New Lensbaby Obscura

• 3 years ago

Lensbaby Obscura 50mm: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

Lensbaby Obscura 16mm: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

Lensbaby, the leader in award-winning creative effect camera lenses, is launching its revolutionary Obscura lens. A camera obscura, ancestor of the photographic camera, is a darkened room with a small hole or lens at one side through which an image is projected onto a wall or table opposite the hole. Dating back to the 4th century BCE, this experience is the earliest image projection technique known to the industry.

Lensbaby is hosting a virtual launch party on June 21st where the newest Obscura lens will be revealed. Free tickets are available on Lensbaby’s website.

The Lensbaby Obscura comes in two versions — a 50mm Pinhole/Zone Plate/Pinhole Sieve optic for their Optic Swap System, and a standalone 16mm Pinhole/Zone Plate/Pinhole Sieve pancake lens (though pinholes are not technically lenses) for mirrorless cameras.

Summary of Key Features:

1. The Obscura’s pinhole, zone plate and pinhole sieve are made up of three layers of chrome with a total thickness of 0.00014mm deposited on 1.5mm thick glass before anti-reflective coating is applied.
2. With a resolution of 128K dpi, this photolithography process not only makes true zone plates with excellent light transmission, it produces perfectly round pinholes and precision zone plate zones.
3. Photographers can clean the Obscura’s glass as they would any camera lens, without fear of destroying any of the three imaging options.

“Pinhole photography taught me to see composition, contrast, leading lines and the shape of things in ways that led me to make some of my most powerful images,” says Craig Strong, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Lensbaby, Inc. “We created the Obscura so that you could learn and grow while using a technologically advanced pinhole lens with options. It’s the Lensbaby twist to old-world imagery.”

Photographers and creators who connect most with using an Obscura are those who enjoy working with fewer choices and are willing to challenge themselves to redefine what it means to create photographic art.

Product Specifications

Obscura 50 Product Specifications Focal Length: 50mm – Primary Effect: Zone Plate; Pinhole Sieve; Pinhole – Optic Swap Compatible: No – Aperture: Zone Plate: f/32; Pinhole Sieve: f/64; Pinhole: f/161 Minimum Focus Distance: Zone Plate: 0.27m (10in); Pinhole Sieve: 0.24m (9in.); Pinhole: 0.001m (0.04in.) 37mm and 46mm filter threads Format Compatibility: 35mm Full Frame; APS-C; and 4/3rds Sensors Camera Compatibility: SLR and MIL cameras Focus Type: Manual, See Optic Swap Lens Body Diagonal Angle of View: Full Frame: 46.8°; APS-C (1.5x): 31.6°; 4/3rds: 24.4° Angle of Tilt: N/A See optic swap lens body Diaphragm Blades: N/A Elements/Groups: Zone Plate: 47 Zones / Pinhole Sieve: 523 pinholes / Pinhole: 1 pinhole Coating: Chrome aperture on broadband multi coated anti-reflective glass

Obscura 16 Product Specifications Focal Length: 16mm Primary Effect: Zone Plate; Pinhole Sieve; Pinhole Optic Swap Compatible: No Aperture: Zone Plate: f/22; Pinhole Sieve: f/45; Pinhole: f/90 Minimum Focusing Distance: Zone Plate: 0.6m (23in.); Pinhole Sieve: 0.3m (12in.); Pinhole: 0.05m (2in.) Format Compatibility: 35mm Full Frame; APS-C; and 4/3rds Sensors Camera Compatibility: MIL cameras Focus Type: Fixed Diagonal Angle of View: Full Frame: 107°; APS-C (1.5x): 83°; 4/3rds: 68° Diaphragm Blades: None