The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 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 Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro with a length of 82mm, is 4mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro's 56mm 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. Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro weighs 186g, which means it is 214g (53%) lighter than the Lensbaby Velvet 56 which has a weight of 400g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro has a filter size of 46mm whereas the Lensbaby Velvet 56 has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Lensbaby Velvet 56:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 has the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Lensbaby Velvet 56 is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF3, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
120mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 56mm.