The Shorty Forty MTF Chart Comparison

[ybrankov]

I can't see why I would need a 40/2.8. Almost anyone of us owns the 50mm cheapo. The angular difference is one step back with the 50mm lens. The aperture is 1.3 stops wider in favor of the 50mm. What would be my justification to buy the pancake? One of the reasons may be the pancake factor, but in my case it does not bring value to the table. I will pay $200 any day for an EF50/1.8 III STM with the build quality of the 40/2.8 to upgrade my plastic "prototype" ;-)

BTW, I'm having a hard time agreeing to the statement that the 40mm MTF charts are better than the two 50mm ones. The black lines are not comparable as the 40mm is 2.8 only. The blue ones which reflect the f/8.0 performance are generally very similar. The 40mm even shows a considerable sharpness dip around the 15mm radius ( <0.8 ). And, let's not forget these are calculated diagrams which are not guaranteed to accurately reflect real-world performance.

[c.d.embrey]

yeah but it is f/2.8...

It's starting to make sense. The STM Lenses were designed as Video Lenses.

"To leverage the unique, new shooting functions of the EOS Rebel T4i, such as EOS Full HD Movie with continuous AF, Canon is introducing two new unique lenses, the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens and new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens. Both new STM lenses includes Canon's new Stepping Motor technology, which allows the lenses to smoothly and silently focus, ..."  http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon/newsroom?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e0248057dd10

So there you go, the STM lenses are NOT Still Camera Lenses, they are Video Lenses.  Most Hollywood movies are shot between f/2.8 and F/5.6, therefore f/2.8 makes sense. If you shoot portraits or street (or other things that need fast lenses), this lenses Is Not meant for you.

Before you tell me Paper-Thin-DOF is Cinematic, spend a day at your local Multiplex. How many of the Top-Ten films (the movies people line-up to see) feature Paper-Thin-DOF

[c.d.embrey]

It will be an excellent walk around lens for FF, assuming the CA is good.

It could work well on my FFFilm Canon Elan 7n.  I normally shoot B&W (Kodak BW400CN,Kodak P3200 or Adox CMS20), so CA isn't a problem.

The lens I really want is the New Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.8G iens for my Nikon F100 FFFilm camera. Canon seems to have abandoned the middle while Nikon has come out with three reasonably priced f/1.8 lenses (28mm, 50mm and 85mm) in the last year

I still wish that Canon will come up a EF-S 30mm f2.8.

That and an EF-S 22mm (=36mm). I'd buy them both.

[Rocky]

After comparing the MTF chart, The 40 f2.8 is not as sharp as the 50 f 1.8.  It will be interesting to see some test report later.

[jweu]

After comparing the MTF chart, The 40 f2.8 is not as sharp as the 50 f 1.8.  It will be interesting to see some test report later.

I don't want any test report but more data from Canon! Whats is with 60 and 90 lines per mm, my body has more that 100!

This lens makes the camara very small to have alway with you. Why is this lens not weather sealed „L” ?

[akiskev]

yeah but it is f/2.8...

Before you tell me Paper-Thin-DOF is Cinematic, spend a day at your local Multiplex. How many of the Top-Ten films (the movies people line-up to see) feature Paper-Thin-DOF

Saw Prometheus yesterday. Only 2 shots with small DOF.
So, paper-thin-dof is photographic, not cinematic 

[jweu]

yeah but it is f/2.8...

Before you tell me Paper-Thin-DOF is Cinematic, spend a day at your local Multiplex. How many of the Top-Ten films (the movies people line-up to see) feature Paper-Thin-DOF

Saw Prometheus yesterday. Only 2 shots with small DOF.
So, paper-thin-dof is photographic, not cinematic 

Even for photography I love my old Tessar 45mm f/2.8 ;-) Unfortunetly there is no focusing screen with split-screen for my 5D.

[wickidwombat]

yeah but it is f/2.8...

Before you tell me Paper-Thin-DOF is Cinematic, spend a day at your local Multiplex. How many of the Top-Ten films (the movies people line-up to see) feature Paper-Thin-DOF

Saw Prometheus yesterday. Only 2 shots with small DOF.
So, paper-thin-dof is photographic, not cinematic 

Even for photography I love my old Tessar 45mm f/2.8 ;-) Unfortunetly there is no focusing screen with split-screen for my 5D.

if its not a mk3 these guys do them
http://www.brightscreenstore.com/store/

i got one for my 5Dmk2 to use with MF lenses

[noncho]

Well, I would like to compare MTF with my nearest 2.8 prime - EF-s 60 2.8 macro:


No comment, I'll wait for real pics from 40 2.8.

[Stuart]

Its quoted at £229.00 in the UK - £199 in the US.
As a straight conversion this should be £128.

That extra £100 is the difference between me buying it and not buying it.

It seems as if Canon consistently wants the UK to pay more for their lenses.
I love the canon product designers, but hate their marketing department.