Though it was originally announced at Photokina in 2008, the top-of-the-line model of Lensbaby “selective focus” lenses for digital SLR cameras has finally started shipping. The new Control Freak lens is an update to the third-generation Lensbaby 3G released in 2007. Production delays kept the product from coming to the market earlier but it’s now available on the Lensbaby site for $350.
Like the two other lenses in the Lensbaby line — the Muse and, my favorite, the Composer — the Control Freak allows you to manually select an area of sharp focus while the rest of your image remains blurry, giving your dSLR something like the effect of a tilt-shift lens. Because it allows you to allows you to lock the lens in place once you’ve achieved the focusing selection you want, and then fine-tune the focus and tilt, the Control Freak gives you more precise control and is useful for still-life and macro shooting in particular.
Available in versions for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Four Thirds mount SLR cameras, the Control Freak employs Lensbaby’s Optic Swap system, allowing it to accept various optional optics such as the Soft Focus or Pinhole Optics, or the Double Glass Optic that comes installed for the $350 price.
