Photographers with an artistic eye, as well as wedding and portrait specialists, have likely at least heard of Lensbaby over the years. The company has been making its eponymous line of creative manual focus camera lenses for the better part of two decades. Its catalog covers a range of effects, everything from pinhole to soft focus to the sweet-spot-of-focus "Lensbaby look" that's become synonymous with the brand.

Lensbaby's catalog is diverse too. It makes traditional manual focus lenses like the soft focus Velvet 85, and clip-on Omni creative filters as well. Lenses and filters don't usually call for their own buying guide, however. The company's marquee product is its Optic Swap line, a set of "lens bodies" and optic modules to go inside them. The system enjoys a lengthy time in market, about fifteen years and counting, and support for almost every consumer camera system.

The Optic Swap system is modular, so you can mix-and-match elements to your heart's content. But at minimum you'll need a lens body—a housing that attaches to your camera and supports manual focus—and an optic to go inside it. At press time there are three lens bodies from which to choose, and nearly a dozen optics to go with them. We're here to break them down and help you navigate the Lensbaby system.

Photographers with an artistic eye, as well as wedding and portrait specialists, have likely at least heard of Lensbaby over the years. After all, the company has been making its eponymous line of creative manual focus lenses for the better part of two decades. Its catalog covers a range of effects, everything from pinhole to soft focus to the sweet-spot-of-focus Lensbaby look that has become synonymous with the brand.

The company's marquee Optic Swap system has been around since nearly the beginning. It comprises a set of lens bodies (or housings), along with optic modules that go inside them. You can mix and match elements to your heart's content, but with three lens bodies and nearly a dozen optics to pair with them, you might have questions. We break down your options below to help you decide on the right combination for your needs.