If you’ve had the chance to play with a Lensbaby lens, well then, you know just how much fun they can be! When Lensbaby sent us a Composer Pro and Sweet 35 Optic for review, I was curious to see how it compares to the recently discontinued standard Composer, which I’ve found to be a very user-friendly lens.

After receiving the Composer Pro, I was blown away by how much more durable this lens feels in my hands. The weight difference is due to the refined metal ball design, which is a great improvement over the standard Composer, and allows for super smooth tilt control.

If this is the first you’re hearing of the Lensbaby system, hold on, because you’re in for a treat!

First off, Lensbaby lenses are a great way for you to add a special element of creativity to your photos. The Composer Pro is similar to a tilt-shift lens, except that it doesn’t shift. This tilting action allows you to place a circular spot of focus anywhere you want within your photo frame, creating selective focus effects like this…

NIKON D7000 | COMPOSER PRO | F/2.5 | 1/1000 | ISO 100

You can create different effects just by tilting the lens in different ways. For example, in the photos below, you’ll see how I moved the focal point (sweet spot) from the center to the left and right, just by tilting the lens in those directions. Pretty sweet, huh!

Center Sweet Spot at f/2.5

Left Sweet Spot at f/2.5

Right Sweet Spot at f/2.5

The Sweet 35 Optic is Lensbaby’s first lens to include a built-in aperture ring that allows you to adjust the aperture quickly and efficiently. Using the larger aperture of f/2.5 will create a smaller circular area of focus (as shown in the photos above). Likewise, using a smaller aperture of f/22 will give you a much larger are of focus, or sweet spot (as shown in the photo below).

Center Sweet Spot at f/22

There’s no electronic communication between the lens and the camera body, so some trial and error is involved when learning this type of photography. If you’re just starting out, you may want to take time to really familiarize yourself with Manual shooting before jumping in. But when you do, get ready, because you’re going to have a blast!

This effect can be used for more than just nature shots. It can be used on portraits, architecture, and even classic cars (my favorite)…

NIKON D60 | COMPOSER | F/2.8 | 1/100 | ISO 800

And now you have the chance to WIN! One lucky reader will receive a Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic from Lensbaby ($380 value).

[GIVEAWAY CLOSED]

Congratulations, #41 Scott ONeal!

Thank you all so much for making our 3rd Birthday Celebration a HUGE success!