Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone has any experience using the following lens, the 'shorty forty'

Canon - EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens

I want it, but before I pull the trigger I want to her actual real-world users feedback (if possible).

Thanks!

I moved this into the Cameras forum where we discuss both cameras and lenses.

Best review:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx

This description from the review seems to sum things up pretty well,

"Small size and small price are great, but ... image quality is a sacrifice one would expect to make to gain these attributes. Amazingly, the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens delivers impressively in this regard.

The Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens is very usably sharp at f/2.8 with a modest increase in softness as the outer portion of the image circle is reached. Stopping down to f/4 results in a sharp image across the frame save the extreme full frame corners. At f/5.6, even the extreme full frame corners are very sharp - allowing this lens to compete with lenses at far higher prices."

ziggy note: I would not care for the manual focus implementation on this lens. Manual focus control only works if the camera is awake and metering, meaning that if you wait a few seconds you will need to re-activate the camera in order to use the manual focus ring (otherwise the focus ring has no effect).

In other ragards, I think that I would like this lens a lot.

I love mine, had it a few months and it is definitely my go-to walk around street lens because of its size and quality. I use it on FF and like the focal length for street shooting. For the price it is hard to beat.

Originally Posted by JDub Hello all, Just wondering if anyone has any experience using the following lens, the 'shorty forty' Canon - EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens I want it, but before I pull the trigger I want to her actual real-world users feedback (if possible). Thanks!

it gets good reviews and looks sharp on flickr, POTN comparisons, etc. I would like to see it on the new EOS-M model

Originally Posted by Brett1000 it gets good reviews and looks sharp on flickr, POTN comparisons, etc. I would like to see it on the new EOS-M model

It would need an adepter of course, so it wouldn't be so short after all.

Originally Posted by JDub Hello all, Just wondering if anyone has any experience using the following lens, the 'shorty forty' Canon - EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens I want it, but before I pull the trigger I want to her actual real-world users feedback (if possible). Thanks!

I've seen great reviews and pictures taken with this lens. Kenmore Camera is selling it at $150 right now on ebay.

I have the 24-70II, so not sure what this would buy me, other than size, so I probably won't pick one up myself.

Also note that not all f/2.8 lenses are the same as far as AF. This lens is in a different "AF Group" than the other f/2.8 lenses in the 5D3 User Manual. Has something to do with the exit pupil size, I've been told.

Originally Posted by billythek ... Also note that not all f/2.8 lenses are the same as far as AF. This lens is in a different "AF Group" than the other f/2.8 lenses in the 5D3 User Manual. Has something to do with the exit pupil size, I've been told.

That's an interesting point.

It's not just the exit pupil (also called the exit aperture) of the lens, but the distance from the exit pupil to the focal plane, effectively the "convergence angle", which affects AF performance, along with the "apparent aperture" of the lens, subject illumination levels, subject contrast, etc..

Remember that the "phase detect" passsive autofocus, used in many/most dSLRs, is really a type of "electronic rangefinder". Anything that affects the base plane of the data samples can and will affect autofocus.

Originally Posted by Stuart-M It would need an adepter of course, so it wouldn't be so short after all.

good point, a real pocket size EOS-M needs EF-M lens

I've also read some pretty good reviews of the pancake 40 2.8
The question I have if this lens is any better than the cheaper 50 mm 1.8 stopped down to 2.8

Originally Posted by Onkertje I've also read some pretty good reviews of the pancake 40 2.8 The question I have if this lens is any better than the cheaper 50 mm 1.8 stopped down to 2.8

I believe that the primary improvement you should see in the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM vs the EF 50mm, f1.8, stopped to f2.8, is an improvement in both AF accuracy and AF repeatability.

The micromotor of the EF 50mm, f1.8 is notorious for being inaccurate to AF wide open. My copy really requires f5.6 to be consistant.

The EF 40mm f/2.8 STM stepper-motor should be more like Canon's USM motor technologies in terms of focus accuracy.

Pancake lenses are typically not too good in contra-lighting, but I haven't seen any examples of this particular lens in that situation.

To see examples of the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM vs the EF 50mm, f1.8 in terms of image sharpness at f2.8:

http://the-digital-picture.com/Revie...mp=0&APIComp=2

@ziggy53 : You're right. The AF of the 50 1.8 indeed is inaccurate (wide open) and I was too much focussed on the apperture.