In a world where clinical image quality is increasingly being associated with AI slop, it’s not surprising that throwback filters and retro cameras are in vogue. And while I really enjoy digital throwback tech such as Fujifilm’s Film Simulations, nothing beats the process of capturing retro-cool imagery with authentic retro hardware. But retro hardware isn’t always particularly accessible.
Old gear can be hard to source, not to mention expensive. Compatibility can be an issue when buying optics, requiring you to buy an adapter or even a whole new camera. And very old items can be inconsistent (assuming they function properly at all). All of this is precisely why I love the concept behind the Lensbaby Twist 28. This unassuming pancake lens is available for all major mounts, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Sony E, Leica L and MFT, and costs just $189.95 / £189.95 (approx CA$263 and AU$266).
So, what makes the Lensbaby Twist 28 stand apart from all the other pancake lenses on the market? Well, it’s kind of a miniature Petzval lens in that it’s been inspired by this 19th-century optic’s design. If you’ve never heard of a Petzval lens before, it dates all the way back to 1840, when Slovak-Hungarian mathematician and physicist Joseph Petzval pioneered the design.
It was Lomography that brought this historic gem back from the dead circa 2013, where its selection of surprisingly affordable optics can still be found in big-budget Hollywood flicks to this day. Petzval lenses are known to produce extreme fall-off and prominent vignetting, but are best known for producing a rather unique spiraling bokeh effect. Lomography’s offerings are extremely competitively priced, but what I love about the Lensbaby Twist 28 is that it’s small in stature and small in price. A much-easier-to-justify oddity for your kit bag.
It’s not the first time Lensbaby has turned out a Petzval-inspired optic, with the Lensbaby Twist 60 being released in 2016 for Nikon and Canon DSLRs as well as Sony E mount. What I particularly like about the Twist 28 is its incredibly close-focusing distance of just eight inches. As somebody who enjoys cinematic toy photography, I think this lens could be a real winner.
The lens itself provides a fixed, full-frame 28mm focal length and a fixed f/3.5 aperture. And that’s a physically fixed aperture, which cannot be changed. Lensbaby says this is “chosen to preserve lens character and consistency”. It’s also a manual-focus only optic, which I think plays into the retro aesthetic perfectly.
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