The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD 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. Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 143mm. The Lensbaby Velvet 56 with a length of 86mm, is 57mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD also has a larger diameter of 82mm 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, 47% (365g) lighter than the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD's weight of 765g.
Filter Threads
Both the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 have the same Filter thread size of 62mm.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD 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.
Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD is also available in Canon EF mount.
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
Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 VC USD has a focal range of 70-300mm and
4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
105 - 450mm.
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.