Lensbaby's current slate of offerings goes beyond just lenses for its iconic Optic Swap system, but that doesn't mean the company is ignoring its origins. Its most recent offering, the Edge 35 Optic ($249.95), is a premium add-in for the Composer Pro II. It offers fairly even sharpness from center to edge, in contrast to the company's line of more affordable Sweet optics, which curve the field of focus for a small sweet spot.

The Optic Swap System

If you're not clued in on the Lensbaby Optic Swap system, the Edge 35 looks pretty baffling. It's a lens, yes, but not one that mounts to your camera directly. The metal tube, about 3.1 by 2.0 inches (HW) and 9.4 ounces, mounts in a Lensbaby Composer Pro II or similar housing, which then mounts to your camera.

The Composer Pro adds an extra dimension to photography. Instead of a focal plane that's always perfectly parallel to reality—what you get with almost every other lens—you get one that can be tilted. It can be used for artistic purposes, allowing you to isolate focus and shift depth of field based on the direction and degree which you tilt the lens.

If you don't already own a housing, you can get the Edge 35 bundled with the Composer Pro II for $449.95. It's currently sold in Canon EF and Nikon F SLR versions, as well as for Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, and Sony E mirrorless models.

Lensbaby has supported other mounts in the past, including Pentax K, but you might have to scour through some classifieds to find one for sale. You can certainly put the Edge 35 in the original Composer Pro, Muse, or other older lens bodies. It is too heavy for the lightweight Spark, however.

The Edge 35 sports a 35mm focal length, a moderately wide angle on a full-frame system and more of a standard angle on an APS-C or Micro Four Thirds system. It's an f/3.5 lens when shot wide open, with aperture control all the way down to f/22 if desired.

Everything is manual, including focus, which is set using the Composer Pro lens body. The lens can lock on pretty close, to about 7 inches, which is good enough for 1:2 macro capability. When coupled with tilt, it can lead to some very interesting effects.

Edge vs. Sweet Optics

The alternative to the Edge 35 is the Sweet 35. It's a much different lens, and at $179.95, a little more affordable. The Sweet series delivers a look that's distinctly different, with a area of focus that quickly gives way to blur. You can take a look at it, or our reviews of the Sweet 50 and Sweet 80, to get a better idea of their character.

You can still isolate a subject with an Edge lens, and do so with creative effect. But the blur isn't as extreme. If you stop down a bit, and center the lens so it's parallel to the sensor, you'll find the results aren't that different from a standard lens.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

We did see a little bit of contrast loss due to flare. It's most noticeable when the lens is tilted toward a strong light source. You may see it as an optical flaw—we listed it as a con because it seems worth noting—but the effect isn't awful. You can certainly lessen it with a little bit of contrast adjustment when processing images.

Another Solid Creative Tool

Lensbaby's track record of innovation and creative design in photography speaks for itself. It's been serving artists, wedding pros who want a special look for a few portraits, and shutterbugs for years.

The Edge 35 slides nicely into its lineup. Full-frame owners can get a little bit of a wider angle than the Edge 50—something I've found useful for photos during family outings—and you can still focus close enough for portraits with a shallow depth of field. If you own an APS-C or Micro Four Thirds camera, it's a much better general purpose option than the Edge 50, which becomes a portrait tool when paired with a smaller-sensor camera.

Whichever lens you pair it with, the Composer Pro II is one of our favorite creative tools, and our Editors' Choice. The Edge 35 simply adds to the appeal of the system.

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