Digital cinematography often looks too clean to my eye, and I like "messing up" the images a bit (whenever appropriate). To this end, I bought a Lensbaby Composer Pro earlier this year, and, as always, my timing seems to be the opposite of impeccable: Lensbaby has just released a lens kit specifically for movie makers, aptly named the Movie Maker's Kit. Here are the various lenses in action:


It's a $2,900 kit, which isn't cheap -- and, come to think of it, puts it out of my price range anyway -- but these are lenses for PL-mount cameras we're talking about, which makes the pill easier to swallow. Despite the somewhat straightforward tests seen above, Lensbabies allow for optical lens effects that can benefit a narrative, similar to those seen in [easyazon-link asin="B0010V60XE"]The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford[/easyazon-link] or [easyazon-link asin="B00104QSOC"]The Diving Bell and the Butterfly[/easyazon-link]. The official description:

The Lensbaby Movie Maker's Kit is a complete creative solution for filmmakers looking to add unique effects to their film, in-camera. Conveniently packaged into a rugged Pelican case, this kit contains several of Lensbaby’s flagship lenses for use on PL mount cameras, as well as one in a Canon mount for use on Canon’s line of DSLRs that shoot video. The Movie Maker's Kit also includes a wide range of interchangeable optics and accessories designed to provide the filmmaker limitless aesthetic and creative options at a variety of focal lengths.

Link: Lensbaby PL Movie Maker's Kit