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Thanks to those fun people from Lensbaby, a copy of the Edge 80 arrived at my office today. Unfortunately it was close to midnight by the time I had time for myself (and my cameras), so giving this cool lens a proper test run is not quite possible (old folks need sleep too!). Anyway … here are some photos I took of the lens coupled with my K5 …

The Edge 80 Optic is an 80mm f/2.8 flat field of focus optic with a 12-blade adjustable aperture and is perfect for portraits. To use on your camera, Edge 80 must be used in a Lensbaby lens body. Compatible lens bodies include Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Control Freak, and Scout.

When tilted, Edge 80 delivers a slice of tack sharp focus through the image, bordered by a soft blur. When pointed straight ahead the Edge 80 can be used just like a high-quality straight lens.

Incredibly versatile, Edge 80 can also be used to great effect in any situation that lends itself to selective focus – from food photography to giving landscapes a “miniature” appearance. To better understand how tilt, aperture, and focus affect your slice, visit the Edge 80 hub.

The Edge 80 is pretty solidly built and once set up (with my Composer Pro) … it is a joy to use! Now … unless when I need to go wide … I am sure the Edge 80 will be the ‘permanent resident’ in my bag when I go shooting. As a matter of fact … after some test shots (crappy ones you will see later down this post) … I’ve decided to bring it along for my vacation in a couple of months time. It has been some years since my trip to Japan when I shot only using the Lensbaby for every single photo … so this time … it will be an Edge-only trip. 😀

As I love shooting close-ups, the front of the Edge 80 can be extended a little to allow closer focusing. Well … not exactly macro where you can shoot little insects or closeups of flowers … but still it is good enough. Still waiting to lay my paws on the macro converters but meanwhile … I’ll keep myself busy with the Edge 80.

Focal Length: 80mm
12-blade adjustable aperture
Aperture range: f/2.8 – f/22
Flat field of focus optic (when tilted, creates a slice of sharp focus, bordered by blur)
Compatible with Lensbaby Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak lens bodies*
Minimum focusing distance: approximately 17” when the optic is extended forward in close focus mode and fully tilted
Maximum focusing distance: Infinity
5 multi-coated glass elements, in 4 groups
46mm front threads (will only work with the Lensbaby Macro Converters and not the 37mm Lensbaby Accessories)*
*Not compatible with the Composer with Tilt Transformer or current 37mm Lensbaby accessories

A comparison (of size). The Edge 80 vs Sweet 35. This couple will be the perfect combo optics for Lensbaby fans.

Since I was playing around with the Edge 80, I might as well post some of the test shots I did just now. I am not a fan of using flash (or tripod) … so I had to rest my camera on boxes etc … 😛

I’d love to try using it for portraits but my little personal model has gone to bed (otherwise I won’t be able to sit here typing this). Using the optic for closeup is pretty fun!

My eyes were fuzzy and tired when I shot these … so I depended on the live view on the LCD to focus. Pretty simple!

I was desperate to shoot some subjects further away … so I sipped some coffee at the window and took these …

I promise to try harder when Mr Sunshine is on duty this weekend … and post more photos taken with the Edge 80.

I’m looking forward to this coming weekend for lots of Lensbaby fun with this optic, so stay tuned for more test shots. Okay?

Meanwhile … do check out Lensbaby’s website for more information (and grab yourself a copy!) about the Edge 80 and the other fun lenses from them.