Canon 40mm STM - confused by this lens

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

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Can someone explain to me the attraction of this lens?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8tcu24HHhw&feature=player_embedded#!

It's Small - granted
It is "cheap" - £200 it is not bank breaking.
It has a new STM focus - supposed to be silent and fast.

Well, I am trying to get my head around it. Size wise I don't really buy since I already find the 50/1.4 too small, i add the hood on it so i got more to hold on my 5D. I mean it is on a DSLR, not a compact, so size isn't a concern. It is not like i can stick it in my pocket even with this lens on.

In terms of the price, at £200, for that focal length there is the 35/2.0, or the 50/1.4 for a little more. Both a faster, the latter being USM and 1.4. I mean the price is good, but it is not that much different to the other lenses around that ball park. Especially the 50. And that video shows that STM isn't that fast.

And it is 2.8...prime lens under 100mm + 2.8 doesn't compute for me normally. Unless there is something else useful add to the mix - 100L Macro 2.8 IS, 45mm TS-E. I mean, if you have a 24-70/2.8, why would you buy this 40mm STM ?
 
Raymond Lin said:
I mean it is on a DSLR, not a compact, so size isn't a concern. It is not like i can stick it in my pocket even with this lens on.
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This is I'd guess where your opinion and many other peoples will vary, a DSLR with this pancake may not be pocketable but is clearly more compact than any other AF lens.
 
I have just bought this lens. I bought it for the following reasons;
- It is good value for the build and image quality (£139 from Digitalrev). What other options are there at that focal length and price?
- It is light and I like to keep my DSLR as light as possible. Size not so important as agree the 50 is not that big and weighs the same.
- 2.8 is fast enough for me as I only do daylight photography and still a decent enough low DoF
- The only cheaper alternative is the 50 1.8 which is too long and built very much down to the price. The 35 f2 may have been preferable but it is much more expensive.
 
Raymond, with your selection of lenses I doubt its of much interest to you, except as a body cap maybe :)

For me, I found it offered, for the price (It can be found way under £200), the best combination of sharpness, bokeh, build quality and standard focal length with the added bonus of size. Much better overall package than the 50mm 1.8 imo. If you really need 1.8 then the 50 is still very cheap.

I was primarily looking at it in comparison with the 50mm 1.8, as I've only just upgraded to FF from Nikon and wanted a standard prime to start with.
 
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£200 is a UK only price. It is much cheaper elsewhere. So I guess at £139 it suddenly makes a lot more sense.

btw 50mm is not proper USM, but the micro motor gimmick that is very likely to break sooner or later (I'm rather scared about mine), and f/1.4 is not exactly giving a perfect image.
 
40mm is a fantastic focal length. Perfect walk around lens. I loved my Zuiko 40mm/5dc combo sold them and bought a Panasonic G3 and the 20mm. Even better walk around combo.
 
I know 40mm is a fantastic focal length, the 35mm is my favourite lens, it is my Go To lens for most situations. However, 40mm 2.8 prime just not sure i would find a use for it. I mean, would I sacrifice 2 stop over my 35mm because it is smaller and lighter?

Narh !!!

But, I DO understand the attraction in the price, for £139 then it is rather reasonable. VERY reasonable in fact.
 
I think it is targeted at video because of the smoother focus brought about by the stepping motor, it is also quieter than the focus of something like a 50 1.8 (what isn't)

Not sure how well it works as I have never even pressed the video button on my camera...
 
Raymond Lin said:
But, I DO understand the attraction in the price, for £139 then it is rather reasonable. VERY reasonable in fact.
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Indeed. And when held side by side with a 50 1.8 the build quality (metal mount, better plastics) and full time focus in AF mode, along with arguably better bokeh, even if only at 2.8, the differences add up to good value.

And that is when comparing to the 50 1.8 which is priced way, way lower than any other prime.
 
I had my eye on the rumours for many months and like any early adopter paid a higher price so I could get my hands on one as soon as possible. The main reason was the size. I'd had two camera combinations over the years (DSLR and Compact) but really just wanted one camera, my best camera, with me at all times.

The 'shorty' allows me to pop my camera in day job bag with no worries about cramming it in or bashing it. This coupled with the stunningly good image quality makes a great all purpose lens. Also it becomes very unobtrusive for street photography.
 
At the price you can get it on import it was worth it just to see what the benefits of it was on the wifes new 650D. Although I've hardly used it for stills on my 5D3 or 60D it is very good for video and excellent on the 650D.
 
Is it just me or does it look pretty much like a kenko 1.4x extender ?
 
MWHCVT said:
I read though I've no idea where now that this is supposed to be targeted at the Video market because of the silent focus :thinking:
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Focus noise is just terrible. I don't shoot a lot of video, but I would not buy this lens because of its AF... Dan Carr wrote quite interesting review (also video review) of this lens. :)

Focus sounds - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGMltY72Jas

and the review - http://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2012/06/23/canon-40mm-f2-8-stm-pancake-review/

edit - if it would be cheaper, e.g. 50 1.8 money I would consider getting it to use as a body cap that can also take pictures. :)
 
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MWHCVT said:
I read though I've no idea where now that this is supposed to be targeted at the Video market because of the silent focus :thinking:
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Yup I've also read the same. If you autofocus with this lens whilst shooting video on a 5D mk ii/iii (for example, used the former personally) without using any external microphone etc, you cannot hear the AF at all. With the 50 F1.8 which is close to it in price, its VERY noisy under the same conditions and is also picked up on most external microphones also. The 50 F1.4 is more expensive than the 40mm F2.8 STM pancake so for video, this is the new benchmark lens for everyday amateur use.
 
Not saying the AF is completely silent and I don't shoot video but I really cannot hear the AF when there is any other background noise. The only cheaper prime sounds 10 times as noisy and much rougher in it's sound and I can't help but hear it.

If buying on a budget the 40 is a much better buy for me (than the 50 1.8) but does mean the the buyer has to live without the 1.8.

I know focal lengths are down to user preferences but I was very pleased with the difference going to 40 from a 50 for a walkabout prime to the point I realised I have been using the wrong lens for the last year and should have got a shorter one much sooner...
 
ernesto said:
I think it is targeted at video because of the smoother focus brought about by the stepping motor, it is also quieter than the focus of something like a 50 1.8 (what isn't)

Not sure how well it works as I have never even pressed the video button on my camera...
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:plusone: The 40mm and 18-135 STM lenses are aimed squarely at the amateur video market, the STM motor is designed primarily for low noise operation whilst videoing.
Most who have tried video will have found themselves flicking lenses into manual focus mode due to the noise from them.
 
This little lens has a lot going for it in my opinion...
- it is VERY small, fits in my pants pocket as a second lens if I go out with a 70-200 or the 100L macro on the camera. No need to take a bag with me.
- It is much much better built than Canon's cheap primes such as the 35/2 and it just feels like a real lens with real controls. Granted the focus ring is small (and focus-by-wire but it works amazingly well).
- It's sharp wide open. Really sharp. There is no need to stop it down in my opinion. Unless you want to get rid of the vignetting which is noticeable sometimes.
- Well controlled CA also, so sharpness is not compromised by stark contrasts either
- While STM focus is not as fast as USM, it is phenomenally accurate on a camera supporting rotational feedback info (or something like that). Lensrentals.com also tested this on a 5D3 and it was as accurate as Live view in phase detect.

Would I give up my 35L now that I have this tiny wonder? No, of course not.. even with the 5D3 behind it those 2 extra stops are invaluable in many situations. But to get to the level of performance that the 40/2.8 gives wide open I have to stop down the 35L quite a bit, at least to f/2 if not f/2.8.

I think it's a very very welcome addition to the lens lineup especially since the price is right. It's the new 24/2.8 IS and 28/2.8 IS lenses with their silly pricetags that I'm having a bit of difficulty with..
 
daugirdas said:
£200 is a UK only price. It is much cheaper elsewhere. So I guess at £139 it suddenly makes a lot more sense.

btw 50mm is not proper USM, but the micro motor gimmick that is very likely to break sooner or later (I'm rather scared about mine), and f/1.4 is not exactly giving a perfect image.
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I've had 2x 50mm 1.4, and AF went on both. They're very fragile. The STM pancake 40mm doesn't have the same motor does it?
 
It is supposedly a different motor, or the Stepping Motor name would have use believe.

Whether it actually is any different or just the same motor rebadged is for Canon to know.
 
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