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Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6

Lensbaby's best-known art lens: a 56mm f/1.6 portrait prime that renders a soft, glowing "velvet" look wide open and sharpens as you stop down to f/16. Manual focus down to 13cm (1:2 macro), 62mm filters, nine blades. No autofocus or stabilisation. This is the Canon EF version.

Starting from
£389 new
RRP £399
Used from £495 (eBay)
Check price at Wex Photo Video
🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only
RetailerPrice
New
Wex Photo Video
Wex Photo Video
£389
was £399
On Sale
Check on Wex Photo Video →
Amazon
Amazon
—
Check on Amazon →
Used
eBay
eBay used
Lowest Buy It Now · marketplace
£495
Search eBay →
Prices are synced live from UK retailers. Not every product will be stocked by every retailer; older models may only be available second hand.
Value & Depreciation
£419
Launch price
→
£389
Today
=
7%
Value drop
Over ~11 years, this camera has cost roughly £3/year to own (buy at launch price, sell today). That's one of the lower cost-per-year cameras in its class.
Core
Released
2015
Launch price
£419 (2015)
Lens Type
Macro
Focal Length
56mm
Aperture
f/1.6
Compatible Mount
Canon EF
Filter Size
62mm
Dimensions
72.0mm diameter × 85.25mm length
Weight
410g
Weather Sealed
No
Optics & Focus
AF Motor
Manual focus
Optical IS
None (relies on body IS)
Aperture Blades
9
Magnification
0.5x
Min. Focus Distance
0.13m

Select up to 2 cameras to compare against the Velvet 56mm f/1.6. It's always pinned as the baseline.

Select 1–3 cameras to compare

8 cameras compatible with the Canon EF mount.

EOS 5D Mark II
Canon
EOS 5D Mark II
£128
📷
Canon
EOS-1D
£150
EOS 6D
Canon
EOS 6D
£156
📷
Canon
EOS-1Ds
£200
EOS 5D Mark III
Canon
EOS 5D Mark III
£219
EOS 6D Mark II
Canon
EOS 6D Mark II
£437
EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon
EOS 5D Mark IV
£446
EOS-1D X Mark III
Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III
£3500
GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre

Base score — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. Camera Match adjusts it for your skill level and priorities.

Portrait
6.1
Street
6.3
Travel
4.4
Wedding & Events
2.6
Filmmaking
4.0
Documentary
2.4
Landscape
4.6
Casual
3.2
Food
6.5
Macro
5.1
Architecture
4.3
Underwater
4.3
✅ Great For
🍽️
Food 6.5 Strong on focal length, close focusing and maximum aperture.
⚠️ Not Ideal For
🎥
Documentary 2.4 Held back by video handling and autofocus. Scored down: manual focus only.
💍
Wedding & Events 2.6 Held back by autofocus and focal length. Scored down: manual focus only.
📷
Casual 3.2 Held back by focal length and autofocus. Scored down: manual focus only.
📝 How suitability scores are calculated GearScore™ genre scores are calculated from this camera's verified specifications — autofocus, sensor, weight, weather sealing and more — weighted by what matters for each type of photography. Where a spec sheet misses something (e.g. a manual-focus rangefinder for street), we apply a documented editorial adjustment. Scores are not based on customer reviews. See our full methodology →
Price History — Velvet 56mm f/1.6
New prices, last 30 days