The First of a Kind and a Singular Aesthetic

Some 175+ years ago, Charles Chevalier invented the first photographic optic lens in the world. Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre incorporated it into a Daguerreotype camera, and voilà – history was made: it was the start of practical photography. The initial achromat lens was an ingenious design which caused light rays to split and disperse – wrapping the world in an otherworldly glow.

The Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens is a revival of this lost aesthetic from the invention of photography. We have reinvented this historic model as a powerful, versatile tool – so you can now lose yourself in that silky soft focus, or alternate with razor-sharp definition... All at the tips of your fingers.

Revived with 21st Century Versatility

The beauty of the Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens lies in its great versatility. With a focal length of 64mm, and apertures ranging from f/2.9 to f/16, you can enjoy an extensive variation of moods and special effects when shooting.

The Daguerreotype Achromat works with a Waterhouse Aperture Plate system, which allows full creativity with depth of field, and loads of variation in bokeh effects. It’s an easy and fully manual way to control your aperture, by inserting specific plates into a shaft in front of the lens elements – making the desired effects even clearer and stronger than ever before. Alternate from luminous soft focus at f/2.9 – f/4, to crystal-clear definition at f/5.6 onwards.

Alongside the classic Waterhouse Aperture plates, Lomography has created the Lumière and Aquarelle Aperture plates: the Lumière Aperture plates soak images in a radiant, soft glow, whilst the Aquarelle Aperture plates produce a very textured, painterly effect – rarely achieved in photography.

The Daguerreotype Achromat is compatible with a wide spectrum of modern day cameras using Canon EF, Nikon F or Pentax K SLR Mounts.

Handcrafted construction

The Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens has been designed by Lomography’s expert technicians and handcrafted at a small manufactory at the banks of the Yangtse River in Central China - the very same place that produces our iconic LC-A range. The lens comes in a beautiful brass, sleek black or new chrome plated finish which is specially designed to resist wear and tear. It boasts the premium optic quality that we bring to every lens in the Lomography Art Lens Family – following in the steps of the Lomography New Petzval 85, New Russar+, Lomo LC-A Minitar-1, The Petzval 58 Bokeh Control and Lomography New Jupiter 3+ Art Lenses.