Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8 Lens
The Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8 is a 85mm f/1.8 lens designed for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds mount cameras. Used copies start from $225.42 on GearFocus, with buyer protection on every purchase.
Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8 Lens
Used Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8 Listings on GearFocus
Lens Overview — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
Key Features — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
85mm f/1.8 Prime: Fixed telephoto focal length with a wide maximum aperture, well-suited to portrait distances and subject separation.
Signature Velvet Rendering: At wide-open apertures, the optical design produces a soft, glowing character distinct from conventional sharp lenses.
Aperture-Driven Creative Control: Stopping down progressively sharpens the image, giving photographers direct control over how much of the velvet effect appears in a shot.
Full-Frame Coverage: Designed for full-frame sensors with no vignetting concerns on compatible bodies, though it also works on smaller-sensor systems.
Five-Mount Compatibility: Available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds mounts, covering a wide range of DSLR and mirrorless systems.
Manual Focus Only: No autofocus system is included, suiting a deliberate, controlled shooting approach common in portrait and artistic work.
Lens Specifications — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Use Cases | Macro, Creative Effects |
| Lens Type | Special Effect |
| Format | Full Frame |
| Zoom/Prime | Prime |
| Focal Length | 85mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.8 |
| Camera System | DSLR |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds |
| Autofocus | No |
| Focus Type | Manual |
| Image Stabilization | None |
| Filter Thread | 67mm |
Description — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
The Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8 is a manual-focus, full-frame prime lens with a telephoto focal length of 85mm and a maximum aperture of f/1.8. It falls into the special effect lens category, producing a soft, luminous rendering at wider apertures that shifts in character as you stop down — giving photographers direct creative control over how the image looks. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds mounts, it offers strong cross-platform versatility for both DSLR and mirrorless shooters.
The lens accepts 67mm filters and weighs 530g. There is no autofocus and no image stabilization, making this a lens best suited to intentional, slower-paced shooting where the photographer has full control over the creative process.
Pros — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
- ✓Wide f/1.8 maximum aperture enables the lens's signature soft, glowing rendering at wide-open settings
- ✓Full-frame coverage (lensFormat: Full Frame) means no crop factor concerns on full-frame bodies
- ✓Broad mount compatibility across five systems — Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds
Cons — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
- ✗No autofocus — manual focus only, which may slow down shooting in fast-paced situations
- ✗No image stabilization (imageStabilization: None), which can be a challenge at wider apertures in lower light
- ✗At 530g, the lens carries meaningful weight for a manual-focus special effect prime
Videos — Lensbaby 85mm f/1.8
LensBaby Velvet 85mm Review - A Lens You Should Try — Jonathan Casey