I recently bit the bullet and purchased a Lensbaby 3G. I have wanted
one ever since I saw an article in Shutterbug or something, but I'm
really glad I waited for version 3 because this little beauty is quite
a piece of workmanship.
Overall, the build quality is very nice, the instructions, while
brief, are thorough and comprehensible, and even the small aperture
discs come in a cute little container with a magnetic removal tool on
the end and a film canister-like cap.
You can all check out my first two experiments with it. It's not
*easy* to use, but it's somewhat thrilling. You really have to look
closely to be sure some part of the image will be in focus, since
autofocus is impossible:
Aaron wrote:
> I recently bit the bullet and purchased a Lensbaby 3G. I have wanted
> one ever since I saw an article in Shutterbug or something, but I'm
> really glad I waited for version 3 because this little beauty is quite
> a piece of workmanship.
>
> Overall, the build quality is very nice, the instructions, while
> brief, are thorough and comprehensible, and even the small aperture
> discs come in a cute little container with a magnetic removal tool on
> the end and a film canister-like cap.
>
> You can all check out my first two experiments with it. It's not
> *easy* to use, but it's somewhat thrilling. You really have to look
> closely to be sure some part of the image will be in focus, since
> autofocus is impossible:
>
> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...3/lensbaby-3g/
> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...h-of-november/
>
> Sorry if that gets wrapped; I know how people despise
> tinyurl/snipurl/etc.
>
I have never head of snipurl, so I can't comment. But-- there is no
reason to worry about tinyurl taking you places that you don't want to
go. In its present incarnation, it displays the full url and allows you
to go there or not. It's much more convenient than trying to enter a
7000 character address. (My mother told me a million times not to
exaggerate.)
Allen
On Apr 19, 2:21 pm, Aaron <a...@fisheyegallery.com> wrote:
> I recently bit the bullet and purchased a Lensbaby 3G. I have wanted
> one ever since I saw an article in Shutterbug or something, but I'm
> really glad I waited for version 3 because this little beauty is quite
> a piece of workmanship.
>
> Overall, the build quality is very nice, the instructions, while
> brief, are thorough and comprehensible, and even the small aperture
> discs come in a cute little container with a magnetic removal tool on
> the end and a film canister-like cap.
>
> You can all check out my first two experiments with it. It's not
> *easy* to use, but it's somewhat thrilling. You really have to look
> closely to be sure some part of the image will be in focus, since
> autofocus is impossible:
>
> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...emember-the-fi...
>
> Sorry if that gets wrapped; I know how people despise
> tinyurl/snipurl/etc.
I have never heard someone complain about tinyurl either, but maybe I
am insulated.
I dunno that I would get much use out of such a thing, but I suppose
it depends on what sort of stuff you like to make. One question comes
to mind immediately, though: How the heck could you see what you are
composing in a dSLR at, say, f/22?
Interesting (strange) idea, though. They say the aperture disks are
"magnetically levitated". I am wondering why this is so.
And lo, Nervous Nick <nervous.nick@gmail.com> emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
> On Apr 19, 2:21 pm, Aaron <a...@fisheyegallery.com> wrote:
>> I recently bit the bullet and purchased a Lensbaby 3G. I have wanted
>> one ever since I saw an article in Shutterbug or something, but I'm
>> really glad I waited for version 3 because this little beauty is quite
>> a piece of workmanship.
>>
>> Overall, the build quality is very nice, the instructions, while
>> brief, are thorough and comprehensible, and even the small aperture
>> discs come in a cute little container with a magnetic removal tool on
>> the end and a film canister-like cap.
>>
>> You can all check out my first two experiments with it. It's not
>> *easy* to use, but it's somewhat thrilling. You really have to look
>> closely to be sure some part of the image will be in focus, since
>> autofocus is impossible:
>>
>> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...3/lensbaby-3g/
>> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...emember-the-fi...
>>
>> Sorry if that gets wrapped; I know how people despise
>> tinyurl/snipurl/etc.
>
>
> I have never heard someone complain about tinyurl either, but maybe I
> am insulated.
>
> I dunno that I would get much use out of such a thing, but I suppose
> it depends on what sort of stuff you like to make. One question comes
> to mind immediately, though: How the heck could you see what you are
> composing in a dSLR at, say, f/22?
>
> Interesting (strange) idea, though. They say the aperture disks are
> "magnetically levitated". I am wondering why this is so.
>
> --
> YOP...
I have been using the f/2 aperture disc because I really dig extremely
shallow DOF, but it does have aperture discs for f/2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8,
11, 16, and 22. I would imagine that seeing things through the f/22
disc would be very difficult. Heck, it's pretty hard to tell when
things are in focus even at f/2, partially due to the lack of an
actual ground glass focusing screen on the 5D.
I think the reason the discs are held in place with magnets is simply
for convenience. The system they've put together is really quite
inventive and doesn't require there to be a slot or a door of any
kind; you just take their little magnetic extractor tool and stick it
into the front of the lens and it snags the disc out of there. When
you drop another one in, three small magnets positioned on the inside
of the collar in front of the element itself just pull the disc right
into place.
For those with an interest in experimental and ethereal images, I
highly recommend the Lensbaby 3G, I believe it's fully worth its cost.
And lo, Allen <allen@nothere.net> emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
> Aaron wrote:
>> I recently bit the bullet and purchased a Lensbaby 3G. I have wanted
>> one ever since I saw an article in Shutterbug or something, but I'm
>> really glad I waited for version 3 because this little beauty is quite
>> a piece of workmanship.
>>
>> Overall, the build quality is very nice, the instructions, while
>> brief, are thorough and comprehensible, and even the small aperture
>> discs come in a cute little container with a magnetic removal tool on
>> the end and a film canister-like cap.
>>
>> You can all check out my first two experiments with it. It's not
>> *easy* to use, but it's somewhat thrilling. You really have to look
>> closely to be sure some part of the image will be in focus, since
>> autofocus is impossible:
>>
>> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...3/lensbaby-3g/
>> http://www.singleservingphoto.com/20...h-of-november/
>>
>> Sorry if that gets wrapped; I know how people despise
>> tinyurl/snipurl/etc.
>>
> I have never head of snipurl, so I can't comment. But-- there is no
> reason to worry about tinyurl taking you places that you don't want to
> go. In its present incarnation, it displays the full url and allows you
> to go there or not. It's much more convenient than trying to enter a
> 7000 character address. (My mother told me a million times not to
> exaggerate.)
> Allen
Oh! I stopped using TinyURL a while back because SnipURL's toolbar
button just pops up a small window with the URL in it and it's very
easy to snag. But with preview.tinyurl.com being an option, I think
I'll go with that, at least for links I post here. I don't want to
think that people would NOT visit my link because they don't trust the
website it might take them to.
If you're running Firefox, you have little to be afraid of. If you're
not, you're missing out.
Check out the Lensbaby 3G! 
Linear Mode
