Use of Tilt-shift lenses or Lens Baby?

[David Mullen ASC]

Sometimes a split-diopter is better when the composition is more about two points of focus for the viewer rather than a continuous diagonal plane of focus. If you tilt a lens too much, the focus looks very odd & distorted unless you stop down tremendously.

 

[PC Greene]

We're in the market for a really good wide angle EF lens...somewhere between our Tokina 11-16 (too wide on full frame but great on Epic) and our Zeiss ZE 35 1.4 . I was pretty sold on the Zeiss ZE 21 but am still debating it vs the Canon 16-35 or the Canon TS 17 4.0 which would add tilt shift fun into the mix but is still spozed to be a really sharp lens as a straight 17mm.

Thoughts? Thank you!

PCG

 

[Eric M Hurt]

I've been using the lens baby for several fashion projects and on films that have called for magical realism.
I ended up with the entire set since they all have a interesting and fun use, just takes a lot of experimenting.

 

[Perry Ho]

Here's the few shots I'd used lens baby for last Micro Film and commercial shot 2 years ago, both shot with Red Epic - M,
cause I don't have the original footage on hand, so, I just captured from the Mov files...
personally, I quite love kind of the special visual, it may good for tv commercial project, but not for the feature film project...

 

[Eric M Hurt]

I think it can work for any kind of project, as long as the esthetic matches.

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

I have the Lensbaby moviemaker kit. What I find it to be most useful for is when I am shooting something where I am asked for very minimal depth of field. This is easy enough to do on longer lenses - but when a wide shot is required - I find it stands out as "too sharp" against all the longer lens shots. So for wide shots I'll use the Lensbaby (Sweet 35 - which has an aperture ring and better "glass"). I try to make it a subtle effect so it blends with the "shallow focus" shots nicely. Here is a Nike spot I did. Only one Lensbaby shot (at the 2" mark).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1aBricyuKg

 

[Mark Toia]

Those lens babies are crazy! Something really cool comes from them. Cheap as chips as well. !

I have a set of CINE MAGIC large Ziess 6x6 glass tilt and shift lens that I have used for the last 10 years. All PL... So much lens control, Up to 3 axis, PLus awesome macro abilities. 25mm up to 150mm.

Havent used them in a couple of years due to trends, so may sell them for the right price.