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 Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 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 Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 with a length of 38mm, is 48mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Pentax FA 50mm F1.4's 64mm 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. Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 weighs 220g, 44% (180g) lighter than the Lensbaby Velvet 56's weight of 400g.
Filter Threads
The Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 has a 49mm 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 49mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax FA 50mm F1.4:
Lens Mounts
The Lensbaby Velvet 56 has the Pentax KAF3 lens mount whereas the Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 has the Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax K-3 III Monochrome, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF3 Mount and Pentax K-3 III Monochrome, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF Mount.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 is also available in Pentax KAF mount.
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 Pentax FA 50mm F1.4 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.