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 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM 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. Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 95mm. The Lensbaby Velvet 56 with a length of 86mm, is 9mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM also has a larger diameter of 89mm 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, which means it is 390g (49%) lighter than the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM which has a weight of 790g.
Filter Threads
The Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM has a 82mm 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 82mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Lensbaby Velvet 56 and the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM has the same Pentax KAF3 lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF3 lenses are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in the Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM is also available in Canon EF , Sony Alpha, Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) 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 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM has a focal range of 24-70mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 36 - 105mm.
