Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Limitations of physics…. Yes, the K9 lensball is heavy with the 80mm version weighing a hefty 650g. That’s not a complaint. It’s a simple fact of physics. Yes, lenses bend light, and in the case of a sphere vs the sun, that light can be focused to a point. The focal point for this lens is about 1cm outside the lens in the position opposite the light source. In the Florida summer sun, your hand will start to appreciate the heat in less than 3 seconds of exposure. You can use it in the sun provided you avoid placing fingers or what not at the point of the globe opposite the sun. Don’t leave it unattended in the sunlight. Depth of range is greatly influence by your distance from the ball. The further away you are, the greater the depth of range. When you’re close to the lensball, depth of range will minimize until only the center of the image will appear in focus. But at the same time, this changes how much of the image is occupied by the lensball. One can also adjust their F-stop to address the depth of range. I find that the best of both worlds is achievable when I shoot with the lensball occupying about 10% of the image field and then crop the picture to taste. Limitations of use…. If you haven’t noticed, most of the pictures are taken whilst somebody is holding the lensball in their hand. Like you need another picture of your left hand? Consider finding alternative perches. Be creative. Also, the repeated handling covers the lens in fingerprints. Pack the lens in an oversized soft cloth and wipe it down for prints before each use. Use the same cloth to conceal it while out in the sun. When shooting landscapes, the real horizon looks best if it aligns with the horizon within the lens. This means you’re shooting at horizontally into the lens for every landscape shot. Likewise, if you want to shoot up into a tree or building, one should consider an approach steep enough to avoid seeing the horizon in the lens. You can also magnify small object. Ants look like giants when about 1cm opposite from the shooting position. Objects closer than this can create a kaleidoscope effect which can look cool but may be difficult for the camera to focus upon. Mostly I find use for the lensball when I’m faced with a mediocre subject and want to add some panache to it. Or if my primary camera is tied up on a long-exposure shot, I’ll breakout a secondary camera and a lensball to pass the time. Considering its weight and limitations of use, it only accompanies me on photo shoots where the burden of photographic equipment is shared by multiple persons. I personally suspect that the use of lensballs (and similar products) will be a transient fad. Likewise, I predict that upcoming generations of phone-based photo software allow somebody to create this effect within a normal picture. The images shown were taken using an iPhone and have not been edited or altered.