The Lensbaby Sweet 50 Optic ($119.95) matches the company’s Double Glass Optic ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) in look and field of view, but adds an aperture control ring for quick changes to the f-stop. It’s not the first Lensbaby optic to feature this design—the Sweet 35 and Edge 80 ($299.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) both have it—but it’s a welcome addition to the line-up for devotees who prefer the classic field of view and look that launched the Lensbaby line.

Current Lensbaby lens bodies feature what the company calls the Optic Swap system—so if you have a Composer Pro ($397.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) you can use any number of optic modules in it. The company includes a tool to remove and install those without aperture rings (it doubles as the bottom half of a protective carrying case), and optics with aperture rings protrude enough from the lens body so that you can do the same with your fingers.

The Sweet 50 ($119.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)  is recommended for use with the Composer Pro, and that’s the lens body I used along with it, although it’s light enough to be used with the Muse ($112.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . It’s not recommended for use with the low-cost Spark ($167.58 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , simply because that lens body isn’t built to the same standards as others in the line.

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Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic

 

 

 

Read Our Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic Review

How you focus the Sweet 50 depends on which body it’s placed in; with the Muse, you’ll push and pull the body to adjust focus and control how much tilt is applied to the focal plane. The Composer Pro is better suited for more critical work, as it has a focus ring and a ball-and-socket design so you can lock down the tilt. The lens itself has a curved field of focus, which produces images with a sharp center area surrounded by blur. Adjusting the aperture can lessen this effect; the Sweet 50 is f/2.5 wide open and can be stopped down all the way to f/22. The aperture itself is a 12-blade design, so out-of-focus highlights are smooth, and its minimum focus distance is 15 inches. It’s compatible with the Lensbaby Macro Converters ($49.95) if you want to focus closer.

If you own a Lensbaby, there’s a good chance it came with the Double Glass Optic, but that configuration is no longer being offered. The Sweet 50 is a worthy replacement, as it is essentially identical from an optical standpoint, and adds the convenience of in-lens aperture control. If you’re buying a new Composer Pro, you’ll be able to get one with the Sweet 50 for the same $300 price point that the older version with the Double Glass Optic carried, so the real question is whether or not existing Lensbaby owners should consider an upgrade. If you love the 50mm field of view, whether it be on a full-frame or smaller sensor camera, and want to be able to change the aperture without digging through a pouch of magnetic discs, the answer is an easy yes. If you tend to shoot at one aperture, or if you’ve fallen in love with the wider field of view offered by the Sweet 35 or the more portrait-oriented focal length of the Edge 80, chances are you can stick with your Double Glass Optic and not miss a beat.