Lensbaby Muse

[SwissJon]

So I'm umming and arring about getting a toy lens.. I'm actually rather more interested in using the lens for it's side effect of keeping verticals in focus without distortion by keeping the plane of focus flat and moving the lens. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself, but I imagine I'll probably end up playing with it.

So, what I'd like to know, is the Muse any good? Is the composer or Control Freak better? THAT much better? (They're almost twice the price)

Can you post one of your photos (cos I know you lot like show and tell) so I can see.

Mercy Buckets.

[Nicole]

I don't have the Muse, but I have it's predecessor, the Lensbaby 2.0 which works exactly the same as the Muse. I can honestly say "things in focus" has never been one of the main effects I've achieved with it, more of a softness sort of thing.



That said I haven't tried it with architecture like that, more for distortion.

[Raoul Isidro]

The Muse has 2 versions: Plastic Optic and Double Glass Optic. The PO is like a LOMO and the DGO has better IQ.

The Muse is focused and tilted via a ribbed tube much like that on a vacumm cleaner tubing, which emulate the bellows. Photographers focus the Muse by compressing the lens (using fingertips) and move the sweet spot by bending the flexible lens tubing. The focus and tilt doesn't stay put, so you have to constantly exert a grip on the setting, but this is good for ambush photography rather than fine composition.

The Composer uses a Ball Socket (like in a tripod head) instead of a ribbed tubed, so the tilting is more accurate and steady. The focusing is via a focusing ring on the rim of the lens instead of moving the whole thing like in the Muse. For this sort of luxury, the price has been hiked.

I would recommend the Composer if you plan to make a lot of LB images.
Those who buy the Muse tend to upgrade later to a Composer, after finding it hard and cumbersome to deal with a vacumm cleaner tube.

The Muse:


The Composer:


Here is a sample of one of my images made with the Composer:


Use Full Frame cameras for Lensbaby if possible.

[Niresangwa]

Get one. they're fun. I have the muse... like you, i just got it as a toy, but have used it on paid jobs too. The thing i liek about the muse is that the ribbed bellows is unpredictable, so for me it was actually a plus.

One thing I would recommend is to get the double glass optic. originally i got the plastic, and it gave a nice diffuse effect, but witht he selective focus and the softening, it was too much for me sometimes... so i got the glass optic which is surprisingly sharp. now i have both, but i'd say get the glass first and if you want to be more creative, get the plastic afterwards...