Tilt, focus and shoot! Lensbaby launches a pair of new Sol 22mm and 45mm selective focus lenses
posted Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 12:00 PM EDT
Edit on August 8: An earlier product listing for the new Sol lenses identified them as tilt-shift lenses, rather than tilt lenses. Mentions of tilt-shift have since been removed.
Lensbaby, makers of many distinct selective focus and artistic lenses, has launched a pair of new tilt lenses, dubbed Sol. The Sol series comprises two focal lengths, 22mm and 45mm, with the 22mm version available exclusively for Micro Four Thirds, rendering it nearly the same focal length as the 45mm version when paired with a full-frame camera. Let's take a closer look at the new Sol series.
Considering first the 22mm f/3.5 Sol tilt lens, it is a manual focus lens and has a metal body. The available tilt range is 0 degrees to 8.5 degrees and the aperture is fixed at f/3.5. The lens has a minimum focus distance of 3.5 inches and has a 2-blade adjustable diaphragm. Adjustable in this case refers to the ability to add slight lines or textures to bokeh. The lens has a center-locking focus feature, which allows you to lock focus to the dead center of the frame and surround your central subject with blur. The lens features three elements in two groups and weighs 5.1 ounces (144.5 grams). The lens is available for order now and costs just under $200 USD.
The Sol 45mm f/3.5 tilt lens has many of the same features as the 22mm version, including a metal body and an identical tilt range. The 45mm f/3.5 has a different close focus distance of 14 inches and weighs 9.6 ounces (272.2 grams). The 45mm f/3.5 Sol lens is available for a wide array of mounts, including Canon EF, Fujifilm X, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony A and Sony E. Like the 22mm version, the 45mm lens is available to order and costs a hair under $200. This affiliate link takes you to the Sol 45mm order page, where you can select your desired lens mount.
In the series of videos below, we can see the new Sol lenses in action and you can learn more about their features and performance from a variety of professional photographers.