Lens Baby Club - Page 9

Nesster · 04-18-2009, 01:58 PM

Tin foil on the Lensbaby 1.0 does wonders. My daughter discovered the lensbaby and I'm lucky mine's a K mount, otherwise it would be permanent. As it is she nearly owns the K100D.

This however is on CVS ASA200 film, Program Plus. With a 1.0, yeah I lust after the latest, but I don't really need it. Besides, I can mount several bad folding camera lenses on the bellows. And the pinhole. So yeah, I don't need the newest Lensbaby. (I'm vulnerable...)

barondla · 04-19-2009, 05:31 PM

Beautiful shot Nesster. Love the colors. Extra points for using film. Haven't tried that with LB.
Is the 1.0 like the Original LB with a single element glass optic? Image kind of looks like what I get from that combo. What has tin foil got to do with this shot? Confused.

thanks
barondla

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Nesster · 04-20-2009, 03:52 AM

The 1.0 is the original lensbaby. I tried the tin foil trick (across the contacts, under the lens) with the K100d for the first time, with good results. Since I had the foil all set, I moved it to the Program Plus, probably with little or no difference, as the film cams seem to meter fine without it.

Here's the same lensbaby on the K100d

Mike Cash · 04-20-2009, 04:44 AM

Originally Posted by barondla

Mike Cash, love the available light image. Lens Babies really do beautiful things when the light is low. Very atmospheric.

I very often find myself driving through Tokyo after dark and the Lens Baby wide open is an excellent way to keep on enjoying shooting while stuck in traffic. Focus and clarity go to hell, but they'd largely do that with a regular lens anyway. Fortunately, the very nature of the Lens Baby (especially wide open) means that focus and clarity are the least important elements.

Neat shot from the vehicle! Not the easiest way to use a LB.

The distance was so close that I had to pull on the lens in order to focus.

Pentax K20D
Lens Baby 2.0
M42 Extension Tubes

Someday I would really like to get the Composer for long-exposure shots on a tripod. It looks like they don't offer it in screwmount, though. I wonder if it would be possible to swap out the K-mount for the M42 mount on my 2.0.

barondla · 04-20-2009, 06:43 AM

Interesting shot Nesster! Like the bright colors. Creative subject. Now I understand the tin foil part. Remember reading about that trick with older lenses. Don't remember what it does exactly.

Mike, doubt that the 2.0 mount would fit on the Composer for various reasons. Comparing my LBO to Composer:
1. Composer base is about 25% bigger diameter. All newer LB are larger - think its because of the optic swap system.
2. Unlike older LB bases the Composer base has sides (pointed toward front of lens. This houses the tension ring and "ball" of the Composer.

Might be able to buy a Composer and grind bayonet away then mound back of screw thread lens to it. This would move infinity focus point. Not a problem on LB - theres enough wiggle room.

Craig Strong (LB creator) might be able to whip up Screw mount. They seem to have dropped all non af mounts from their offerings. A shame that. You would love a Composer!

Mike, wonderful flower closeup. So soft. You know its at the limit when you have to stretch the LB. Composer won't allow that! It maxs out at about 18". Use the closeup lenses a lot with it.

thanks
barondla

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barondla · 04-20-2009, 06:19 PM

Composer, plastic optic, f2, 1/4000, ISO 200, K20D.
thanks
barondla

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Nesster · 04-25-2009, 04:27 AM

original Lensbaby 1.0

WerTicus · 04-25-2009, 04:29 AM

i dont get it - is there anything here you cant do in photoshop? whats the point of a lensbaby? is it for people who dont know about radial blur in photoshop? :P

Nesster · 04-25-2009, 06:29 AM

Not quite the same - by the same token, why spend money on nicer lenses, better cameras, as you can do most of that stuff in photoshop

You can get similar effects but not precisely - a Lensbaby allows tilt/shift. But I admit, it is an acquired taste.

Mike Cash · 04-25-2009, 06:15 PM

What's the point of playing sports? Is it for people who don't know you can watch them on television?

The Lens Baby is about the fun and challenge of spotting and creating the effect in the field, on the fly.

We could easily invert the question and ask, "What's the point of radial blur in Photoshop? Is it for people who don't know about Lens Baby?"

barondla · 04-26-2009, 07:12 AM

WerTicus, Photoshop User Magazine gave the Lensbaby 3G an award and said you couldn't get the same effects with Photoshop. Read it on the Lensbaby website. They just tried the optic swap system and gave it another HOT rating.
There is more to LB than radial blur. Theres different optics (double element glass multicoated - sharp, single glass uncoated, plastic, zoneplate, pinhole and now an ultrawide). There are different aperture shapes (including ones you make). You basically build this lens from the ground up.
thanks
barondla

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