Lensbaby Edge 80-Optic - Professional Photographer Magazine

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
Lensbaby’s new lens tilts reality on edge
BY CURTIS WALKER
Strip focus
LENSBABY EDGE 80-OPTIC
The new Edge 80 Optic is the latest addition
to Lensbaby’s already formidable line of
eight interchangeable light benders. This
one stands out with its 12-blade internal
aperture covering f/2.8 to f/22, and the best
tilt control from Lensbaby yet. Technically a
flat field of focus optic, this five-element,
four-group lens is the line’s most precise and
sharp lens to date, and when you want it to
be, also the blurriest. Rather than moving
around a sweet spot of focus, the Edge 80
creates a slice of focus through the image.
You can also tilt the lens to create deeper
depths of field at any given aperture.
Fully manual, this lens has no CPU to let
the camera know what’s going on. I tested
the Edge 80 on a Nikon D7000. Once I added
the lens to the custom lens menu in the camera,
Tilting the optic (below) makes a dramatic
difference in an average scene (inset).
©Curtis Walker
68 • www.ppmag.com

©Curtis Walker
Without the tilt employed, the Edge 80 optic will deliver a silky bokeh and won't distort your subject.
TTL metering worked fine but, of course, not metal chassis is also compact, and can live
stop-down metering. The ease of changing on the front of a camera body without risk.
the internal aperture is a welcome change If you already have or prefer the Composer,
from the orig inal magnetic disc system, afford - Scout, Muse or Control Freak lens bodies,
ing far greater ease in composing optimal this optic will swap right into place.
depth of field.
Learning to use the Edge 80 takes a bit
At 80mm, this lens is best suited for use of practice. The focus is controlled in a
with a full-frame camera. On the other hand, straight line of depth of field anywhere in
putting it on my Nikon F3 breathes new life the image. It can be horizontal, slanted or
into the old body, and the lens benefits from vertical, depending on how you tilt the optic,
the bright viewfinder and split-prism focus although it’s not a tilt/shift lens, as there’s no
screen. On the D7000, the crop factor of 1.5 way to shift the image circle of the lens
gives the lens an effective focal length of 120mm. around on the sensor or film.
That’s a bit long for my tastes, but perfectly In tight spaces, the shallow depth of field
usable when I moved back a few steps. The lens can completely obliterate background texture.
has a minimum focus distance of 17 inches, In large spaces, the depth of field can be forced
fully adjusted. It has 46mm threads out front, to create a particular perspective and a minia -
so there’s no hope of a quick fix from Lensbaby’s turization of reality. The lens performs mar -
37mm wide-angle or telephoto accessories. velously when left untilted as well, creating
Pair it with the Composer Pro lens body, silky bokeh as lush as a Gaussian filter.
and the combo offers a durable, dust-free, Shooting with this lens opens the pho -
ball-joint-based way to experiment. The tographic perspective in a satisfying way. In
that aspect, anyone who can afford to get
one and learn to use it will see an improve -
ment in his craft and get a low-impact crash
course in the Scheimpflug Principle. Wedding
and portrait photographers have long been
fans of Lensbabies, and this one is impressive.
This optic is likely to attract a slew of new
users as well, due to its robust construction,
ease of use and, well, loveliness. In terms of
fun, the Lensbaby system is nearly unparalleled.
Hiking to the top of the nearest parking
garage and capturing something remi -
niscent of Olivo Barbieri’s work is creatively
invigorating, to say the least.
It’s a challenging optic to master, but with
some practice this versatile lens can create
images that will set your work apart in a way
that post processing can’t. It literally forces the
photographer to focus on what’s impor tant.
For anyone who has been waiting for Lensbaby
to build a truly beautiful lens, this is it. The
Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic sells for $300. n
©Curtis Walker
The depth of field can be forced to create an
engaging toy-like perspective of miniaturization.
March 2012 • Professional Photographer • 69