If you’re tired of lenses that capture scenes with picture-perfect realism, it might be time to explore alternatives like the $179.95 Lensbaby Sweet 22. The small, manual focus prime offers a uniquely wide angle of view for both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras, as well as an optical formula that draws pictures with sharp centers and blurry edges (this sweet spot selective focus look is Lensbaby’s specialty). It’s a charming, relatively affordable way to expand your creative toolkit, though it’s less versatile than the Editors’ Choice-winning Lensbaby Composer Pro II, which works with several Optic Swap lenses and lets you move the area of focus to different parts of the frame.A Small, Fully Mechanical DesignThe Sweet 22 is lean on creature comforts since it lacks any electronic components. Nonetheless, it works with every type of modern, interchangeable-lens mirrorless camera. I tested it for the Nikon Z mount with the Z 8 and Z f, but you can also buy it for the Canon RF, Fujifilm X, L-Mount Alliance, and Sony E systems.
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(Credit: Jim Fisher)
It’s quite small and lightweight, coming in at 1.5 by 2.9 inches (HD) and 4.9 ounces. The lens doesn’t look or feel cheap thanks to its aluminum barrel and two-tone finish (silver around the mount and black on the front).
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The feature set is as bare-bones as it gets. The Sweet 22 omits weather protection, for instance, and its f/3.5 aperture isn’t adjustable. That said, it does support 46mm neutral density (ND) filters if you want to cut incoming light for longer exposures and video. Those use cases call for longer shutter speeds than you can get from an f/3.5 lens in bright light.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
If you don’t already have an appropriate ND filter, consider the Sweet 22 Kit for $222.95. It includes the lens, a semi-soft zippered carrying case, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a 3-stop ND filter that cuts incoming light to match an f/10 aperture setting without changing the depth of field. The case is useful if you need one, but you can get a compatible Hoya or Tiffen ND filter for less than $20, so the bundle isn’t a superb value.Easy to Focus and Excellent Macro CapabilitiesAlthough the Sweet 22 is a manual focus lens, it’s not that difficult to use with a mirrorless camera. Nearly every compatible model supports some sort of manual focus assist to help you nail a shot. Frame magnification, in particular, is useful for setting focus; this nearly universal feature lets you punch into the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or rear display view to better gauge the point of focus.
Nikon Z 8, 1/125-second, ISO 64 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The focus throw is pretty short, as well. A little less than 90 degrees of rotation moves the lens from its nearest to furthest focus distance. The action is fairly smooth, which isn’t surprising since the lens sets focus by moving its entire optical block toward or away from the sensor. This is a simple, tried-and-true method, but often results in the focus breathing effect (a change in the angle of view along with focus shifts). Focus breathing is typically distracting for videos that shift the plane of focus during a shot, but the Sweet 22’s extreme edge blur masks the effect. Even so, the lens isn’t ideal for rack focus shots that shift from one subject to another since there’s really just one part of the frame where you can get a sharp picture.
Nikon Z 8, 1/800-second, ISO 64 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Close focus is a strong point. The Sweet 22 locks onto subjects as near as 5 inches from the sensor for 1:5 macro shots. It’s a useful feature since the wide angle of view shows plenty of blur around the point of interest for close-up shots. This makes for a vastly different look than you get with more traditional short telephoto lenses for these subjects. Additionally, the blurred edges work to frame and isolate the subject in an intriguing way.
Nikon Z 8, 1/30-second, ISO 72 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Broad Views With Ample BlurThe Sweet 22 isn’t the type of lens we test in the lab, since it’s not meant to reproduce the world with perfect clarity. Its area of sharp focus is limited to the center of the frame, and when you hit focus in that section, details look reasonably crisp. Blur starts gradually as you look away from the center, with the outer edges of the picture melting away into nothing.
Nikon Z 8, 1/30-second, ISO 140 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The blur effect is one of the main reasons to get this lens, and I find it aesthetically pleasing in most scenarios. I can’t spot any instances of false color in focus transitions or around defocused highlights. And even though the lens has a relatively wide angle and aperture, the bokeh is intense. You can get some flare from the lens, too. I noticed some interesting arcs of orange color in the corner opposite incoming sunlight, for instance, something you can’t get with most lenses.
Nikon Z f, 1/2,500-second, ISO 6400 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The blurring effect is more noticeable on a full-frame camera, where the 22mm focal length covers a broad angle of view. But since the angle is so wide and the sweet spot of focus is relatively meager, the Sweet 22 is also compelling for APS-C sensor cameras. All Fujifilm X cameras and the likes of the Canon EOS R10, Nikon Z fc, and Sony a6700 use only a portion of the optics for a narrower angle of view (33mm full-frame equivalent). For a comparison between formats, look at the pair of photos below. The left side shows an uncropped full-frame photo, while the right shows the same subject from the perspective of an APS-C body.
Full-frame (left) and APS-C (right) angles compared; Nikon Z f, 1/30-second, ISO 110 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Most of Lensbaby’s options work on full-frame sensors, but the Sweet 22 has more appeal than those with narrower angles for crop-sensor bodies. If you prefer a tighter perspective, the Sol 45 shares some optical qualities with the Sweet 22 and lets you tilt the lens to move the sweet spot around, but its angle of view isn’t that wide. For Composer Pro II owners, the Optic Swap system includes sweet spot lenses with 35mm, 50mm, and 80mm focal lengths.
Nikon Z 8, 1/400-second, ISO 64 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
An Affordable Lens With Wide AppealPhotographers seek out Lensbaby optics for their unique ability to isolate subjects with a sweet spot of focus, and the Sweet 22 helps you do just that. Its wide angle of view means you can capture different scenes than other series entries on both full-frame and APS-C mirrorless cameras, while its reasonable price makes the experience all the more enjoyable. It’s not as flexible as the Composer Pro II, our Editors’ Choice winner for creative lenses, which supports swappable lenses with internal apertures for adjusting incoming light and the degree of the sweet spot effect, but none of the compatible lenses for that system go as wide as the Sweet 22.
Pros
Dramatic wide-angle view with an especially small area of focus
Subtle, interesting flare effects
Close focus for 1:5 macros
Fun to use
Inexpensive
View
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The Bottom Line
The affordable Lensbaby Sweet 22 renders pleasing blur around a small area of focus and sees a wider view than any other lens of its type.
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