The LensBaby is a wild and wonderful cool tool.
As a DP, I’ve used the Swing/Tilt, also called Swing-Shift, lenses for years.
The LensBaby is a TON smaller and has a similar yet different look. I usually think of the LensBaby as a cross between the Swing-Shift lenses and the SqushyLens [remember Clairmont Camera’s sticker on the SquishyLens: MERCILESS CRUSHING FORCE!].
The LensBaby does a similar effect as the S & T’s, yet it has a bit more ‘organic’ look to it. The effect is very soft on the perimeter of the frame, with the center of frame sharper. You can easily adjust the amount of soft to sharp focus either before the shot, or you can grab the lens and torque it during the shot for a great effect.
The newer 3G LensBaby has the ability to lock the degree of focus with the 3 threaded rods [which you can see in the photos]. This lock can be pre-set during set up and then loosened during the shot so you can manually adjust it any way you please while rolling.
There is also a separate focus ring to adjust ‘fine’ focus in the center of the LensBaby.
There is NO iris.
To adjust the exposure [note: the LensBaby is a T2 lens] you must use the ‘WaterHouse Iris Rings’. These are cool little drop-in ‘washer’-like rings with various size center holes. This is really ‘Fred Flintstone’ technology! These little rings [approx 1” in diameter] are actually punched or cut from thin magnetic sheets [like those used on truck-door signs or magnetic business-card ‘fridge magnets]. These rings simply drop into the LensBaby and hold themselves in via their magnetic properties. To remove them, the LensBaby kit has a small magnet mounted on a plastic stick which allows you to pluck the ring out. They all store in a container which also has this small magnetic stick.
I took a set of small numeric punches and ‘engraved’ the T-stops on these rings with a hammer, otherwise, you must use a Xeroxed chart to pick the correct ring…who has time for that?
The LensBaby is a set focal length of 50mm. You can use a .45X lens adapter to achieve a wider focal length of 22.5mm if you wish. Unfortunately, these wide-angle adapters are not the best of optics and tend to shift your contrast & sharpness to areas I try to stay away from. Use at your own risk.
But seriously, 50mm is WONDERFUL and when shooting at a wide open T2, you really can achieve a great look.
The really nice thing on shooting with the LensBaby on the RED is the fact that you really can see exactly what you are getting! To see true crisp [or soft] focus with such a lens on a sweet monitor is great. Normally, on a ground-glass video assist, the image is so poor that your assistant or the director/clients cannot really see what is being shot properly…and that is hell the next day when the dailies arrive!
With the RED, you see, they see, everyone sees what you are doing..and if they like it or have a problem with it, they can speak up or forever hold their peace!!
FYI, the LensBaby 3G has a ‘universal’ mount, so you can attach other types of lens/camera mounts to it. I have a PL mount for mine and my additional mounts are Nikon & a B-4 mount [in case I have to fall back to the dark ages and use it on a ‘broadcast’ camera].
Plus, it’s cool to do a scout or make-up/hair test with a stills camera like a Nikon or Canon [yes, they make a Canon mount as well] and use the lensbaby to check things out before the shoot.
Please note that the best effect with this type of lens is when shooting wide open or as close to it as you can. With the RED, which has no internal ND filters, I would either switch my shutter speed to adjust for exposure or mount an ND filter in front of the lens. The front of the LensBaby has a 36.5mm [I guess] threaded filter ring which would allow you to screw-in an ND or whatever you wish.
I’ve attached several frame grabs from TV spots & music videos I’ve shot with the LensBaby…note how it elongates highlights such as the chrome reflections on the drum set!!!
Also, note the photos of the LensBaby in action on my Red, see how it tilts up & down & all around!
I would not suggest hand-holding the camera with this lens simply because you need one hand free to play with the LensBaby…on a dolly or sticks with a fluid head [not a gear head..again, you need 1 hand for the lens]. This is really not a
lens which your assistant can help you much with. Sometimes, maybe, but most of the time the operator is alone in operating both pan+tilt and the LensBaby…that’s just the way it is. 
As a DP, I’ve used the Swing/Tilt, also called Swing-Shift, lenses for years.
The LensBaby is a TON smaller and has a similar yet different look. I usually think of the LensBaby as a cross between the Swing-Shift lenses and the SqushyLens [remember Clairmont Camera’s sticker on the SquishyLens: MERCILESS CRUSHING FORCE!].
The LensBaby does a similar effect as the S & T’s, yet it has a bit more ‘organic’ look to it. The effect is very soft on the perimeter of the frame, with the center of frame sharper. You can easily adjust the amount of soft to sharp focus either before the shot, or you can grab the lens and torque it during the shot for a great effect.
The newer 3G LensBaby has the ability to lock the degree of focus with the 3 threaded rods [which you can see in the photos]. This lock can be pre-set during set up and then loosened during the shot so you can manually adjust it any way you please while rolling.
There is also a separate focus ring to adjust ‘fine’ focus in the center of the LensBaby.
There is NO iris.
To adjust the exposure [note: the LensBaby is a T2 lens] you must use the ‘WaterHouse Iris Rings’. These are cool little drop-in ‘washer’-like rings with various size center holes. This is really ‘Fred Flintstone’ technology! These little rings [approx 1” in diameter] are actually punched or cut from thin magnetic sheets [like those used on truck-door signs or magnetic business-card ‘fridge magnets]. These rings simply drop into the LensBaby and hold themselves in via their magnetic properties. To remove them, the LensBaby kit has a small magnet mounted on a plastic stick which allows you to pluck the ring out. They all store in a container which also has this small magnetic stick.
I took a set of small numeric punches and ‘engraved’ the T-stops on these rings with a hammer, otherwise, you must use a Xeroxed chart to pick the correct ring…who has time for that?
The LensBaby is a set focal length of 50mm. You can use a .45X lens adapter to achieve a wider focal length of 22.5mm if you wish. Unfortunately, these wide-angle adapters are not the best of optics and tend to shift your contrast & sharpness to areas I try to stay away from. Use at your own risk.
But seriously, 50mm is WONDERFUL and when shooting at a wide open T2, you really can achieve a great look.
The really nice thing on shooting with the LensBaby on the RED is the fact that you really can see exactly what you are getting! To see true crisp [or soft] focus with such a lens on a sweet monitor is great. Normally, on a ground-glass video assist, the image is so poor that your assistant or the director/clients cannot really see what is being shot properly…and that is hell the next day when the dailies arrive!
With the RED, you see, they see, everyone sees what you are doing..and if they like it or have a problem with it, they can speak up or forever hold their peace!!
FYI, the LensBaby 3G has a ‘universal’ mount, so you can attach other types of lens/camera mounts to it. I have a PL mount for mine and my additional mounts are Nikon & a B-4 mount [in case I have to fall back to the dark ages and use it on a ‘broadcast’ camera].
Plus, it’s cool to do a scout or make-up/hair test with a stills camera like a Nikon or Canon [yes, they make a Canon mount as well] and use the lensbaby to check things out before the shoot.
Please note that the best effect with this type of lens is when shooting wide open or as close to it as you can. With the RED, which has no internal ND filters, I would either switch my shutter speed to adjust for exposure or mount an ND filter in front of the lens. The front of the LensBaby has a 36.5mm [I guess] threaded filter ring which would allow you to screw-in an ND or whatever you wish.
I’ve attached several frame grabs from TV spots & music videos I’ve shot with the LensBaby…note how it elongates highlights such as the chrome reflections on the drum set!!!
Also, note the photos of the LensBaby in action on my Red, see how it tilts up & down & all around!
I would not suggest hand-holding the camera with this lens simply because you need one hand free to play with the LensBaby…on a dolly or sticks with a fluid head [not a gear head..again, you need 1 hand for the lens]. This is really not a
lens which your assistant can help you much with. Sometimes, maybe, but most of the time the operator is alone in operating both pan+tilt and the LensBaby…that’s just the way it is. 
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