TrulyObscure - scenes

scenes Category

Latest

Freak Out with Lensbaby's Control Freak

Last time we checked in with Lensbaby, we were looking at some of their fun optic options. Basically, these are fun add-ons to the Lensbaby ecosystem of lenses that offer some neat photography option at a fraction of the cost of bigger lenses but offering far more flexibility and control than simple filters. Photographic effects like fisheye distortion and soft focus can be achieved in post-production, but the quality is better doing things in-camera, and you can more easily get an idea of what will or won’t work to tweak your image without the need to wait for a computer and the hassles around transferring and modifying your pictures.

Each of the optics (and there are many others as well, including pinhole, plastic, single and double glass effects) requires a Lensbaby lens to use. We’ve had quite a bit of experience using the Composer, which offers a nice balance of flexibility in selective focus, but has some downsides as well. Recently, we’ve upgraded to the latest- the Lensbaby Control Freak.

Packaged in the same basic way as the other models, and including the same double glass optic as the Composer, this is their highest-end model and best suited to folks who have already had some experience with the other versions. First-time users and novice photographers are unlikely to need the extra features offered, but those with other models and occasionally frustrated by the limitations of the Muse or Composer should definitely consider upgrading. The same optics can be used across the systems, and there are enough advantages in the latest and greatest to be worthwhile. The only major downsides are the cost (it’s much pricier than the others), and the annoying interference with the fisheye optic (more on that in a bit).

Let’s start with some of the basics- you’ll need to choose a mount for your Lensbaby, whether it be Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax K or even Olympus 4/3s. The system isn’t interchangeable, so once you’ve set on a mount, you’ll be stuck with it (as with pretty much all lenses of course). Setup isn’t too difficult- you can pretty much just toss the Control Freak on your camera and try shooting- but you’ll quickly need to refer to the manual. Also, for those who rely on auto-focus, you’re out of luck here- manual focusing is required.

There are a few tricks, and the first is how to change the aperture. As with the other models, you’ll do this using little magnetic aperture discs (ranging from f/2.8 to f/22). The process isn’t difficult, but it does take some getting used to at first, and requires you to keep both the small pouch of discs and the little tool handy (and safe). A new set of adjustments require figuring out how to use the new metal posts and selective focus and fine-tune tilt controls. At first, the compression and bending is pretty similar, and you can use the Control Freak in just this way, fast and loose, for some interesting free-form effects. But the advantage of this model is the ability to lock in a desired focal sweet spot using a cute (and satisfyingly solid) button, then modify or adjust at will, per the name, using the barrel focusing ring and screwing or unscrewing the metal rods.

Ultimately, this is the best Lensbaby yet, offering some nice new ways to get better results. We’re still not fully satisfied by the limitations on focus and aperture, but understand the technical reasons. One other slight annoyance is that the metal posts are usually visible when using the fisheye optic- thus meaning that the Control Freak really only works well placed around a couple of inches from a subject, for macro shots. They do make this clear on their site, but it’s still a bit disappointing.

For those looking for something unique and extra for their portfolio, whether close-up static table-top work or slightly spacey portraiture, this is a fun and pretty straight forward way to expand your imaging horizons. At around $350 for the system itself though (additional optics range from $35 to $150 extra), we’d recommend carefully considering your needs and the other Lensbaby models.

Recent

Recording the Moments of Your Life with DXG's A85V

As summer rolls on by, you might find a pressing need to film the clouds in the sky (whether they are rolling thunderstorms or just cotton ball clouds) or roll the film for Lake Tahoe, arguably one of the most serene lakes in North America. We decided to see...
continue reading »

Avermedia: A Small, Inexpensive Media Player (With A Few Catches)

We’ve seen our fair share of media players- those handy boxes that help take your digital media collection and display it on a TV. We’ve seen full-featured ones that can absorb nearly anything you can throw at it, we’ve seen smaller ones that offer easy connections to specific hard drives,...
continue reading »

A Match Made For Hollywood: Seagate and muvee

Recently, we’ve covered some movie-making gear- from the camera stabilizer to the camera itself. One thing that we haven’t talked about is the software that puts it all together, which is an oversight that we’re happy to correct today. Sure, there are plenty of movie editing programs out there, and...
continue reading »

End Shaky Footage With Glidecam's Inexpensive, Effective Stabilizer

Among the many cameras that we’ve reviewed, several have offered various ways to smooth out jagged shots. None, though, can help much when you’re walking up stairs, or even walking quickly- no matter the digital video camera, your shot will come out a bit nauseating without some level of stabilization. There...
continue reading »

Universal iPhone Remotes: Re and i-Got-Control

There are those of us who love our for iPhone for what it is and those of us who love our iPhone for what it is developed to do. Though we recently reviewed the Redeye iPhone Universal Remote, which undoubtedly caused excitement for those of us who enjoy our televisions...
continue reading »

Superheroes and Science Fiction on Blu-ray and DVD

It appears the whole world has already seen it, but for the two or three of you out there that are just coming out of a coma, there is this movie called Avatar that’s a pretty big deal. If it seems like it hasn’t been that long since seeing it...
continue reading »

DXG-A80V HD Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder with side panel openA View from the Top Without Spending a Grand: DXG-A80V HD Camcorder

Gone are the days of lugging around a heavy, inconvenient eyesore as you try and record every inch of that swim meet or memorable family vacation while narrowly missing Grandma Betty’s head. DXG has introduced the A80V Pro Gear 1080p HD digital video camera that allows you to film life’s...
continue reading »

Inception movie poster with Leonardo DiCaprioWonderCon Wrap-up, Inception

The costumes have been taken off and put away (until Comic-Con in late July that is). But Wondercon, held earlier this month in San Francisco, offered a great occasion to put them on! We visited, picked up our Iron Man 2 posters, heard about the upcoming Battlestar Galactica movie, and...
continue reading »

Ponyo and Sosuke looking underwater at the fishDisney Meets Japan; Fox Meets Farmers

I was once having a conversation about a kid’s movie and the man I was conversing with corrected me. “No,” he said, “it’s a movie made for adults that kids can stand.” Considering kids will watch their favorite movie ad infinitum, it’s probably good if you like them. And considering...
continue reading »

Soft Optic view of a mechanical robotLensbabilicious: Soft Focus and Fisheye Optics for Your Composer Lens

The Lensbaby Composer that we previously reviewed has new optics out and we recently swapped out our old optics to try these ‘babies’ out. The Lensbaby Soft Focus Optic and the Fisheye Optic are part of the new optic swap system, designed to let you have a little more fun...
continue reading »
« - previous posts