The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Lensbaby Velvet 56 and the Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Lensbaby Velvet 56 is the longer of the two lenses at 86mm. The Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS with a length of 63mm, is 23mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS's 63mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS weighs 225g, 43% (175g) lighter than the Lensbaby Velvet 56's weight of 400g.
Filter Threads
The Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS has a 46mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Lensbaby Velvet 56:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Lensbaby Velvet 56 and the Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS has the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 56mm.
On the other hand, the Panasonic Leica Macro 45mm F2.8 OIS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 90mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.