Pancake lenses that make a mirrorless camera feel more like a compact camera are surging in trends – but one brand has launched a new budget-friendly option that creates twisty bokeh. The LensBaby Twist 28 is a tiny multi-mount lens that creates swirling bokeh with a wide-angle view.
LensBaby is a brand known for its special effects lenses, and the Twist 28 is the brand’s “most requested lens of all time.” After teasing that the new lens was coming, LensBaby officially unveiled the Twist 28’s full details on April 2.
The LensBaby Twist 28 mixes that wide 28mm view with a fixed f/3.5 aperture. Like the brand’s other optics, the lens uses manual focusing with a focus ring built into the lens.
But while there are plenty of affordable pancake lenses out there, the Twist 28, as the name suggests, has a literal twist: swirly, Prezval-style bokeh. The lens is designed to keep centered subjects sharp, while the background not only blurs but also appears to swirl around the subject.
LensBaby has created swirly bokeh before, but the new launch brings the effect to a wide-angle lens that the company says is designed for more immersive storytelling. The company has managed to cram four elements into that compact pancake-style lens that weighs just 140g, along with anti-reflection coatings. The lens does, however, lack threads to add filters to.
The LensBaby Twist 28 is compatible with full-frame cameras, where it has a 90-degree frame of view, but it also works with crop sensors, creating a narrower 64-degree view on APS-C bodies. The lens will be available in mounts compatible with the Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Sony E, and Micro Four Thirds mounts.
The lens is expected to begin shipping later this month. The lens is expected to retail for $189.95 / £189.95, which converts to about CA$265 in Canada and AU$275 in Australia. Some retailers have already opened pre-orders, including B&H in the US and Wex in the UK.
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