The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM 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. Lensbaby Velvet 56 is the longer of the two lenses at 86mm. The Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM with a length of 45mm, is 41mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM's 70mm 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. Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM weighs 170g, which means it is 230g (57%) lighter than the Lensbaby Velvet 56 which has a weight of 400g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM has a filter size of 49mm 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 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Lensbaby Velvet 56:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
75mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
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.