Today Lensbaby announced the new Velvet 56mm f/1.6 lens. The A-mount lens can be preordered directly at Lensbaby (Click here). An E-mount version will be released later this year.
Lensbaby writes:
Our Velvet 56 classic portrait lens gives you a velvety, ethereal start with a smooth finish, from the big picture to the smallest details. Bringing modern-day simplicity to the carefully crafted build and look of Golden Era-quality portrait lenses, this 56mm f/1.6 manual portrait and macro lens evokes an experience like no other. Embrace the moment as you easily go from capturing gorgeous, radiant environments to intimate details in the same scene.
Specs:
- f/1.6-16 aperture
- 1:2 Macro
- 56mm
- 62mm filter
- Focuses from 5” /13cm from front element to infinity
- Metal lens hood included with Velvet 56mm lenses for mirrorless cameras only
- Dimensions (DSLR) 86mm at infinity to 112mm at Macro, 71.96mm diameter
- Dimensions (Mirrorless without hood) 94mm Infinity to 120mm at Macro
- Weight ~400 grams
A full review has been posted by ePhotozine.
As far as effects lenses go, this one seems to strike a good balance between blurring details for effect, and being able to produce usably sharp images. The hazy effect itself is quite pleasant. In some ways the effect is similar to what you’d expect from a soft focus filter, but in other ways the look it produces is more complex than that. The ability to focus close enough for 1:2 magnification is a huge bonus too, although the hazy effect may not be best suited for general macro photography.
Those who enjoy using Lensbaby’s range of existing products will surely enjoy this lens and the effect it produces. Others after something different to add to their arsenal may also consider it. So long as the effect produced is accounted for, it can be a very versatile lens, although it will surely be better for photographing some subjects than others.
20 Responses
it was about time!
Could be a great lens.
Just few points:
1) I would not expect the lens with a Baby in its name to use 67mm filters
2) I like its design!
3) at f1.6 looks similar than smear of vaseline trick used in old days
What is “similar than” exactly?
similar as/ similar like I meant
Gotcha.
And people say that the A-Mount is dead. This perhaps is a sign that Sony has still a few tricks up its sleeve, especially as far as the A-Mount is concerned. The next days will reveal what direction it will take… Fingers Crossed!!!!
Kinda reminds me of my Nikkor-S 50mm F/1.4 pre-AI, on steroids.
“velvety, ethereal start with a smooth finish”- is this a lager or a lens?
Or wine? Or coffee? Or chocolate? Or perfume?
Funny how you can use the SAME text for a lot of different products!
The ads on this site make it unreadable on an iphone. Constant pop ups.
The sample images on thier site look unique, but after reading their marketing bla bla, i expected them to be unique in a pleasent way. Most of them look really horrible. I won’t spend 500 $ on this, not even 200 $. But I was excited after reading the specs: 56 mm, 1:1.6 and 1:2 Macro are quite interesting together.
Lensbaby = Quality
Soft focus lens, macro, and 56mm 1.6. Well, if you are looking for 56mm, this baby has zero competition :-)! If you are happy with 55mm, old Minolta MC, Pentax Takumar, Canon FD 1.7/1.8 or better..
Macro, Canon, Minolta, Olympus 3.5 50mm.
But Soft focus? Hmm, Helios 44/2 is not really soft, but dreamy. Any ideas for a Meyer Görlitz or some vaseline on a filter?
For close focus and super bokeh the Olympus 50mm f/2 Macro is a dream, but soft it is not. Smooth yes.
For that price, really someone must have the need to fill their soft focus lens collection. For that price I expect really more than a toy lens.
But the good news, A-mount is alive and kicking :].
I must say the outcome looks fairly bad . seems like an extremely cheap toy build with a $500 price tag? I’m all for getting it right in camera so if you are really going for “that” look. This one trick pony seems like a circa 2001 photoshop filter built into the lens.
I like the Lensbaby Look and the Lensbaby products … but over 500$ is a hefty price tag for this. So the options in my point of view:
* If you read the announcement more closely it states: Older design, 4 lenses in 3 Groups … my uninformed guess it’s a Tessar Design > So you possibly might look for those less pricey Carl Zeiss Jena 50 mm TessarsAnd
* if a dreamy look is something to look for, I’d use the 50mm *Lensbaby Soft Focus Optics (comes at a much lower price tag, especially if you already have a lens baby)
* Macro: Use Macro Rings (and these from Lensbaby aren’t really cheap either (-; )
Badly corrected and soft focus are two completely different things, soft focus has an additional ring on a properly corrected lens that allows you to choose a degree to blur, badly corrected is…always blurry.
This thing looks uniquely ugly, I’ve never seen anything quite like it…what era were they trying to imitate again?
So you say a well oiled UV filter or soft focus filter will do the same thing? Hmmmm, that shouldn’t cost but a few bucks to make…
I know lensbaby is very popular, but personally – I’ve never liked the output of any of their lenses.
“Velvety” is marketing slang for we could only make a lens that was sort of sharp in the center.
At least they are honest about it. Baby.