Lomography has launched a Kickstarter for a new art lens inspired by an Arabic pioneer of optics.
The Nour Triplet V 2.0/64 Bokeh Control Art Lens by Hasan Ibn al-Haytham, Cairo, c.1021 CE has three different levels of spherical aberration control.
The new lens was launched on Wednesday morning (4 October). The various tiers include an early bird pledge which reduces the cost of the lens by 25% down to $335 (£277).
The new lens is, however, only available for digital mirrorless cameras – Sony, Canon R and Nikon Z. The lens is available either in brass or black aluminium.
Lomography said in a press release: Our new lens draws inspiration from an extraordinary scientist whom you have probably never heard of: Hasan Ibn al-Haytham. Born in c. 965 CE and spending most of his life in Cairo, Egypt, he is referred to as the father of modern optics. Throughout his life, he made significant contributions to the principles of light and visual perception. Al-Haytham was the first to note the existence of spherical aberrations, which is the basis of our new Art Lens.
“Drawing inspiration not only from his discoveries but also from the historical Cooke triplet lens design, we’ve taken further strides in optical advancement for the modern-day creator. Comprising five multi-coated glass elements in three groups, our lens design offers heightened control over optical aberrations, featuring vivid colors with a subtle light vignetting effect that artfully guides the viewer’s gaze toward the central, crisp area of the photograph.
“The most unique feature is a signature Lomography control knob to turn backgrounds into a canvas using three levels of spherical aberration control.”
These controls are, according to Lomography:
- Slide the knob to Bubble to over-correct spherical aberration and produce razor-sharp images with an unconventional bubble bokeh background and three-dimensional effect.
- Slide the knob to Classic (in the middle) to perfectly correct spherical aberration and define your subjects over a smooth background.
- Slide the aberration control knob to ‘Soft’ to under-correct spherical aberration and produce an alluring soft-focus effect and dreamy, glamorous look.
The lens has a focal length of 64mm and a dual-aperture mechanism which runs from f/2 to f/16. It has a built-in lens hood and a filter mount of 55mm.
The Kickstarter runs until 3 November and Lomography is seeking £82,0900 to fund the lens.
Lomography provided the following images taken on the new lens:
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at foto.dowling@gmail.com.
