Lomography Petzval 58 Lens Unboxing
Lomography Pezval 58 lens Kickstarter campaign
Last year I took part in a Lomography's Kickstarter campaign for the new Petzval 58 lens. This is by far the most beautiful lens I've ever owned. It's also quite heavy which is to be expected. I'll be experimenting with it and posting photos from created with this lens and also more about it as I get familiar with it.
Whenever I find unique photo gear making their debut on Kickstarter campaigns I'm pretty much sold right away. It's usually the best price the product will ever be and sometimes you gets some cool bonuses along the way if the campaign is successful. Unfortunately I lucked out on the $375 super early bird launch deal, by the time I found out about the lens I got it at the next tier of $450. But hey that's still better than the retail price it is today of $749! That's more than double and I doubt shipping is included.
What's in the box
New Petzval 58 Bokeh Control Art Lens
Waterhouse aperture plates (the first eight shown below ranging from the small to large circles)
Front and rear lens cap
Lens pouch
Cleaning cloth
Photo book
Instruction manual
Extras included from the Kickstarter campaign
5 prints, photographs taken with the Petzval 48 lens
4 experimental aperture plate kit (the bottom row of four shown below), backers were able to vote on 4 shapes out of 11 possible choices
The unboxing film
Curious what this lens looks like? I created a short unboxing film to share the experience with you. You'll also see all the included accessories. A few were extras part of the Kickstarter campaign that wouldn't be included if you purchased the lens today (like the 5 prints and the special shaped aperture plates).
The shiny details
The photo book showcases stunning examples of photography created with this exact Petzval lens. There's a section on tips and tricks, also gives a short history of the lens and Lomography the company.
The instruction manual, super designed. Languages included: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
The fives prints included as part of the Kickstarter campaign. My favorites are the black and white dancer and the portrait of the two women.
The other bonus from the Kickstarter campaign were a set of 4 experimental aperture plates and came in this compact box.
All aperture plates including the experimental ones. Notice how the circular ones range from tiny to large? You may recognize the how this relates to the aperture of your camera (larger adds more light, smaller takes away).
Introducing the Petzval 58 bokeh control art lens
So what's so special about this lens? What can it do that your standard Canon or Nikon lenses can't?
Bokeh effects like no other
This lens is known for it's bokeh effects. Use the ring on the lens to control your bokeh effects much like you would the focus ring on your typical lens. You can even get that swirly bokeh effect impossible to achieve with any other lens (maybe with the help of Photoshop but that takes all the fun out of it).Related post: Lensbaby photography is another form of bokeh photography
58mm focal length and f/1.9 aperture
The new Petzval 58 lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.9 at the 58mm focal length. It's a great lens for any occasion including cityscapes (my specialty), landscapes, portraits, and so much more.
Premium Russian glass optics in a beautiful brass body
Ok I like to call it gold but technically I went with the brass option although you can choose black. But I thought, why choose the ordinary option for an extraordinary lens? And I do realize I'll stick out like a sore thumb while using this lens in public though. Whichever finish you choose, the design still reflects the original 19th century Petzval lenses.
Love the touch of the engraved logo on the lens cap.
Examples of bokeh photography with the Petzval 58 lens
Until I experiment myself with this lens on San Francisco's streets, here's some examples of what's possible with this lens from other photographers (photo source).
