Conclusion

A Lensbaby is not for everyone. There will be those who love the lo-fi effects that using one creates, while others will not really see the point of it. If you fall into the former camp, then the Sol 45 is a great option for you - especially at the price.

At under $200, the Lensbaby Sol 45 a good option for those who like the idea of experimenting with a different type of lens, but don’t want to spend too much.

Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time getting to grips with how to get the best from the Lensbaby Sol 45 and you’ll be rewarded with something which produces interesting images that won’t look like anything else you’re likely to get from the rest of your kit bag.

This lens is also a good option for those who want to experiment with tilt photography, but don’t have thousands to spend on an expensive Tilt Shift lens. The results aren’t amazing, but give you an idea of what it’s like to create miniature type effects and so on.

Manual focusing, especially with a lens like this, is something which takes a little bit of work. If you’ve got a camera which can display focus peaking, that can be a big help. It’s also a good idea to shoot using the rear LCD screen to help you get a better idea of what is, and what isn’t in focus. Bringing in the bokeh blades adds an interesting texture to your images that can be quite fun, especially for close-up work.

The Lensbaby Sol 45 can be firmly categorised in the “good if you like that kind of thing” genre, but at $200, it’s something that even those that are on the fence about it might want to consider. Being available in a variety of mounts also makes it particularly appealing.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	3
Ease-of-use	3
Image quality	3
Value for money	4