Lensbaby recently announced the new PL mount version of its selective focus (SLR) lens, the Muse. The new Muse PL features the Lensbaby Optic Swap System™ and is specially designed for use with PL mount motion image capture cameras. The new Muse PL will compliment Lensbaby’s existing motion picture camera lens, Lensbaby 3GPL, which will remain in Lensbaby’s product line.
As is the case with all Lensbaby products, the Muse PL allows for “highly creative focusing effects”, this time on any 16mm or 35mm PL mount movie camera, as well as several PL to video camera adapters such as the P+S Technik, Redrockmicro M2, Brevis35, Letus35, and SGpro.
Like its still camera counterparts, the Muse PL allows filmmakers to bring one part of their frame into sharp focus; a ‘Sweet Spot’ surrounded by gradually increasing blur. Photographers can move the sweet spot of sharp focus anywhere in the photo by bending and compressing the flexible body of the Muse PL. The Muse PL creates the sweet spot of focus by using optics that feature a curved field of focus, giving cinematographers a unique way to control depth of field that is different from what is possible with existing tilt-shift lenses. Cinematographers can control the width and depth of field by changing the aperture disk installed in the lens.
“With the Muse PL, a cinematographer is able to control depth of field in novel ways, moving a circular area of sharp focus around the image with a spontaneous and very creative ‘focus-and-tilt-on-the-fly’ technique,” said Craig Strong, Lensbaby president and co-founder.
The Muse PL features the Lensbaby interchangeable Optic Swap System, and ships with the tack sharp Double Glass optic installed. For even greater creative freedom, additional optics are available as optional accessories. When a photographer or videographer wants to change the optic in their Lensbaby Muse, they simply pop the optic out and drop in a different optic using an Optic Swap Tool supplied with the new optic. Each optic has different features and image qualities, allowing photographers to choose the look that fits their creative style.
Lensbaby Muse PL sample clips that demonstrate the different optical effects of the Optic Swap System optics are available now.
“With the new Muse PL mount lens and the Lensbaby Optic Swap System, photographers and videographers are now able to choose a specific optic that expresses their individual artistic vision and create truly unique imagery,” Strong added.
