The Lensbaby Muse ($150 direct) is a manual-focus camera lens that, at a glance, doesn't look that much different than the less-expensive Lensbaby Spark. Both allow you to adjust focus by compressing or extending the front of the lens. This action also lets you tilt the lens, changing the angle at which light is captured. This is similar to the tilt mechanism on a high-end lens like the Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8, but the Lensbaby is designed as an artistic lens rather than a technical one—by design it is neither precise nor sharp on a corner to corner basis.

Instead the Muse is capable of capturing photos that have a small circle of sharpness, surrounded by a dreamy out of focus area. Even though it costs almost twice as much as the Spark, there are a few reasons that you may choose the Muse. The Double Glass Optic that ships with the Muse has a maximum aperture of f/2, which means that it captures eight times the light as the f/5.6 lens that ships with the Spark. Discs are included so that you can adjust the aperture to your liking, an option not available to Spark shooters. And the build quality of the Muse is noticeably better. Its mount and front are both metal, whereas those parts of the Spark are plastic, and its rubber bellows is noticeably sturdier than that of the Spark.

View All 4 Photos in Gallery