Lensbaby Composer with Tilt Transformer for Sony NEX

TILT TRANSFORMER: $250 is a bit expensive for the tilt base, I think. Consider that a decent non-tilting base can be had for well under $50. While this does do its job, it can be quite finicky to use. Its hard to set the base for the exact amount of resistance you want. Your Nikon lens will tend to be too stiff (but not locked in place) or flop around. It would be nice if it had a one-button locking mechanism so you could move it quickly and just freeze it. The same button that locks the Nikon lens in place also sets the aperture. Its easy to turn too far and unlock the entire lens. Anyone buying this should keep in mind that pretty much all Nikon lenses will balance pretty poorly on the NEX bodies to begin with so you can't really grab the NEX body like a DSLR and operate the lens setup with your left hand. I find myself using my right hand to tilt the lens while my left hand stabilizes the tilt base, meaning my right hand is off of the shutter button. I find that I often have to stabilize the entire thing against my body while tilt and turn things, which means I can't keep my eye on the screen as I make adjustments. That said, this is not meant to be a setup for fast, super-critical work. I just imagined that a Lensbaby setup would be much easier to use on a NEX than a DSLR but that's not always true. Once you have the lens tilted correctly and the aperture set though, manual focus is a breeze on the NEX, especially with peaking turned on.

COMPOSER FRONT: Keep in mind that you can stick a Nikon Lensbaby on the front of the tilt base and it will work just fine or better. This can save lots of us a few bucks since I'd imagine lots of people buying this already have a Nikon Lensbaby. Some may also prefer the Muse or Control Freak on the front. The part that comes with this setup requires that you screw an adapter on the front of the optic. This makes changing apertures a total pain; you have to unscrew the adapter to get to the aperture ring. This adds an extra step and one more thing to drop, but it is more compact than sticking a Nikon Lensbaby in front. Also, this is not compatible with the Fisheye optic while using a Nikon Lensbaby in front is.

Good materials and a blast to use. This thing is a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.

I had a Nikon 35mm lens already to test that with this product, but the double glass optic was pretty nifty too. Really liked the results.