The Lensbaby Twist 28 creates twisty bokeh in multiple camera mounts – and the special effects pancake lens only weighs as much as a baseball

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The Lensbaby Twist 28 is a multi-mount pancake lens made to let the backgrounds swirl around the subject

An image sample from the Lensbaby Twist 28
(Image credit: Shelly Corbertt / Lensbaby)

Pancake lenses that make a mirrorless camera feel more like a compact camera are surging in trends – but one brand has launched a new budget-friendly option that creates twisty bokeh. The LensBaby Twist 28 is a tiny multi-mount lens that creates swirling bokeh with a wide-angle view.

LensBaby is a brand known for its special effects lenses, and the Twist 28 is the brand’s “most requested lens of all time.” After teasing that the new lens was coming, LensBaby officially unveiled the Twist 28’s full details on April 2.

The LensBaby Twist 28 mixes that wide 28mm view with a fixed f/3.5 aperture. Like the brand’s other optics, the lens uses manual focusing with a focus ring built into the lens.

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The Lensbaby Twist 28 sitting on a table
(Image credit: Lensbaby)

But while there are plenty of affordable pancake lenses out there, the Twist 28, as the name suggests, has a literal twist: swirly, Prezval-style bokeh. The lens is designed to keep centered subjects sharp, while the background not only blurs but also appears to swirl around the subject.

(Image credit: Gerri Jones / Lensbaby)

LensBaby has created swirly bokeh before, but the new launch brings the effect to a wide-angle lens that the company says is designed for more immersive storytelling. The company has managed to cram four elements into that compact pancake-style lens that weighs just 140g, along with anti-reflection coatings. The lens does, however, lack threads to add filters to.

(Image credit: Stephanie DeFranco / Lensbaby)

The LensBaby Twist 28 is compatible with full-frame cameras, where it has a 90-degree frame of view, but it also works with crop sensors, creating a narrower 64-degree view on APS-C bodies. The lens will be available in mounts compatible with the Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Sony E, and Micro Four Thirds mounts.

The lens is expected to begin shipping later this month. The lens is expected to retail for $189.95 / £189.95, which converts to about CA$265 in Canada and AU$275 in Australia. Some retailers have already opened pre-orders, including B&H in the US and Wex in the UK.

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Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary K. Grigonis
US Editor

With more than a decade of experience writing about cameras and technology, Hillary K. Grigonis leads the US coverage for Digital Camera World. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Digital Trends, Pocket-lint, Rangefinder, The Phoblographer, and more. Her wedding and portrait photography favors a journalistic style. She’s a former Nikon shooter and a current Fujifilm user, but has tested a wide range of cameras and lenses across multiple brands. Hillary is also a licensed drone pilot.

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