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The renowned manufacturer of unusual lenses, Lensbaby has introduced the Obscura 16mm pinhole lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras with Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts.
The Lensbaby Obscura 16mm pinhole sieve pancake lens is unusual with a versatile range of three selectable styles. The aperture of the lens is not adjustable in the usual sense, but you can choose one of three options. In the first, at f/90, light enters through one hole made by photolithography in a thin layer of chromium formed on a glass plate 1.5 mm thick.
In the second version, corresponding to f/45, light enters through a group of 203 holes. Central is the biggest. The sizes of the holes decrease with distance from the center. Finally, in the third version, light enters through the central opening, and 29 concentric rings surrounding it. This option has an effective aperture of f/22.
With the minimum aperture, everything is sharp, starting from 5.1 cm from the camera, in the second version – from 30.5 cm, in the third – from 60 cm.
The Obscura’s pinhole, zone plate, and pinhole sieve are made up of three layers of photolithographically-applied chrome with a total thickness of 0.00014mm deposited on a 1.5mm thick glass element, with a resolution of 128K dpi. The glass features an anti-reflective coating and can be cleaned like any camera lens, without fear of destroying any of the three imaging options.
Price and availability
Lensbaby Obscura 16mm pancake lens has been priced at $249.95, and it can be purchased via the Bhphotovideo.com, Adorama.com, and Amazon.com websites.
Lensbaby Obscura 16mm Specifications
- Focal Length: 16mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/22
- Minimum Aperture: f/90
- Lens Mount: Nikon Z, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds, and Sony E
- Format Compatibility: Full-Frame
- Angle of View: 107°
- Minimum Focus Distance: 5.1 cm
- Focus Type: Fixed Focus
- Weight: 5.4 oz / 152 g
Earlier this month, NiSi has introduced the Black Mist filters which reduce the contrast that can lead to excessive sharpness with modern cinema, DSLR, and mirrorless camera lenses.
