The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Irix 45mm F1.4 and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
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, 56% (525g) lighter than the Irix 45mm F1.4's weight of 925g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Irix 45mm F1.4 has a filter size of 77mm 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 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Irix 45mm F1.4:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Lensbaby Velvet 56:
Lens Mounts
Both the Irix 45mm F1.4 and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Irix 45mm F1.4 is also available in the Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF2 mounts.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Fujifilm X , Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Irix 45mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
72mm.
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 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 89.6mm.
