There's a new budget-friendly art lens from Lensbaby. The Sol 45 ($199.95) slides in between the entry-level Spark and the premium Composer Pro II in both price and features. The Sol 45 delivers the classic Lensbaby look—a sharp central area surrounded by blur—and is compatible with a multitude of full-frame and APS-C camera systems. Add in a pair of Bokeh Blades, which add texture to background blur when focusing close, and you've got a really fun lens at half the price of the Composer Pro II. The Sol 45 isn't quite as versatile, but it's a better fit if you don't need the flexibility that the Composer's optic swap system provides. Like its premium sibling, the Sol 45 is an Editors' Choice.
Editors' Note: This review has been updated to reflect additional camera systems with which this lens is compatible. It was originally published on August 7, 2018.
Slim, Solid Construction
The size of the Sol 45 depends on which camera system you use. If you have an SLR you'll find it to be a near pancake lens, measuring 1.5 by 2.9 inches (HD) and adding just 5.3 ounces to your camera. The mirrorless version is a bit bulkier, at 2.5 by 2.9 inches and 9.6 ounces, as it has to have the same difference between the glass and sensor as the SLR model.
Both versions support 46mm front filters, although you won't be able to adjust the Bokeh Blades when you use a filter. Still, if you plan on using the Sol 45 for video, adding neutral density to maintain proper shutter angles under bright light is a necessity.
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1 Cool Thing: Lensbaby Sol 45
Lensbaby sells the Sol 45 for Canon EF and Nikon F SLRs, as well as for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Sony mirrorless cameras. Micro Four Thirds shooters can certainly adapt an SLR version with ease, but are better off with the Sol 22 ($199.95), which is designed specifically for the M43 sensor size.
The Sol 45 is finished in matte black, and has an all-metal barrel. It's a pure manual focus optic. The focus ring is knurled, so you can find it by feel, and it sits at the front of the lens, jutting out from the wider base by a quarter-inch or so when set to infinity focus—it extends out from the barrel as you focus closer. The short extension makes it a bit uncomfortable to grip and turn. I wish it extended just a little bit further. It doesn't prevent you from focusing, but it's not quite as comfortable to adjust focus as it should be.
As with the Composer Pro II and the Spark, you can tilt the Sol 45 to adjust the plane of focus. The mechanism used to do so is quite nice to use. Twist the base clockwise to unlock it, and then you can tilt it in any direction. Tilting the lens changes the position of the sharp area of focus in your image. You can also center and lock the tilt adjustment by twisting the lens counterclockwise.
And then there are the Bokeh Blades, shown above. New to the Sol series, two plastic arms sit inside the lens and can be swung toward the edges so they don't affect your images, or moved in over the glass to add some interesting texture to photos. One blade is larger than the other, so you can opt to use them independently to change the look of your shot, or put both over the front element for a more pronounced effect. The blades can be rotated, so you can change the orientation of the texture they produce.
Bokeh Blades Add Texture
The Sol 45 goes back to Lensbaby's roots, echoing the look of early models and its current Sweet 35, Sweet 50, and Sweet 80 optics, all of which are compatible with the Composer Pro II and capture images with a small central area of sharpness that quickly gives way to blur.
But unlike the Composer, you can't change out the Sol 45's optical group—it's a fixed 45mm f/3.5 design. There's no adjustable aperture either. You lose a bit in versatility, but you also save some money and get an overall smaller lens. The Composer Pro II ranges in price from $300 to $400, depending on which Lensbaby optic you opt to purchase with it. In addition to the Sweet series, you can get Edge lenses for the Composer. The Edge lenses have a very different look, one that is sharp all across the frame but are more expensive; the Edge 50 costs more than the Sol 45, and that's not taking the price of the Composer housing into account.
See How We Test Digital Cameras
Aside from the effects of the Bokeh Blades, the Sol 45 is very similar to the Sweet 50 in look. The focal length is very slightly wider, and the aperture is a bit narrower, at f/3.5 versus f/2.5. So what do the blades bring to the table?
The answer is texture in the blurred area of your images—in some cases. Use them when focusing on a distant subject and you aren't likely to see anything different in a shot. But when working close, the effect is very pronounced. Take a look at the comparison above—the image on the left was shot without the blades engaged, while the one on the right uses both to change the look of the background.
An Affordable Sweet Spot Lens
The Sol 45 isn't the most entry-level Lensbaby lens—that honor goes to the $90 Spark. But for an extra $100 and change it's an excellent choice for photographers who feel that the Spark is a little bit too basic. The Sol 45 is smaller and allows you to set the amount of tilt, while you need to physically hold the Spark in place while making an image.
We're awarding the Sol 45 our Editors' Choice for special effects and art lenses. For $200 it allows you to make photos with the signature Lensbaby look, a useful effect for isolating your subject from the rest of the world. The Composer Pro II is still our pick for photographers with a bigger budget—but it costs $300 and up, and its price can grow further if you decide to purchase additional optics. You don't get that option with the Sol 45, but photographers who don't want to go whole hog into the world of Lensbaby will appreciate its more basic approach.
The Lensbaby Sol 45 is an affordable art lens that draws images with a small, sharp area of focus, surrounded by blur, with adjustable blades to add texture.
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