# Lensbaby Announces Velvet 85mm f/1.8 Lens for DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jun 27, 2017)

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<strong>Velvet 85</strong> is an 85mm f/1.8 SLR and Mirrorless camera lens with 1:2 macro capabilities. This lens brings the ethereal glow and crisp vintage look of Lensbaby’s popular Velvet 56 lens to photographers clamoring for a portrait-friendly 85mm focal length. Velvet 85 builds on Velvet 56’s ability to create buttery smooth skin tones with the added compression and beautiful bokeh found in high-quality 85mm lenses. Velvet 85 is a must-have for anyone looking to capture artistic soulful portraits. Shoot at bright apertures to create soft, dreamy images with underlying sharpness and detail or stop down to darker apertures to capture a classic, film-like quality in your portraits. Evoking the image style and construction quality of classic portrait lenses of the mid-20th century, Velvet 85 features the heft and smooth, dampened manual focus of these early lenses in an all-metal lens body.</p>
<p><strong>Velvet 85 Lens Specs</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>85mm focal length</li>
<li>f/1.8-16 • 62mm filter</li>
<li>1:2 Macro</li>
<li>12 blade aperture</li>
<li>Focuses from 9.5” from front element to infinity</li>
<li>Metal lens hood included with Velvet 85 lenses for mirrorless cameras only</li>
<li>Dimensions (DSLR) 89mm at infinity to 132mm at Macro, mm diameter</li>
<li>Dimensions (mirrorless without hood) 103mm Infinity to 145mm at Macro</li>
<li>Weight ~ 530 grams</li>
</ul>
<p>The lens will begin shipping on July 11, 2017 at a price of $499 USD.</p>
<p>For a gallery of images from the lens and more information, visit <a href="https://lensbaby.com/product/velvet-85/">lensbaby</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
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## slclick (Jun 27, 2017)

Stalkers soft/wet dream when mounted on M43. (170mm equivalent)


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## magarity (Jun 27, 2017)

Over-the-top ad copy is always a big turn off for me. Combined with the name and it sounds like something that should be bundled with a Hello Kitty camera. This company needs professional marketing help in a big way.


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## ahsanford (Jun 27, 2017)

So it's an 85 f/1.8 USM - autofocus + 1:2 Macro + mandatory soft-focus on the wide end + a rather uncommon filter diameter.

...and then there's that whole thing about being a trombone of an externally focusing lens. (from PB story here)

Pass, pass, and pass again.

- A

P.S. And leave it to PB to give it 5 stars. Classic. That's so them.


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## jolyonralph (Jun 27, 2017)

Wasn't impressed with the example shots where they seem to be confusing soft-focus with 'a little bit blurry'


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## AvTvM (Jun 27, 2017)

don't think this 500 bucks piece of junk is better than Canon EF 85/1,.8 in any respect. 

so ... FAIL.


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## andrei1989 (Jun 27, 2017)

AvTvM said:


> don't think this 500 bucks piece of junk is better than Canon EF 85/1,.8 in any respect.
> 
> so ... FAIL.



or than the samyang 85 1.4..which can be found for less than half of the lensbaby..


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## AvTvM (Jun 27, 2017)

well that one is without AF too .. so FAIL as well ... for me at least


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