SLR Magic TOY lens at Steve Huff

[bilzmale]

An interesting 'review' with lots of pics here.

It does come in :43: mount and is sold on eBay.

 

[pdh]

heh - good marketing!
this looks like a CCTV or video lens with some coloured plastic rings on and "kiddie"-style packaging. Neat too how they make a virtue from the inherent distortion & vignetting!

 

[Gwendal]

Exactly what it is - they also have a 35mm 1.7. Got mine yesterday, and it is exactly what they say - tons of fun. Sharp enough to be usable when stopped down a bit, tiny so you can always have it with you, good contrast, creamy bokeh... But I guess for the price you can buy a cheap CCTV lens + the c-mount adapter and a pair of extra m43 caps. A few shots :

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[Boston Chris]

Being more of a film-maker then a photographer at this point, these toy lenses are really interesting... my eye enjoys the vignetting and bokeh but the center focus doesn't seem to be sharp enough, can anyone change my mind? Maybe the above pics and others I have seen were highly compressed/different camera body, etc.

 

[Gwendal]

If you stop it down a bit, it's rather sharp at the center - obviously it depends on where you place the "enough" ;-)

 

[Brianetta]

Being more of a film-maker then a photographer at this point, these toy lenses are really interesting...

The 35mm (albeit mounted on a Samsung) was used in this video, which I really enjoyed watching. I think the effect, for film, was great:
[ame=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-IWkHkYDyk]YouTube - Verko Feat. Sanlluis // MES EXCUSES[/ame]

 

[Boston Chris]

This is very tempting might have to pickup their 26mm f/1.4 looks like exactly what I want... a small cheap fast lens that is 52mm equivilant on my GH2.
Good for a large variety of still and video situations requiring creative lens with pronounced vignetting, depth of field, bokeh... Is there any reason not to get this cheap lens besides the fact that there is more expensive higher quality lens out there?

 

[LisaO]

Does look like fun! $109 now? In college I was "forced" to use a Diana for a month. Looking back on it it was fun and a great equalizer but just having shown up to University with my many hundred of dollars worth of mid 70's Nikon gear, then being humbled into using the the 99¢ Diana it seemed quite odd and backwards to me at the time but I love a soft, smeary, dreamy background now.

 

[eyeguy]

I'm digging the effects but not sure if I can justify $109 for it right now.

 

[linkedit]

>$100 for a "toy lens"? lol really

35mm F1.7 Lens CCTV C mount GF1 G1 Olympus EP1 EP2 EPL1 - eBay (item 390185363646 end time Mar-16-11 05:29:34 PDT)

The price people will pay for the packaging. The Huff article also reminds me of why anyone reads his reviews in the first place.

 

[LisaO]

Where else can you get a new F/ 1.4 lens for $100? A Lensbaby is over $250.
They actually can be used to a really nice effect. Not everybody want sharp images. As long as they are not sharp in the right way.

>$100 for a "toy lens"? lol really

35mm F1.7 Lens CCTV C mount GF1 G1 Olympus EP1 EP2 EPL1 - eBay (item 390185363646 end time Mar-16-11 05:29:34 PDT)

The price people will pay for the packaging. The Huff article also reminds me of why anyone reads his reviews in the first place.

 

[linkedit]

Where else can you get a new F/ 1.4 lens for $100? A Lensbaby is over $250.
They actually can be used to a really nice effect. Not everybody want sharp images. As long as they are not sharp in the right way.

Where can I get one? On eBay all day long for between $30 and $50. Didn't you see the link?

What cracks me up with these people selling the "toy lens" and the "SLR Magic" lens is that they are making $$$$ of people that are too lazy to research the fact that the lens itself is a $10 wholesale no name, chinese CCTV lens.

They do have a nice effect, I use my 25mm 1.4 c mount lens all the time.

25mm f/1.4 C Mount 25mm F1.4 Lens fr EP1 EP2 G1 GH1 GF1 - eBay (item 400166609187 end time Feb-18-11 17:53:48 PST)

 

[Brianetta]

Your adapted C-mount lens will vignette. The SLR Magic lens has been properly modified with a micro four thirds compatible mount such that it does not.

 

[linkedit]

Your adapted C-mount lens will vignette. The SLR Magic lens has been properly modified with a micro four thirds compatible mount such that it does not.

Except that it's been reported here and on other forums that the generic 35mm focal length CCTV lens does not vignette on m4/3's. So I'm not really buying the "properly modified" thing. The ONLY cool thing about it is that it comes with a lens shade. It just better be the best lens shade in the world since it costs about $75. lol