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Lensbaby LM-10 Sweet Spot lens for iPhone
Portland, Oregon-based Lensbaby has been making specialty lenses for professional photographers for years. When the iPhone came out, they recognized a good thing and started designing lenses that would work with the most popular camera in the world. One of the latest is the LM-10 Sweet Spot lens (US$69.99), which works with an iPhone some amazing visual effects with the help of an app. So what is a "sweet spot lens"? Think of an image with a single spot of focus that is surrounded by blur. Why would you want to do that? It directs the viewer's eye directly to the point that you want them to look at. It also can create a dreamy mood or even add a feeling of motion to your photos. I had a chance to put one of these lenses through its paces along with the accompanying free Lensbaby Mobile app. You'll want to download and install the app prior to doing any photography with the LM-10 Sweet Spot lens, as the two go together hand-in-hand. The Lensbaby LM-10 was created through a Kickstarter project. So let's take a look at their pitch video: The lens itself is really well made: no cheap plastic for these guys. The lens barrel is anodized aluminum, and the lenses are glass -- other magnetically mounted lenses will stick to the LM-10, so you can use your other wide-angle or telephoto lenses to create some very special effects. As you can see in the photo at the top of this post, it comes with a double-ended rubber lens cap. To install the lens, you need to attach an adhesive-backed magnet to the iPhone. Note that at this time, the Lensbaby LM-10 doesn't work with the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, which both have that little protruding lens. It will work with an iPad - all of the photos taken for this review were done with the app and lens on an iPad Air. It's quite simple to use the app to set a fixed or movable sweet spot, auto-focus lock or exposure lock, white balance, and even add filters. Pro or dedicated amateur photographers will appreciate the fact that you can add a rule of thirds grid to the app for setting up your shot. Conclusion While the Lensbaby LM-10 isn't a special effects lens that everybody will want or use, it and the accompanying app do a wonderful job of allowing photographers to do sweet spot photography. It's nicely constructed and should make a nice addition to the kit of any advanced iPhone photographer. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway If you've ever wanted to take sweet spot photos like those you see here, be sure to enter our giveaway of this Lensbaby LM-10 lens. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before October 10, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Lensbaby LM-10 lens valued at US$69.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. CLICK HERE IF ENTRY FORM IS NOT VISIBLE BELOW Loading...
Crowdfunded Project News: This week on Kickstarter and Indiegogo
Every week, TUAW provides readers with an update on what new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects are in the news. While our policy is to not go into detail on items that haven't reached at least 80 percent of their funding goal, this update is designed to give readers a heads-up on projects they might find interesting enough to back. From Kickstarter: The iMac. It's now incredibly thin, it's sexy, it's fast and it has a big display. But it's also missing a convenient USB port on the front of the device. For a lot of iMac owners (myself included), that means that if you don't want to reach around to the back of your device every time you need to plug in or unplug a USB device, you have to have a big USB hub sitting in front of your iMac. That's where the iMacompanion from Wiplabs comes in -- it is a USB 2.0 port that sits right in the front of the base of your iMac. Using an extremely thin cable makes it possible to gain a port while losing the typical round cable. This project was featured at Macworld/iWorld 2014 and is well past its funding goal, but it's definitely worth a look. And if they get enough funding and can figure out a way to do it, they may try to make it a USB 3.0 port as a stretch goal. Apple's charger for the MacBook line has an ingenious design, with little "wings" that pop out that you can wrap the thin cable around. There's only one problem -- that design tends to put a lot of stress on the cable and it's not uncommon for the cable to fray or break. Juiceboxx is a really smart idea that slides over the stock Apple charger and reduces the stress on the cable so it shouldn't fall apart. Available in November of 2014 if the Kickstarter project gets enough backing, Juiceboxx comes in a variety of translucent colors that hearken back to the days of the original iMac. With three weeks to go, Juiceboxx is 30 percent of the way towards its $25,000 goal. (A hat tip to our buddy Hal Sherman for pointing out this project). And now, for the iPhoneographers in the audience -- Lensbaby has developed a Creative Focus Lens for the iPhone and is successfully raising funds to get it into production. At 157 percent of goal with a little over three weeks to go, the Creative Focus Lens will be ready for your iPhone by August along with a companion app. Another project for iPhoneographers is COVR Photo, an iPhone case with a built-in prism lens. What does that let you do? Well, take photos of people without them thinking you're taking their picture. You'll hold your iPhone flat, as if you're looking a map or something, and can take good candid shots. The project is spearheaded by professional photographer Thomas Hurst and is at about 40 percent of funding with almost a month to go in the campaign. What does a walking stick have to do with Apple-related crowdfunded projects? Well, when that walking stick has a screw mount for holding something like a Glif on the end of it, that's pretty cool. When it has a specially designed notch for holding an iPhone for photography, that's very impressive. The WorkingStick is the brainchild of Joe Free and is a beautiful walking staff that can be personalized as well. The project has about three weeks to go and is already at 56.7 percent of goal. You can get one for as little as $55 by backing the project soon. So why am I writing about a pair of "smart headphones with WiFi Android player"? The STREAMZ smart headphones may run Android, but they're also going to be able to receive your streaming music from any iOS smartphone or tablet. Heck, you can even use these wireless headphones with your Mac. The project is just 15 percent funded with about three weeks to go, but if you've ever wanted to use Google Now to control your headphones, this is the time to open up your wallet and back the project. And one from Indiegogo this week: Yes, it's another "smart tag" project. This one is apparently funded! Duet works with a companion app to help you find your belongings, and can also be used to determine when you've left your iPhone behind. If you're aware of any other crowdfunded Apple-related projects, be sure to let us know about them through the Tip Us button at the upper right of the TUAW home page for future listing on the site.
Lensbaby Spark delivers selective focus for 80 bucks, we go hands-on (sample images)
What do you see when you look through a Lensbaby? Well, take a gander for yourself -- that image just above was shot with the company's new Spark. The $80 selective-focus optic is available for Canon and Nikon mounts, and brings f/5.6 shooting with a 50mm focal length, and, of course, that trademark Lensbaby bokeh. We caught up with the new lens at Photokina, and unlike many of the cameras we've seen so far, we were permitted to shoot some sample images. Snapping with any Lensbaby takes a fair amount of practice and patience, but the Spark is designed to simplify the process somewhat, with an interior barrel that prevents you from venturing too far past the focal plane, along with a more straightforward design -- simply frame your shot, focus and bend the lens towards your subject to blur out any other elements in the scene. Calculating exposure with the Spark can take some work, so we tweaked and cropped our sample images just a bit -- besides that, what you see is what you get, so click through our gallery below to see the Spark, shot by another Spark. So meta.
Lensbaby lets your imagination run wild on a budget with the Spark, an $80 selective-focus lens
Lensbaby, maker of creative optics that let you take pictures you'd otherwise have to make in Photoshop is going after youthful crowd with its newest product, the Spark. The selective focus lens attaches to your Canon or Nikon DSLR, allowing you to create bokeh-rich images -- simply squeeze the unit to focus and tilt it on its axis to move the "sweet spot" as you go. The 50mm lens features a fixed f/5.6 aperture and focuses from 13-inches to infinity, and goes on sale from today from the company's website, Amazon and specialist retailers who deal in such things.
Lensbaby Composer Pro gets Samsung, Sony, Micro Four Thirds mirrorless mounts
Lensbaby faithfuls awaiting a mirrorless-compatible Composer Pro lens need not hold out any longer. The company's high-end creative optic is now shipping for mirrorless mounts of the Samsung NX, Sony NEX and Micro Four Thirds variety -- including the Panasonic Lumix G and Olympus PEN. These latest additions join Canon, Nikon, Sony Alpha, Pentax K and Four Thirds versions, which are all available for 300 bucks at the source link below.
Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic brings a slice of tilt-shift to your life (sample photos)
C'mon, admit it -- if you won one of many lotteries, you'd be purchasing a legitimate tilt-shift lens right after picking up a new Ferrari and buying a chocolate factory. Given that said scenario is highly unlikely to pan out, Lensbaby is stepping in to make the letdown a bit easier to stomach. The Edge 80 Optic is the latest in the outfit's growing Optic Swap system, which is compatible with the Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak, and it's capable of transforming those bodies into "a tilt lens that delivers a slice of sharp focus through an image that falls off to a soft blur." There's a 12-blade adjustable aperture (f/2.8 through f/22), and when not shifted, it's fully capable of taking flat (read: standard) photographs. As the name implies, there's an 80mm focal length, but macro lovers should be aware that you'll need at least 17-inches to focus on your subject(s).We've been toying with one on our D3S over the past few days, and it certainly does what it says; moreover, it's far easier to justify at just $300. (For those unaware, dedicated T-S lenses can easily top $1,500.) And if you're already invested in the Optic Swap system, it makes even more sense. Granted, it takes some work to compose a shot. You'll need to rely on manual mode, and you'll need to tweak your ISO to match your desired aperture and available light. Leaving the ISO too high while using f/2.8 in broad daylight will result in white captures, while not boosting the ISO enough after dark will leave your shot murdered out. Once you've got your settings right, though, the lens couldn't be easier to operate, and the shift + lock mechanism is as smooth as butter. We threw together a gallery of our favorites taken recently in Hawaii and French Polynesia, so dive in below to see if this piece of kit is deserving of your attention.
Lensbaby tempts the serious crowd with Composer Pro lens peripheral
We've been big fans of Lensbaby for quite some time, but up until now, its wares weren't exactly ideal for the professional crowd. It seems that the company's angling to change that with its latest release, the duly-named Composer Pro. For all intents and purposes, this is a fresh take on the existing Composer, with an upgraded swivel ball / focus mechanism that delivers smoother focus and tilt control to those who need it to make ends meet. In case you're wondering, the Pro is compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap System, and it'll ship with either the Double Glass Optic ($300 for the bundle) or the new Sweet 35 Optic ($400) installed. Head on past the break for the full breakdown of specifications, and look for this one to ship momentarily from your fav-o-rite e-tailer.
Lensbaby goes practical with aperture-adjustable Sweet 35 Optic
We love a Lensbaby lens as much as the next hipster, but if there's one thing the Optic Swap system isn't, it's fast. Switching out aperture plates is a royal pain, and for those looking to simply capture moments as they happen, it's a system that simply doesn't work. The company's apparently aiming to fix that with the introduction of its first 35mm optic with a 12-blade adjustable aperture. The Sweet 35 select focus optic requires but a twist to change the aperture, and in turn, the "sweet spot." 'Course, you'll still need to find yourself adequate light (or boost your ISO / slow your shutter) before stepping that aperture value up too high, but at least now it's easier than using a magnetic tool to fish one plate out and drop another in. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.5 and steps all the way down to f/22, and it'll focus down to 7.5 inches from the front of the lens. The downside is that this particular optic isn't compatible with current 37mm Lensbaby accessories, nor will it function with the Composer with Tilt Transformer for Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX cameras. Still, for $180 it's easily the most practical thing the company has ever delivered, and we definitely hope this is just the beginning of a trend it intends to push.
Lensbaby rolls out Composer with Tilt Transformer kit for Micro Four Thirds, Sony NEX cameras (hands-on)
We've already gotten our hands on Lensbaby's basic Composer lens, but the company has now gone and expanded its bag of tricks even further with its new Composer with Tilt Transformer kit. The key bit there is the Tilt Transformer (also available separately), which can also accommodate any Nikon mount lens and tilt it up to twice the amount of standard tilt-shift lenses. Have a Panasonic Lumix G Micro System or Olympus PEN Micro Four Thirds camera? Then you can get the kit now for $350 or just the Tilt Transformer for $250 -- Sony NEX camera users will have to wait until October 28th to get in on the act. Full press release is after the break, and our hands-on from the Photokina show floor is just below. Enjoy. %Gallery-103089%
Lensbaby Composer, Fisheye and Soft Focus review: creativity abounds
Lensbaby lenses have been out and about for a long while now, but we were just recently able to sit down with a few of the company's best and brightest in order to form our own opinions of the (admittedly overlooked) creative devices. For those unaware, Lensbaby makes a handful of lenses and optics that help users engage in selective focus photography, and frankly, create all sorts of wild images that would be otherwise difficult or impossible to create within Photoshop. There's no question that these are hobby lenses through and through -- you wouldn't want to hinge your business on these -- but are they worth the comparatively low asking prices? Read on to find out. %Gallery-88228%