Lensbaby Velvet Series

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Lensbaby's soft-focus series – creates silky glow at wide aperture, sharpens when stopped down. Available as 28mm, 56mm and 85mm for dreamy portraits and macro.

What is the Lensbaby Velvet?

The Lensbaby Velvet series are soft-focus lenses with controlled glow. At wide apertures, they create a velvety, dreamy glow, and when stopped down, they become sharp. Available as 28mm (macro), 56mm, and 85mm – perfect for portraits, beauty, and romantic scenes.

Technical Definition

Aspect	Details
Type	Soft-focus lens
Effect	Controllable glow
Variants	28mm, 56mm, 85mm
Characteristic	Soft → Sharp (Aperture)

The Velvet Series

Available Models

Model	Focal Length	Aperture	Special Feature
Velvet 28	28mm	f/2.5	1:2 Macro
Velvet 56	56mm	f/1.6	Portrait Standard
Velvet 85	85mm	f/1.8	Portrait Tele

Comparison

Aspect	Velvet 28	Velvet 56	Velvet 85
Perspective	Wide	Standard	Compressed
Macro	1:2	No	No
Portrait	Environment	Classic	Tight
Price	~€450	~€450	~€500

The Soft-Focus Principle

Effect by Aperture

Aperture	Effect
f/1.6–2	Maximum Glow
f/2.8	Strong Glow
f/4	Moderate Glow
f/5.6	Subtle Glow
f/8+	Largely Sharp

Characteristics

Element	Description
Glow	Enveloping softness
Highlights	Soft transitions
Contrast	Reduced at wide open
Skin Tones	Flattering

Application Areas

Portrait

Application	Effect
Beauty	Smoothed skin
Glamour	Hollywood glow
Boudoir	Romantic
Wedding	Dreamy

Other Uses

Genre	Application
Flowers	Ethereal mood
Macro	Velvet 28
Landscape	Misty, mystical
Music Video	Dreamy sequences

Comparison with Alternatives

Method	Velvet	Diffusion Filter	Post-Pro
Control	Aperture	Filter Strength	Unlimited
Naturalness	Very High	High	Variable
Flexibility	During Shooting	During Shooting	Afterwards
Cost	~€450	~€50–150	Time
Authenticity	Organic	Filter Look	Digital

Technical Specifications

Velvet 56 (Example)

Parameter	Value
Focal Length	56mm
Maximum Aperture	f/1.6
Minimum Aperture	f/16
Diaphragm Blades	9
Close Focus Distance	~13cm
Weight	~410g

Optical Quality

Property	At Wide Open	Stopped Down
Sharpness	Soft	Good–Very Good
Contrast	Reduced	Normal
Vignetting	Slight	Minimal
Bokeh	Creamy	Classic

Workflow

Tips for Film

Step	Recommendation
Choose Aperture	Control glow intensity
Lighting	Backlight enhances glow
Skin Tones	Naturally flattering at wide open
Focus	On eyes, precise

Challenges

Challenge	Solution
Autofocus	Manual only
Flare	Can be amplified
Finding Focus	Use focus peaking
Consistency	Document aperture settings

The Legacy

Soft-Focus History

1920s: Hollywood Soft-Focus
Classic Glamour Photography
2014: Lensbaby Velvet 56
Today: Modern Interpretation

Influence

The Velvet has made classic soft-focus accessible for modern cameras – without special vintage optics or filters.

Today

Aspect	Details
Frequency	Portrait Specialists
Equipment	Velvet 28/56/85
Cost	~€450–500
Trend	Popular Portrait Tool

Modern Situation

The Lensbaby Velvet series is the best modern option for controlled in-camera soft-focus – more organic than filters, more flexible than post-production.

From the crafts

Perspectives

Cinematographer

Das Velvet ist mein Geheimtipp für Hauttöne. Bei offener Blende glättet der Glow Hautunreinheiten natürlich – besser als jeder Filter, organischer als Retusche.

Director

Mit dem Velvet bekomme ich einen verträumten, samtigen Look, der an klassische Hollywood-Portraits erinnert. Die Kontrolle über Blende gibt mir Flexibilität von Glow bis Schärfe.

Producer

Das Velvet ist günstiger als klassische Soft-Focus-Objektive und bietet einstellbare Wirkung. Für Beauty, Portrait und romantische Szenen eine kosteneffektive Lösung.