Creative Photographic Gear (Lensbaby, Spectralstar Filters, and Holga Toy Lens).

[Chako]

Lensbaby Modular System.

Back in 2010, I came across some advertisements for a creative series of lenses that appeared to be a whole lot of fun to use. I got quite a few items at the time but never really used them much. It was one of  those put away for a rainy day investment in photographic gear sort of things.  I just looked up the prices today, and it is somewhat expensive. I think it was expensive back then, but not as much as it is now. I bought everything to fit the Canon EF series, and am thinking what it would be like to use the RF to EF adaptor and use it on the Canon R100.

The Lensbaby modular series is just that. You can buy a few lens bodies and they mate with interchangeable lens optics that screw right in. At the time, I bought a few cases that attach to each other via Velcro. I see they no longer makes these.
20250629_061146A by Chako, on Flickr

Inside the bottom most bag.
20250629_061220A by Chako, on Flickr

37mm Macro Lens kit by Lensbaby.
20250629_061253A by Chako, on Flickr

These are the lens optics that mount inside the lens bodies. This one is for soft focus.
20250629_061424A by Chako, on Flickr

Lensbaby 1.6X Telephoto lens.
20250629_061515A by Chako, on Flickr

Lensbaby 0.6X Wide angle lens.
20250629_061616A by Chako, on Flickr

3 magnetic aperture disk sets. The middle is for special effects, and the top is for the fisheye lens. The carriers also feature a magnet tool to easily remove the aperture and special effect disks from the lens. It is cumbersome. The widest aperture is f4 and I tend to not use these aperture disks for the most part.
20250629_061815A by Chako, on Flickr

A look into the middle bag.
20250629_061940A by Chako, on Flickr

Some literature.
20250629_062028A by Chako, on Flickr

Lensbaby 8 and 16mm macro extension tubes.
20250629_062847A by Chako, on Flickr

Single glass lens optics module.
20250629_062952A by Chako, on Flickr

Dual pinhole module.
20250629_063033A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_063040A by Chako, on Flickr

Plastic lens optics module.
20250629_063121A by Chako, on Flickr

A look into the third bag.
20250629_063217A by Chako, on Flickr

More literature.
20250629_063326A by Chako, on Flickr

Lensbaby Composer lens body. This lens body allows you to tilt and shift the image for a variety of special effects. This is what the optics modules fit into. Currently have the fisheye lens module inside.
20250629_063357A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_063419A by Chako, on Flickr

Edge 80 optics module.
20250629_063450A by Chako, on Flickr

Sweet 35 portrait lens module.
20250629_063531A by Chako, on Flickr

Lensbaby Scout lens body. This one does not move like the Composer, and acts like a traditional straight lens body.
20250629_063557A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_063619A by Chako, on Flickr

A book to learn how to use all of this.
20250629_091505A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_091517A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_091559A by Chako, on Flickr

Spectralstar Filter System.

Most filters tend to be round and screw onto the end of a lens. They work great if you only want the one, but they do not stack very well as the threads can be fiddly. In 1978, a series of square filters designed to fit into a unit that did screw onto the lens, but offered quick access to stacking 3 filters was invented in France and named Cokin Creative Filter System. There were a few copies, and Spectralstar was one of them. Created in the early 80's, the Spectralstar filter system was so much like Cokin, that the parts are interchangeable for the most part.

I found an old Christmas cake box that fit everything in...it was the perfect size.
20250629_091658A by Chako, on Flickr

A run down of the basics. You could attach up to 3 filters plus a lens shade in total.
20250629_091743A by Chako, on Flickr

Unlike the extensive Cokin creative filter system, this was all that Spectralstar offered.
20250629_091800A by Chako, on Flickr

Made back in 1982, or at least that was the printing date.
20250629_091831A by Chako, on Flickr

Inside the storage box is a mix of Cokin and Spectralstar filters, along with their filter holder, and lens adaptors.
20250629_091921A by Chako, on Flickr

A closer look at the filter holders. Note there is a Cokin filter holder at the top. Both the Cokin and Spectralstare are interchangeable.
20250629_092037A by Chako, on Flickr

A few Spectralstare special effect filters.
20250629_092230A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_092350A by Chako, on Flickr

Holga Toy Lens with 2 Special Effect Turret.

I bought this in Canon mount for something to play around with. It turns your fancy DSLR into a toy camera. You can toy around with Lomography genres without having to use film. The plasticky lens comes with 2 special effect turrets that are held on via magnets.
20250629_092507A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_092546A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_092642A by Chako, on Flickr

20250629_092716A by Chako, on Flickr