Tool or toy, when it comes to photography equipment, that’s really what it comes down to, isn’t it? If photography is a pastime, we can afford to indulge in toys. If it is an occupation we tend to be more selective about what we spend our money on, toys are an extravagance—we couldn’t afford ‘em when we were struggling, and we don’t need ‘em now that we have a client base which likes our style.

But what if a toy is also a tool? Is it not important to keep ourselves young, our vision fresh, always on the look out for something new to invigorate our work, keep it from becoming stale? The Lensbaby 3G™ fits this description. That rare combination of toy that can be an effective tool in a photographers kit.

What first interested me in trying a Lensbaby was a request by the editor of a weekly food magazine in Salem, D’Lish. I had been photographing feature food spreads for D’Lish for several months when the editor yawned and said she was bored with the straight work, could I do something more edgy? Something fun. Something like you see in Bon Appetit magazine—you know, the magazine that pays the big bucks.

The style of photography she was referring to is a selective focus with limited depth-of-field, a very old style which is easy to do with a large format camera. All you have to do is focus on the central point (sweet spot) with the back standard then swing and tilt the front standard to obtain the overall focus effect. Choosing the appropriate aperture for sharpness within the desired depth-of-field finishes it off.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this is the age of digital, especially when it comes to commercial work. The magazine wants digital files. So, rather than photographing on 4x5 film, sending it out for development and scanning the results, I decided to try the Lensbaby, which promised to provide similar results and was pleased to find that it did.

The image of food, seen in figure 2, was made using the Lensbaby handheld on a Minolta 7D 6mpx camera with a 17-35mm lens. Although I used the Lensbaby handheld in this image, more accurate and repeatable results will be found on a tripod. For this I highly recommend either the Manfrotto 3444 which allows the camera to be used offset from the tripod legs, or any Gitzo with a lateral arm attachment. Either of these will allow you to move in and around the subject and create the highest quality, repeatable images using the Lensbaby.

The Lensbaby comes with a pocket size tool kit which includes a set of seven metal apertures and a Magnetic Aperture Removal Tool (MART) with which to change them. In the old days, before you or I were born (if you’re older than that you don’t have to admit it), removable metal apertures made of brass were known as waterhouse stops. In any event, the metal apertures come in sizes from f/2.8 to f/22. If no aperture ring is used the default f/stop is 2.0. Lensbaby recommends starting with f/4 or f/5.6. This makes it easier to focus the Lensbaby during the learning curve yet limits the depth-of-field so the effect of selective focus limited depth-of-field can be easily achieved.

The apertures can be quickly swapped out by using the MART to remove the existing aperture and dropping the new aperture in place. The aperture is held in perfect alignment by three magnetic pins. The design is unique and clever. More importantly, it works.

Not all cameras will meter through the Lensbaby. These cameras need to be set on manual and exposure determined with a hand-held meter or the ol’ trial and error test exposure method (which is a good argument for using a tripod—in case the image is perfect but the exposure is off). Other cameras, including the Nikon F series film camera and the D200, D1X and D2X, will meter through the aperture in aperture priority (Av) mode. The Canon EOS series, on the other hand, will meter through the aperture in either manual or Av mode. Instructions are included for metering with other cameras including the Minolta 7D camera which I use.

In addition to the seven standard apertures Lensbaby offers an accessory creative aperture kit. This kit comes with two special apertures, one in the shape of a heart and the other in the shape of a star. Using one of these two will cause specular highlights to appear as either heart or star shapes. Cool. Also cool are the five blank disks that you can use to create your own shapes using an X-acto™ knife or a punch which can be purchased in craft stores.

In neutral position the Lensbaby will focus at about 18”. To focus on other distances you need to position your fingers around the lens then squeeze the front element closer to the film/sensor plane or push it away, see figure 3. Squeezing the lens closer focuses the Lensbaby further away (think of focusing on infinity—the focusing element is as close to the film/sensor as it can get). Pushing it away focuses the Lensbaby closer. So, the technique is to move the lens in and out until the area of the subject, say the eyes, that you want to be in focus are . . . in focus. Once you have found the “sweet spot” you bend the lens right, left, up, down or any combination, moving it around until the background focus is the way you want it. The rule of thumb (forefinger in this case) is to move the Lensbaby towards the area you want in focus. Once the subject appears the way you want it you lock the lens by pressing an easy to access button with your right index finger. Finally, the Lensbaby 3G has a focusing ring that allows you to fine focus before taking the final image.

All of the above is easy to do once you get used to it. The hard part is to keep the hand held camera from moving in and out once everything is set, which is why I recommend a tripod, especially when you are first learning to use the Lensbaby.

What makes the Lensbaby a complete tool is the availability of two auxilary lenses, without which it might very well remain a toy. The lenses come in a 0.6x wide angle and a 1.6x telephoto. As far as I can tell the focal length of the Lensbaby when mounted on a full-frame 35mm format film camera is approximately 50mm. That means the wide angle is equivalent to 21mm and the telephoto is equivalent to an 80mm. For my food photography I made extensive use of the wide angle. An 80mm lens is an ideal focal length for portraiture.

(If you are using a digital camera with an extension factor, say 1.5x, first multiply 50mm by 1.5X = 75mm, then by the appropriate extension factor of the wide or telephoto lens [e.g., using the Lensbaby telephoto multiply 75mm x 1.6 = 120mm].)

The Lensbaby also accepts 37mm filters. An accessory kit containing +4 and  +10 close-up diopters is available. The +4 allows focus to be as close as 10” (figure 4), as measured from the film/sensor plane, and the +10 can be focused as close as 7” (figure 5).

To install the filters or the auxiliary lenses, tip the lens skyward and turn the focus ring as far as it will go counter-clockwise. This will bring the lens to the end of the focusing barrel where it is a simple matter to screw the accessory into place.

The Lensbaby is definitely just the kind of tool you would want to have in your kit if you were a wedding photographer. It would allow you to offer your clients an easy to produce, on location special dream effect that would appeal to many people.

Portrait and fashion photographers could also make great use of this tool. Focusing on the eyes while keeping the depth-of-field on the face produces the kind of effect that was used by many early photographers. The famous portrait of the beloved Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, was done in this manner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:William_Butler_Yeats.jpg).

Even though the Lensbaby may appear to be a toy, and you can certainly have fun with it, it is definitely a tool for the photographer. If you feel yourself getting jaded, doing the same ol’, same ol’, get yourself a Lensbaby and start rockin’.

The Lensbaby 3G has a list price of $270. The original Lensbaby and the Lensbaby 2.0 (not reviewed) are still available for $96 and $150, respectively. There is also a new medium format Lensbaby 3G for the Mamiya 645 and Pentax 67 which lists for $390.00. Accessories for the Lensbaby have the following list prices:

Lensbaby Wide Angle/Telephoto Kit $89
Lensbaby Wide/Macro (not reviewed) $59
Lensbaby Macro Kit $33
Lensbaby Creative Aperture Kit $9.99

For more information you can visit Lensbaby at www.lensbabies.com, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 1-877-536-7222.