camera, which has full movements.
Lens baby is just a lens that fits in a little bag and is small enough to fit in your pocket or the corner of you camera bag.
As Luisalegria wrote it is a ‘Pictorial’ lens and as I wrote it is a ‘Creative’ lens. It isn’t a tilt and shift lens, its design and only purpose is creative pictorial work.
I do have to correct you on your Completely Wrong assumption and misinformation about the Lens Baby aperture. Sorry to be so strong about it but you can’t just write wrong info.
The aperture can be changed in about 2 seconds, whether the camera is being hand held or on a tripod. The lens does not have to be removed. In fact the apertures on lens baby make it an even more flexible lens as ‘Creative’ apertures are sold or can be made for the lens.

Flickr Lens Baby group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/lensbabies/
Some good users of Lens baby
http://www.flickr.com/photos/servilles/sets/967061/
http://www.billmarshphotography.com/billsfolder/Lensbaby/index.htm
http://www.f1point4.com/f1point4/beauty_of_the_blur/index.html

[A G Photography]

It's all your fault that I just bought Click here to see on Ebay. Now I have to find some of those silly large MF lenses

(btw, it is priced pretty the same as an used lens baby 2 on sale on eBay the same day).

[Rob Leslie]

[A G Photography]