In praise of the 40mm f/2.8 STM

[mb66energy]

Mr_Canuck: Well choosen title ... "In praise ..."

I like the shorty forty on my EOS M - no longer a pancake but a pan cake stack. But for me the resulting 65mm equiv are a very attractive "wide angle" compared to the other lenses I use on a regular base: 160mm macro, 112-320mm, 640mm! And consumes only one lens compartment with its intelligent rear cap - the EOS M.

Another advantage of this lens is the contralight photo quality (see photo below) which gives great contrast and color under these conditions. For the shot below I came back to the same crop field (first session was spoiled by sRAW setting on 40D = 3 MPix) to get exactly that contralight.

EDIT: New reg to image:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=295.0;attach=124928;image

 

[Sporgon]

I too love this lens. Just disposed of it in favour of the new 24mm pancake, because my only body is now the 7DmkII and 24mm is a more useful focal length on a crop body. The new lens appears to be just as good.

I fondly remember the days of film and manual focus, there was a Pentax camera, the ME Super, which was tiny, and they produced the first pancake lens for it, which was a 40mm f/2.8. The combination was amazing. At the time I was already committed to Canon and rather resented that my camera was large and unwieldy by comparison. Finally Canon have given us a pancake lens - two even - but the days of tiny SLR cameras are long gone.

Actually cameras such as the Pentax ME / MX and the Olympus OM 1 / 2 were considerably wider than than the current Canon SL1 / 100D, a fraction lower in height, but obviously shallower due to no sensor. Weight was similar.

So you can still get a current, tiny slr, and it goes very well with the 40/2.8 and the new EFs 24/2.8.

 

[dpc]

Beautiful little creature. I bought mine on impulse a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I find that I don't use it much but I intend to keep it in my 'stable' of lenses.

 

[dpc]

Orchids

 

[dpc]

Various shots with the 40mm. I've had the thought of buying a SL1 for a small carry around camera and using the 40mm on it. I'll probably wait and see if there is any substance to the rumours about the revived M.

 

[dpc]

Interior of greenhouse

 

[applecider]

Well what'd'a know all this time I thought I was taking lens cap images, but lo and behold it twas the shorty forty.

The first is at crystal springs in portland (on what was supposed to be a xmas goose acquisition fore) and the second a vertical lens cap shot to test for dead pixels....at cooper spur at 4000±ft in next post.

 

[applecider]

The second from 4000 ft night sky...

While I love this lens i think I see coma in the periphery too bad cause it would be a great night sky hiking lens, also the f2.8 is maybe a tad slow for stars, though the alternatives tend to be softer at less than f 2.0 anyhow, AFAICT

Had to crop the image to get under the 5000 limit so the coma is only on the right side.

 

[KeithBreazeal]

I too love this lens. Just disposed of it in favour of the new 24mm pancake, because my only body is now the 7DmkII and 24mm is a more useful focal length on a crop body. The new lens appears to be just as good.

I fondly remember the days of film and manual focus, there was a Pentax camera, the ME Super, which was tiny, and they produced the first pancake lens for it, which was a 40mm f/2.8. The combination was amazing. At the time I was already committed to Canon and rather resented that my camera was large and unwieldy by comparison. Finally Canon have given us a pancake lens - two even - but the days of tiny SLR cameras are long gone.

Actually cameras such as the Pentax ME / MX and the Olympus OM 1 / 2 were considerably wider than than the current Canon SL1 / 100D, a fraction lower in height, but obviously shallower due to no sensor. Weight was similar.

So you can still get a current, tiny slr, and it goes very well with the 40/2.8 and the new EFs 24/2.8.

I bought the SL-1 for my pole-cam. Great little camera and surprisingly good image quality. It's always with me- even if only driving to town.

Canon Rebel SL-1 and Kodak Instamatic © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal Photography, on Flickr

 

[kirkcha]

Bought this lens for my wife's SL1 but I end up borrowing it a lot of the time.

 

[slclick]

Mr_Canuck: Well choosen title ... "In praise ..."

I like the shorty forty on my EOS M - no longer a pancake but a pan cake stack. But for me the resulting 65mm equiv are a very attractive "wide angle" compared to the other lenses I use on a regular base: 160mm macro, 112-320mm, 640mm! And consumes only one lens compartment with its intelligent rear cap - the EOS M.

Another advantage of this lens is the contralight photo quality (see photo below) which gives great contrast and color under these conditions. For the shot below I came back to the same crop field (first session was spoiled by sRAW setting on 40D = 3 MPix) to get exactly that contralight.

I first loved this shot when you posted it in Landscapes. Very Nice

 

[Mr_Canuck]

Another advantage of this lens is the contralight photo quality (see photo below) which gives great contrast and color under these conditions. For the shot below I came back to the same crop field (first session was spoiled by sRAW setting on 40D = 3 MPix) to get exactly that contralight.

I love that photo! Nicely done, and re-done. "Crop" "Field"... very photographic terms.

 

[zao]

Good lens for selfie)

 

[iMagic]

I love the 40mm pancake for infrared. With small afma it will autofocus in infrared perfectly.

 

[MonkeyB]

Good lens for selfie)

mind blown.