The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 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. Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 is the longer of the two lenses at 128mm. The Lensbaby Velvet 56 with a length of 86mm, is 42mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 also has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to the Lensbaby Velvet 56's 72mm 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. Lensbaby Velvet 56 weighs 400g, 71% (1000g) lighter than the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50's weight of 1400g.
Filter Threads
The Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Lensbaby Velvet 56:
Lens Mounts
Both the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 56mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 84mm.