Lensbaby is expanding its arsenal of creative lenses with the Burnside 35, which is available for Canon EF, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F, Pentax K, Samsung NX, Sony A, and Sony E-mount cameras. A 35mm f/2.8 prime with completely manual operation, this lens is characterized by its dual-aperture design that allows for control over the the swirly quality of its bokeh, allowing it to be either subtle or obvious, depending on the situation. This swirling gives out-of-focus areas the illusion of movement and, therefore, results in a dramatic look. Due to this effect, as well as pronounced vignetting around its corners, the Burnside 35 is an ideal lens for isolating a dominant subject into a dreamy yet dynamic background.
The innovative dual-diaphragm design features a 6-blade primary aperture and an 8-blade secondary set. The first diaphragm is configured as normal with f-stop markings and allows you to control exposure and depth of field, with bright apertures giving the most swirl to the bokeh and darker apertures resulting in a subtler effect. As for the second set, it comes equipped with a slider for controlling the diaphragm and is used to help modify the effect. When wide open, the swirling is soft and vignetting is reduced; once closed down, swirling becomes more detailed and light falloff on the corners is more pronounced.
Using cameras with 1.5x or 2x cropped sensors will reduce the impact of vignetting while also increasing the equivalent focal length, shifting the lens away from its street-photography uses into a more portrait-suited alternative. The intensity of the swirly bokeh can also be modified, increasing when shooting closer to your subject and with more textured backgrounds that have contrasting elements. With a minimum focusing distance of six inches and six multi-coated optical elements, this lens is a capable option for those who want to inject a dose of creativity into their photographs.
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