Lensbaby Soft Focus II Optic

£169/$180 https://lensbaby.com

Lensbaby has just announced the Lensbaby Soft Focus II Optic – a long-awaited update of one of its earliest and most sought-after cheap and cheerful lenses. While there are a few soft focus lenses on the market, including the manufacturer’s own Lensbaby Velvet 28, the Lensbaby Soft Focus II Optic differs in that it is part of the Optic Swap System – meaning that it is a module that can be easily swapped with other optics such as the Lensbaby Spark and Composer. Improving on the original version of the Optic, the Soft Focus II now features a 12-blade aperture, with a range from f/2.5 to f/22. As you would expect, it is a completely manual design. The more wide open you shoot, the more pronounced the lens’s soft-focus characteristics become. However, by stopping the aperture down to f/8 and below, it starts to deliver more conventional sharpness performance, with centrally sharp images combined with out-of-focus edges when used on full-frame sensors.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

A welcome update to a treasured optic. This novelty lens lets you create stunningly ethereal and outof-this-world imagery.