Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Information.

[Ellen Schmidtee]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's special about this? It's only 10mm wider than the 50 and a stop slower. 

Three things better than 50mm 1.8:
-  Full time manual focus
- Quiet autofocus
- 7 circular blades =  great bokeh!

This will be my first pre-order of any canon

If Canon upgraded the 35mm f/2 to include those three things, it would have been my first pre-order as well.

[psolberg]

it is a neat advance but one has to wonder why canon did not include such technology on more popular lenses like the 70-200 and 24-70. or in the big telephoto refresh. having to wait for the revision III of such lenses to include this technology is quite bad. one also has to wonder if the technology even scales up that well which is why it is appearing in cheaper consumer lenses first.

without doubt other OEMs will adopt it, sigma, nikon, sony etc, just as with USM. But it will be decades before the entire lens lineup of these companies takes full advantage.

[charleswagoner]

Some of you people really need to look at this lens as a whole and stop focusing on the fact that it's "only f/2.8." Sure, the 50 1.8 II is a whole 1 1/3 stop faster. Awesome. But how practical is it really to be shooting with such a shallow DoF all the time? My one and only lens is a 50mm 1.4, and I almost never shoot below f/2, not because the image quality is bad, but because I have a hard time nailing focus in a pleasing way. At any rate, when I'm shooting portraits of a single person, I'm almost always at f/2.8. If this lens manages to get good image quality wide open, it will be great. I see myself using it as a walkaround lens, meaning that I will be outside most of the time and will probably never drop below f/4 without a good reason.

Also, when people quote prices on the 50mm 1.8 II, I feel like they're being awfully loose with their figures. In the past three years I've never once seen this lens at $100 on Amazon. It's always been around $120 - $130. A roughly $75 difference between it an the 40mm 2.8 is perfectly justified by a few things: STM, FTM, rounded aperture blades, a metal mount (the 50 1.8 II is plastic), and what appears on the surface to be higher quality plastic (it's got that rough finish instead of the smooth finish of the 50mm 1.8 II).

I'd really love to see a successor to the 20mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.8. I'm holding off on upgrading my camera until I see what Canon does with these lenses. If they disappoint (which I'm starting to think they will), then I'll just go to Nikon.

[neuroanatomist]

Also, when people quote prices on the 50mm 1.8 II, I feel like they're being awfully loose with their figures. In the past three years I've never once seen this lens at $100 on Amazon. It's always been around $120 - $130.

Look again.  It cost $100 for pretty much all of 2010, and is $110-$112 on Amazon currently, and $109 from Adorama with US warranty.   



Also, given that many of the lenses commonly discussed here cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, rounding even $120 down to $100 is not unreasonable.

[preppyak]

Look again.  It cost $100 for pretty much all of 2010, and is $110-$112 on Amazon currently, and $109 from Adorama with US warranty.

Yep, and Amazon has run it on Lightning Deals for <$100. Thing is, demand is probably still high right now, since its the cheapest upgrade over the kit lens, and a ton of people bought Rebels within the last 6-8 months. Prior to Canon's huge discounts before Xmas, I saw the 50mm on multiple deals in the $80 range.

[neuroanatomist]

50mm f1.8 II is also 6 element. I know the last element of the 40mm f2.8 is a "molded" aspherical element. It should not be more expensive than a polished element.

A gorund and polished aspherical element is certainly more expensive to produce than a molded one.

In decending order of cost and quality, the four types of aspherical elements are:

1. a ground and polished glass aspherical lens element.
2. a molded glass aspherical lens element.
3. a molded plastic aspherical lens element produced by a high-precision molding technology.
4. a replica aspherical lens element, ultraviolet-light-hardening resin layer on a spherical glass lens element.

So, what material is the molded element in the 40/2.8 pancake?  Ground/polished elements deliver the best IQ, and that's why they're used in L-series lenses.  The new 24mm and 28mm IS primes have glass molded (GMo) aspherical elements.  The aspherical element in the new 18-135 STM lens is a 'Precision Molded Optics (PMo) element' which I take to mean molded plastic based on the description (P for 'precision' is better marketing-speak than P for 'plastic'). 

[chadders]

Also, when people quote prices on the 50mm 1.8 II, I feel like they're being awfully loose with their figures. In the past three years I've never once seen this lens at $100 on Amazon. It's always been around $120 - $130.

Look again.  It cost $100 for pretty much all of 2010, and is $110-$112 on Amazon currently, and $109 from Adorama with US warranty.   



Also, given that many of the lenses commonly discussed here cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, rounding even $120 down to $100 is not unreasonable.

All very well for you boys across the pond. At the moment one online store here in the UK has it at £229. That's approx $353 at the current exchange rate of $1.5415 = £1.

[neuroanatomist]

All very well for you boys across the pond. At the moment one online store here in the UK has it at £229. That's approx $353 at the current exchange rate of $1.5415 = £1.

Right, but if I looked hard enough I bet I could find price-gouging online sellers here, too.  Amazon.co.uk has it in the £90-£105 range, which is a far cry from your £229 figure.

[chadders]

Also, when people quote prices on the 50mm 1.8 II, I feel like they're being awfully loose with their figures. In the past three years I've never once seen this lens at $100 on Amazon. It's always been around $120 - $130.

Look again.  It cost $100 for pretty much all of 2010, and is $110-$112 on Amazon currently, and $109 from Adorama with US warranty.   

All very well for you boys across the pond. At the moment one online store here in the UK has it at £229. That's approx $353 at the current exchange rate of $1.5415 = £1.

Right, but if I looked hard enough I bet I could find price-gouging online sellers here, too.  Amazon.co.uk has it in the £90-£105 range, which is a far cry from your £229 figure.

That's not the point. The point is that the "official" recommended price is $200 in the US. The "official" price in the UK is £229($353). That's the price quoted by mainstream photographic equipment retailers.

In any case, even at £105 is the equivalent of $162. I'll never be convinced that shipping, import duty and our so-called Value Added Tax accounts for all the price disparity.

[neuroanatomist]

The point is that the "official" recommended price is $200 in the US. The "official" price in the UK is £229($353). That's the price quoted by mainstream photographic equipment retailers.

Sorry, but from which orifice did you pull those 'official' numbers?!?  Can you provide a source?  Let me help with some links, where Canon USA lists the estimated retail price as $125.99, and Canon UK lists the Suggested Retail Price as £130 including VAT. 

In addition to shipping and import duty (and not VAT since that's included by Canon in the SRP), you left out what is a major factor in relative pricing - the strength of the ¥ relative to the £ vs. the $.

[chadders]

@neuroanatomist

Let me apologise for wasting your extremely valuable time. I mistakenly quoted the wrong post in my original post.

I was of course referring to the new 40mm f2.8 lens, not to the 50mm f1.8. (Actually, my daughter purchased that particular lens recently for significantly less than the price Amazon UK are offering it, but thanks for the heads up anyway).

I have just received an email which states that UK availabilty (for the 40mm f2. is expected from 15 June and the RRP is £229.99 (approx $355), and this appears to be the price the specialist photographic suppliers here in the UK are offering it. I would add that usually these specialist outlets seem to offer the best (i.e. lowest) prices for official imports.


"EF 40mm f2.8 STM
This lens is slim and light, measuring only 22.8mm in length and weighing in at 130g. This pancake-style lens is the thinnest and lightest lens in the EF range and is ideal for portraits.

The EF 40mm f2.8 STM is expected to be available from 15 June for £229.99 RRP."

However, as it appears the price quoted for this lens in the US appears to be $199 (perhaps that could be confirmed), my original whinge about the price disparity between the US and the UK remains.

Also the new 650D has a rrp of £699 ($1078). How does that compare with US prices?

[llcanon]

FYI. Techradar.com has a quick review on the new pancake. It gives you better perspective of how the lens/camera looks like. Very small front element.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/camera-lenses/canon-ef-40mm-f-2-8-stm-1083886/review

[DZY]

I found the STM focus a little slower than USM, but a little quieter. I believe that is why it is better for video.

[Rocky]

I found the STM focus a little slower than USM, but a little quieter. I believe that is why it is better for video.

Did you actually use it?? on what camera???

[ScottyP]

@neuroanatomist

Let me apologise for wasting your extremely valuable time. I mistakenly quoted the wrong post in my original post.

I was of course referring to the new 40mm f2.8 lens, not to the 50mm f1.8. (Actually, my daughter purchased that particular lens recently for significantly less than the price Amazon UK are offering it, but thanks for the heads up anyway).

I have just received an email which states that UK availabilty (for the 40mm f2. is expected from 15 June and the RRP is £229.99 (approx $355), and this appears to be the price the specialist photographic suppliers here in the UK are offering it. I would add that usually these specialist outlets seem to offer the best (i.e. lowest) prices for official imports.


"EF 40mm f2.8 STM
This lens is slim and light, measuring only 22.8mm in length and weighing in at 130g. This pancake-style lens is the thinnest and lightest lens in the EF range and is ideal for portraits.

The EF 40mm f2.8 STM is expected to be available from 15 June for £229.99 RRP."

However, as it appears the price quoted for this lens in the US appears to be $199 (perhaps that could be confirmed), my original whinge about the price disparity between the US and the UK remains.

Also the new 650D has a rrp of £699 ($1078). How does that compare with US prices?

Good god.  I'd like to announce that I (resident of the US) am embarking on a new second career; camera and lens shipper to the UK.  I'll purchase items and sell same to UK purchasers for cost + 20%, with shipping free.  Your items will be in original box, but the box may be enclosed within a sack labeled "coffee", and the all-natural packing material (coffee beans) are included free in the bargain.  God save the Queen.