Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 Pancake

[missitnoonan]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

I really don't get it. I'm a crop shooter and this focal length seems too long for a walk around lens and is there really any benefit to something this small on the FF bodies?

30mm or so and you might have sold me, besides it isn't as if my 35mm f2 is all that big.

The textbook definition of a "normal" lens is one whose focal length is equal to the diagonal of the imaging area. If you remember your Pythagoras, a full-frame 24mm x 36mm sensor has a diagonal of 43.27mm, meaning this 40 gives you as close to a normal lens as you'll find. I could see mounting it to an un-gripped 5D for a street / party type of setup. Hell, it looks like it's no bigger than an extension tube!

b&

Totally get the focal length for FF, but is there any benefit to something this small on such a big camera? Doesn't look like it would even extend past the hand grip! Hey, performance being equal I guess smaller is always better, but things like the 35 f2 and 50 1.8 are already tiny and light.

 

[elflord]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

If there's an AF/MF switch, I assume there's a motor

Yep, that's what I was thinking.

And I still don't know what to make of this. If it means the mirrorless will have EF mount, awesome. If not, then its just a strange lens. Too slow to be worth it over the 50mm f/1.8 (and probably more expensive)...not much cheaper than a 35mm f/2...no IS to make it like the 24 and 28mm lenses. It doesn't really fit obviously within any strategy area. Just seems like they wanted a pancake lens for the sake of having one.

Doesn't make sense for mirrorless to have an EF mount. They could be trying to make a smaller SLR.

 

[Daniel Flather]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

wish it was white ;D

EPIC

 

[crasher8]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

Pricing to possibly be sub 200. That's NOT even close to the 35 f/2. This will be a nice little niche lens easy to add to anyone's kit. Nothing to blow you away, just another FL which will work for some and not others, LIKE ANY LENS.

Hmmmmm 64mm. I could do that.

 

[AvTvM]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

Doesn't make sense for mirrorless to have an EF mount. They could be trying to make a smaller SLR.

you are right, I overlooked that one ... :-[

 

[mws]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

Doesn't make sense for mirrorless to have an EF mount. They could be trying to make a smaller SLR.

you are right, I overlooked that one ... :-[

Unless they have some how changed the mount, like you can't put a EF-S lens on a FF camera.

 

[pwp]

At under $200 is this going to be a nail in the coffin of the 50 f/1.8? On a Rebel size body this becomes a very compact lightweight unit. They'll sell boatloads of this lens.

PW

 

[hammar]

I'm already in love with this lens! I have a feeling it will be a bottleneck on the 5D3 IQ though...

On a side note: why are you all referring to the aperture as "speed/fast", in what way is a 2.8-lens faster than a 5.6-lens (the latter has a smaller maximum aperture which is not to say it is faster in any way)?

 

[wickidwombat]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

Would a lens hood screw onto the filter then?

same as the 50mm f1.8 yeah a hood needs to screw in but i got a great one on ebay where you screw in a bayonet ring then you can use a bayonet hood on it

i'll dig up the link, here you go

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lens-Hood-Shade-Canon-EF-50mm-f-1-8-II-USM-52mm-Thread-Adapter-Ring-ES-62-L-/160816196853?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item2571646cf5

 

[J]

On a side note: why are you all referring to the aperture as "speed/fast", in what way is a 2.8-lens faster than a 5.6-lens (the latter has a smaller maximum aperture which is not to say it is faster in any way)?

Larger aperture lenses deliver more light to the sensor, which means you can use a faster shutter speed.

f/5.6 is two stops slower than f/2.8. Say you're already using ISO 1600, and the f/5.6 lens can only get 1/15 shutter speed. The f/2.8 could achieve 1/60 under the same conditions, which can make all the difference sometimes...

 

[TrumpetPower!]

At under $200 is this going to be a nail in the coffin of the 50 f/1.8? On a Rebel size body this becomes a very compact lightweight unit. They'll sell boatloads of this lens.

PW

I doubt it. The 66mm equivalent on a crop body is going to be weird...too long for normal / walkaround, too short for portraiture. And the Plastic Fantastic is significantly faster, plus it's the standard normal on full frame and the standard portrait on crop.

Really, I see the 40 as being something primarily of interest for pocketable street / party photography with a 5D. It's just about perfect for that (a stop faster would be nice, but that'd be my only complaint), and just about useless for anything else.

b&

 

[Rocky]

Canon should have made a 30mm f2.8 EF-S mount. This will make a really small package for the existing APS-C DSLR. It should be doable. The EF-S mount allows the lens goes in the mount for another 9 mm.

 

[Zlatko]

It looks like a delightful lens! I am absolutely thrilled with the small size. What a great way to make a big full frame camera smaller for family photography and travel. This is an extremely useful focal length with a very useable widest aperture, and it has AF. The price sounds very reasonable. Fantastic!!!

 

[pwp]

On a side note: why are you all referring to the aperture as "speed/fast", in what way is a 2.8-lens faster than a 5.6-lens (the latter has a smaller maximum aperture which is not to say it is faster in any way)?

Faster...we're not talking about 0-100 kph or AF speed. It's the long established convention to refer to lenses with a larger maximum aperture as being "faster".

So an f/1.4 50mm lens is faster than an f/2.8 40mm, which in turn is faster than a f/5.6 400mm lens. In this context it refers only to maximum aperture, not focal length, AF speed or anything else. Get the idea?

PW

 

[pwp]

Canon should have made a 30mm f2.8 EF-S mount. This will make a really small package for the existing APS-C DSLR. It should be doable. The EF-S mount allows the lens goes in the mount for another 9 mm.

Yep I'm inclined to agree on the 30mm argument, but not EF-S. Could be the 40mm is the first of a small pancake parlour of Canon glass.

PW

 

[michi]

The lens looks attractive, but in the end, on my DSLR, I don't think it makes much sense. I didn't buy my DSLR for size (as in small size) and my goal wasn't to get the smallest lenses available but the best quality I can afford. Also 2.8 isnt something that impressive on this focal length. Now if it was 2.0 or 2.2, that would make it a bit more attractive for me. Either way, unless this turns out to be an amazing performer, I will save my money and buy a "big" lens.

 

[spinworkxroy]

I'm actually pretty excited about this lens..
It's going to make a great "emergency" low light lens for my mk3.
Yes, i do have the 50mm but on nights out and all i really want to bring is 1 camera and a light lens, it think this fits perfectly. 40mm will be great for group shots as well…sometimes the 50 is a little too tight.

 

[Zlatko]

Re: Canon EF 40 f/2.8 Pancake

Hey, performance being equal I guess smaller is always better, but things like the 35 f2 and 50 1.8 are already tiny and light.

Those lenses have the old noisy AF motors. I'm hoping this little 40mm lens has a quiet AF motor.

 

[Scott]

I'm excited, I'll be getting one for my 5dii. I hope it has a nice short MFD.

 

[wickidwombat]

i still cant see the point of all these f2.8 primes coming out