The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 and the Lensbaby Sol 45 DSLR 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. Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 65mm. The Lensbaby Sol 45 DSLR with a length of 39mm, is 26mm shorter. On the other hand, the Lensbaby Sol 45 DSLR has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8's 69mm 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 Sol 45 DSLR weighs 144g, 38% (91g) lighter than the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8's weight of 235g.
Lens Mounts
The Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Lensbaby Sol 45 DSLR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Lensbaby Sol 45 DSLR is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Pentax KAF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
60mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Lensbaby Sol 45 DSLR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 67.5mm.