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 Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro 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 Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro with a length of 67mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro's 71mm 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. Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro weighs 320g, 19% (80g) lighter than the Lensbaby Velvet 56's weight of 400g.
Filter Threads
The Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro has a 55mm 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 55mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Lensbaby Velvet 56 and the Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro 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.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
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.
On the other hand, the Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro 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.