Ever wanted an f/161 pinhole lens that shoots soft focus for $280? Lensbaby unleashes a trio of crazier-than-ever optics
(Image credit: Lensbaby / Charlotte Johnson)
Lensbaby has announced its latest uber-creative, ultra-crazy product: the Lensbaby Obscura, a three-in-one pinhole, soft focus and extreme bokeh lens with a maximum aperture of f/161.
The Lensbaby Obscura comes as a 50mm DSLR lens or 50mm Lensbaby Optic, both with f/32, f/64 and f/161 apertures to deliver the trio of different effects, along with a 16mm mirrorless body cap lens with f/22, f/45 and f/90 apertures to achieve the same purpose.
So, what is the Obscura? Well, Lensbaby itself isn't very helpful in explaining that: "Lensbaby Obscura isn’t a lens, Obscura is an extraordinary experience crafted in the origins of photography.
"… Lensbaby Obscura envelopes photographer and lens in an elegant dance between light and dark while bringing unique flare and image artifacts that aren’t possible to achieve in-camera with any standard camera lens."
Thankfully, Lensbaby ambassador Jen Strongin has a more coherent explanation.
(Image credit: Lensbaby / Jen Strongin)
Of the Zone Plate (soft focus) setting, she says:
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"This setting gives you this beautiful glow across the frame with some sharpness underneath, and when you shoot into the light, or you're shooting things that reflect light, you get these really crazy beautiful flares and artifacts that really show that shape with that circle with the concentric rings around it."
(Image credit: Lensbaby / Jen Strongin)
On the Sieve Plate (bokeh) setting:
"This one gives you a little more detail, although you still have some of that glow, and this one is like the Swiss cheese setting where you have a center hole, and then lots of little holes around it. And this also creates some really unique flare and artifacts when you're shooting into light or shooting things that reflect light, and it just creates these really starry looking artifacts."
(Image credit: Lensbaby / Jen Strongin)
And finally, on the Pinhole setting:
"It gives you a lot more detail across the entire frame than the other two settings, and I find that f/90 really creates these beautiful vintage looking images, that I love."
The two lenses appear to be 'dumb', with no electrical contacts, and there's no focal ring to focus it – which is unsurprising, given the extreme apertures. When you're shooting between f/22 and f/161, pretty much everything is going to be in focus!
Here are the three versions of the optic:
Lensbaby Obscura 50 (DSLR)
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(Image credit: Lensbaby)
(Image credit: Lensbaby)
(Image credit: Lensbaby)
Lensbaby Obscura Optic
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(Image credit: Lensbaby)
(Image credit: Lensbaby)
Lensbaby Obscura 16 (mirrorless)
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(Image credit: Lensbaby)
(Image credit: Lensbaby)
The Lensbaby Obscura 50 comes in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts and is available for $279.95 (approximately £201.18 / AU$372.54), while the Lensbaby Obscura 16 comes in Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds and L-mount options for $249.95 (£179.62 / AU$332.65). The Lensbaby Obscura Optic, compatible with all Lensbaby Optic products, costs $179.95 (£129.31 / AU$239.48).
Swipe through the gallery below to see how the three settings affect images – and to decide whether this really is Lensbaby's wackiest lens ever!
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Zone Plate(Image credit: Lensbaby / Charlotte Johnson)
Sieve Plate(Image credit: Lensbaby / Charlotte Johnson)
Pinhole(Image credit: Lensbaby / Charlotte Johnson)
James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes.
