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 F1.4 DG HSM A 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 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A is the longer of the two lenses at 100mm. The Lensbaby Velvet 56 with a length of 86mm, is 14mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A also has a larger diameter of 85mm 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 415g (50%) lighter than the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A which has a weight of 815g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A has a 77mm 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 77mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A:
Lens Mounts
Both the Lensbaby Velvet 56 and the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX and Sony E mounts.
Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A is also available in Canon EF , Sigma SA, Nikon F (FX) and Leica L 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 F1.4 DG HSM A 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.