Lensbaby, a company best known for making camera accessories recently unveiled an ambitious lens which they call “Burnside 35”. This 35mm is a whole new type of creative lens which is designed to produce specific swirly bokeh effect with an added vignette that brings an artistic vibe to your photography.
The Burnside 35 has two apertures; a primary and a secondary. Primary aperture has 8 blades and secondary has 6.The aperture is controlled manually and has a range of f/2.8 to f/16.
This lens captures images with a bright central area of sharp focus, spiraling bokeh and vignette. It is designed to have more control over vignetting using the secondary aperture. A gold effect slider is used to control and adjust the amount of vignetting in the image and spinning bokeh effect.
To get a spiral and swirly bokeh you should be at a distance of 3 feet or less for the subject and at least 12 feet from the background. It also includes an effect slider that works as a secondary internal iris that changes the shape and quantity of swirl in the bokeh. The new effect slider is introduced to add center brightness.
“You can toggle the gold-anodized effect slider on the barrel of the lens to create variable balance and harmony between center brightness, bokeh and vignette. The effect slider features a four-stop range of vignette and bokeh enhancement so you can dial in the exact look that appeals to you.” says Lensbaby.
The lens feels premium in hands with its all-metal body. The built quality is also strong and solid and the lens weighs around 374g (13.2 oz). There are 6 multi-coated glass elements in 4 groups. The minimum focusing distance of the lens is 6 inches (15 cm).
Overall the Burnside 35 is the most multifaceted lens that has been made by Lensbaby. It provides a fun experience and enables you to have a solid and inventive impact in a single lens. This lens opens up a new world of creativity for shooting landscapes and portraits. The only two down points of the lens are the all-manual operation and the heftier price tag, it will cost you around $500. The lens is compatible with Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Sony E, Samsung NX, Pentax K and Fuji X. You can but it from Lensbaby’s website and through authorized retailers such as B&H.