The Lensbaby Fisheye Optic allows photographers to turn their Lensbaby Composer or Muse into a fisheye lens by swapping out the installed optic and dropping the new Fisheye Optic into the lens. This optic’s six element multi-coated optical design features an ultra-wide 12mm focal length capable of capturing a 160 degree fisheye angle of view from infinity all the way down to one-inch from the front of the lens.
The Lensbaby Fisheye Optic features a system of interchangeable aperture disks, with possible aperture settings ranging from f/4 to f/22. To change the aperture, users unscrew the top element of the Fisheye Optic and replace the aperture disk using the included Aperture Tool.
Due to the extremely wide angle field of view, photographers who use a full-frame camera will generally see a black circle around almost the entire image, and smaller APS-sized sensor shooters will see black at the corners of their images. This black edge is typical for standard fisheye lenses. However, the Lensbaby Fisheye Optic features a creative lens flare effect that causes the edge areas that would ordinarily be black to glow with color whenever there are bright light sources in the image. The Fisheye Optic lens flare effect is particularly apparent when shooting with a full frame camera.
The Fisheye Optic is different than previous Lensbaby optics, with a much flatter field of focus than the Double Glass, Single Glass, and Plastic Optics. The images created by the Fisheye Optic are sharp throughout the image at darker apertures. While the Fisheye Optic creates some edge blur at brighter apertures, it does not feature the Sweet Spot of sharp focus and dramatic blur that are trademarks of the Double Glass, Single Glass, and Plastic Optics. Instead of bending the lens, photographers typically will point their Lensbaby straight ahead to achieve a classic fisheye look.
The Lensbaby Fisheye Optic is available for $149.95 (MSRP).
*A special adapter is required to use the Fisheye Optic with the Lensbaby Muse. The Fisheye Optic is not recommended for use with the Lensbaby Control Freak.
Fisheye Optic Product Specs:
- Focal Length: 12mm
- Six element multi-coated optical design
- f/4 optic with aperture disks that range from f/5.6 to f/22
- Focuses from one inch to infinity
- Removable disk aperture system
- To change aperture, unscrew top element of Fisheye Optic and remove with Aperture Tool. The aperture disk sits atop the bottom element
- Special adapter must be purchased for use with Muse. The Fisheye Optic is not recommended for use with the Control Freak
