The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM 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 Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM with a length of 72mm, is 14mm shorter. On the other hand, the Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM has a larger diameter of 81mm 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, 22% (118g) lighter than the Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM's weight of 518g.
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 Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM has a filter size of 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Lensbaby Velvet 56:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM and the Lensbaby Velvet 56 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.
Focal Range
Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM 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.
On the other hand, the 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.