Spy Lens Review
In January when my
Spy Lens
finally arrived
I promised a review. I
figured I need a better opportunity to really try it out
extensively. This opportunity came up with my recent
trip to Marrakech. So here it
goes…
The
Spy Lens
is a really intriguing idea. Many people behave very differently
with a camera pointed at them. That is – when they
realize a camera is pointed at them. So quite often you
get the most authentic pictures when the people are not aware.
There a few things that help taking such pictures: being lucky,
being quick, a long lens and… the Spy Lens. This lens
comes with a mirror inside and lets you shoot around corners in
an angle of 90 degrees. As you are not pointing a big lens
directly at the person, it should be easy to catch the pristine
and authentic moments we are after.
While the build quality feels solid you need to be aware that
the lens is only available at a 58mm diameter. Now my standard
zoom lens has a diameter of 77mm. While you can of course use a
converter it heavily limits your view in the wide angle. Plus it
looks quite strange. Unfortunately “strange” gets
people curious …and aware. Which is exactly what you try
to avoid with this lens. Maybe less of a problem if you have the
right lens combination. Another problem is the dust though. The
mirror is a dust magnet! So you better be equipped to clean up
that mess. And because you have no lens cap you have to clean it
a lot. The handling you have to get used to. Rotating the mirror
and finding the right frame is really not that easy. Especially
if there is movement or if there is little time.
For me the Spy Lens failed the reality test. While I am sure you can have fun with it, it is really nothing more than a toy. But frankly speaking I did not expect anything more. I bought it for fun. And I am sure you can have fun with it. Just don’t get your hopes up to high. It’s not the holy grail for authentic shots. But it is a fun gadget.