What to do with a Lensball
Feb 19, 2021 15:09:07 #
For Christmas, my wife bought me a Lensball, one of those perfectly round, 3.5-inch diameter, crystal balls. It's beautiful, but I have no idea what I'm going to shoot with it. I'm a landscape/garden/street/travel photographer, and I tend to go for images that are minimalistic. My dilemma primarily centers on how I would hold the ball to shoot the subjects I'm interested in. I'd welcome any responses that address holding the ball and what subject matter I might seek out. Thanks in advance. (Please don't respond that I could use the crystal ball to make a fortune.)
Feb 19, 2021 15:59:57 #
There should have been a small tripod adapter included in the box to solve one of your problems...
Lots of Hoggers are using Lensballs - fun for landscapes, flower gardens, and various other venues, including street photography.
If you cannot find the adapter, a glass jar or vase can easily be used to get you started on your journey.
Lots of Hoggers are using Lensballs - fun for landscapes, flower gardens, and various other venues, including street photography.
If you cannot find the adapter, a glass jar or vase can easily be used to get you started on your journey.
Feb 19, 2021 16:00:32 #
I recently bought a set. Mostly as a novelty. The most effective uses I have seen are landscapes and architectural scenes where the subject is out of focus, but identifiable in the back ground. Search YouTube and you will find many videos. Holding is up to you and the situation. I have seen them handheld or sitting on something in the foreground. I ordered a small suction cup that can be tripod mounted. Our lousy weather has kept me inside so I haven't experimented yet.
Bill
Bill
Feb 20, 2021 07:40:54 #
TonyF
Loc: Bradenton, FL
I like to shoot mainly landscapes and find the lens ball has it's place sometimes. Here's one of the Anna Maria City Pier, FL.
Feb 20, 2021 09:41:56 #
jayw
Loc: Contoocook, NH
My daughter bought me one. Like you, haven't found a way to utilize it often.
My experience was on a sunny day near the beach in NH, I took the ball out, held it in my gloved hand. My daughter asked why is my glove smoking? I looked and the ball was acting like a magnifying glass and was starting to burn a hole in my glove. So much for that leather glove!
Lesson learned? Don't hold the ball in your hand on a sunny day, gloved or not.
My experience was on a sunny day near the beach in NH, I took the ball out, held it in my gloved hand. My daughter asked why is my glove smoking? I looked and the ball was acting like a magnifying glass and was starting to burn a hole in my glove. So much for that leather glove!
Lesson learned? Don't hold the ball in your hand on a sunny day, gloved or not.
Feb 20, 2021 09:46:53 #
Feb 20, 2021 12:21:32 #
Don't set it on your skin or anything flammable if you're out in direct sunlight. It's also a huge magnifying glass and can burn or start a fire in mere seconds.
Feb 20, 2021 12:58:31 #
JFCoupe
Loc: Kent, Washington
I will try to describe a "holder" that I made to use with a crystal ball. I didn't invent this but some it posted somewhere a couple of years ago.
Start with a 20 oz soda pop bottle. Cut the top off just after it expands from the cone shape to the round bottle shape. Then I took a narrow piece of scrap oak wood and used a screw to attach the lid of the pop bottle to the wood stripe. I just so happened that the wood was perfect to clamp into my Arca ball head tripod mount.
ball to the 'pop bottle' holder and set up a composition.
Then I can handhold my camera and move in and out to get focus right and shot away.
I did go back and trim the cone shape a couple of times to get it down so it was not as visible in my images. Other options are to have someone handhold the ball while you shoot or set it on a surface.
Check out You Tube or Pinterest for many examples of images. Play with it, experiment and Have fun.
Start with a 20 oz soda pop bottle. Cut the top off just after it expands from the cone shape to the round bottle shape. Then I took a narrow piece of scrap oak wood and used a screw to attach the lid of the pop bottle to the wood stripe. I just so happened that the wood was perfect to clamp into my Arca ball head tripod mount.
ball to the 'pop bottle' holder and set up a composition.
Then I can handhold my camera and move in and out to get focus right and shot away.
I did go back and trim the cone shape a couple of times to get it down so it was not as visible in my images. Other options are to have someone handhold the ball while you shoot or set it on a surface.
Check out You Tube or Pinterest for many examples of images. Play with it, experiment and Have fun.
Feb 20, 2021 13:01:22 #
Feb 20, 2021 13:26:54 #
rdgreenwood wrote:
For Christmas, my wife bought me a Lensball, one o... (show quote)
To me it's a solution looking for a problem
Feb 20, 2021 13:34:07 #
russelray wrote:
Don't set it on your skin or anything flammable if you're out in direct sunlight. It's also a huge magnifying glass and can burn or start a fire in mere seconds.
Do a ray tracing to see how silly that is.
Feb 20, 2021 13:51:41 #
rdgreenwood wrote:
For Christmas, my wife bought me a Lensball, one o... (show quote)
Mine came with a suction cup tripod mount BUT be sure to wet the suction cup before applying it to the ball or it can come unstuck.
A quirky novelty but kinda fun...
bwa
Feb 20, 2021 14:14:45 #
Its a novelty. I used it a couple of week since then its in the closet. You can get some neat shots but after a while the novelty wears off. It should have come with a small class holder that you can use. I had a hard time hand holding it. Have fun.
Feb 20, 2021 15:03:44 #
bwana wrote:
Mine came with a suction cup tripod mount BUT be sure to wet the suction cup before applying it to the ball or it can come unstuck.
A quirky novelty but kinda fun...
bwa
A quirky novelty but kinda fun...
bwa
Found a picture of the mount...
bwa
Feb 20, 2021 15:04:58 #
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