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Customer Reviews for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Ultra-slim and lightweight design
Bright f/2.8, compact optical system at 40mm
Built-in stepping motor provides smooth and quiet, continuous autofocus when shooting video with Canon EOS Rebel T4i DSLR
Minimum focusing distance: 0.98ft./0.30m
Average Customer Rating:
(14 Reviews) 14
Rating Snapshot (14 reviews)
5 stars
9
4 stars
2
3 stars
3
2 stars
0
1 star
0
13 out of 14(93%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Review 1 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Stonewall
Location: Dallas, Texas
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Well worth the price
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:March 16, 2013
Pros: Super-sharp images
This lens is a perfect addition to my collection for the price. I shoot for pleasure, often hiking with just my 70-300 or 24-105. Until I can save up for a 70-200 f/2.8, it's great to have a small fast lens that I can literally fit in my pocket. I've actually taken some of my best shots with this little lens.
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: lancer
Location: florida
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Not sure why the negativity. This is fantastic
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 11, 2013
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images
This lens for the money is a must buy. I got this lens a few weeks ago and am so happy with it. Highly recommend picking this up. Great build quality and awesome images from this lens. Very sharp and fast focusing. Not sure why the bad reviews but I've researched and everyone seems to agree with my take on this lens. I wouldn't hesitate on picking this up great addition to my bag and use it quite often. Don't pass this by.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: PHOTOS BY TOM
Location: Springfield, ILL.
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No
Great little lens.
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 6, 2013
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images, great lens 4 money.
I bought this lens when it first came out. At the time of purchase i had a T3i canon rebel and it worked great with it. Then i purchased the Canon Mark II, and it works even better. Great lens for the money and more!!!!!!!!
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: EdK
Location: LA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: No
Ok
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:January 17, 2013
Pros: Fast auto-focus, good for the price.
Cons: poor contrast, overall distortion
The lens, for the money, is pretty good.
However....the contrast is weak and it seems to have some distortion. A 40mm really souldn't have much, if any, distortion. The latter is easy to fix in Lightroom, or DxO, but the contrast is difficult to remedy.
However....the contrast is weak and it seems to have some distortion. A 40mm really souldn't have much, if any, distortion. The latter is easy to fix in Lightroom, or DxO, but the contrast is difficult to remedy.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Doc
Location: Chesterfield, MO
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Wow... better then expected.
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 28, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images, inexpensive
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of this inexpensive lens and its performance. AF is quick and precise. Image is outstanding. I think this lens will become my "go to" lens replacing some rather expensive EF and L Canon lens for every day use as a hobbyist.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: gotgov
Location: Utah
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
ist non L lens purchased.
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:October 12, 2012
Pros: Super-sharp images
I usually buy L glass only but I made an exception when this came out.
I am very happy overall with it. I have only shot a short while with it but so far its sharp, produces great images and gives me a bit ore room to work with than my 50mm 1.2L as far as focal length. Defiantly not a replacement for any of the lenses I have but a great fun and affordable lens. Worth trying at the price point!!!!!!!
I am very happy overall with it. I have only shot a short while with it but so far its sharp, produces great images and gives me a bit ore room to work with than my 50mm 1.2L as far as focal length. Defiantly not a replacement for any of the lenses I have but a great fun and affordable lens. Worth trying at the price point!!!!!!!
9 of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Paula
Location: Lawrence, KS
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Lots of bang for the buck
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:September 28, 2012
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
I was torn between this lens and either the 50mm 1.8 or 1.4f lenses and decided to give this lens a try. So far I have been quite pleased with the lens. I like the extra view I get with this 40mm lens on my T2i compared with a kit lens. I do a lot of macro work and for flowers this lens is great when you don't need macro but want a close up. You can use it with extension rings and I can see using it in a pinch in lieu of my 100mm macro.
On the other hand it is great for medium range shots as well. For instance I found this lens really performs taking street shots. Focusing takes a bit of getting used to; I am used to the 55-250 or the 70-300mm telephoto lenses or the 100mm macro and keep reaching for the wrong spot to focus.
The main complaint I have is that the manual focus ring is a bit too narrow and I have small hands but it is better than the 50mm f1.8 lens. Also the connection to the camera is metal rather than plastic like the f/1.8 50mm or for that matter the 55-250 telephoto.
The other thing about manual focus is that it seems to take quite a few turns to get something in focus and sometimes the manual focus seems to sleep. Pressing the shutter half way seems to wake it back up.
If you want something else other than the 55mm kit lens then I'd take a look at this lens. Way better build than the f/1.8 and much faster than the Kit lens that came with my T2i.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Hoborg
Location: Jacksonville
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
THE BEST
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:September 12, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: doesn't buy me coffee
I used a 15-85mm, on my 60D and i was happy with that lens, carrying it everywhere for daily shooting, since i got this beauty, i can't take it off! it is lighter, sharper and makes the life easy in low light. MUST HAVE!
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Gilo
Location: Philippines
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: No
A bit of a let down
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
out of
5
Date:September 6, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, size, weight
Cons: Semi-sharp images, flat color rendition, poor bokeh
I bought this lens for its weight, size and price. Based on the reviews,it seemed quite good, but using it is a bit of a let down. It is certainly small and light, but the autofocus problem for the models sold with the first firmware is indeed annoying and it is present even when used with a Canon EOS3. Even more annoying is that to install the firmware upgrade one MUST use either a 1Dx, or a 5DIII equipped with latest firware upgrade, or a 650D (which is being recalled for other reasons). This means that one has to go to Canon to do it.
But even once upgraded the lens remains pretty flat in terms of performance . Yes, the autofocus is fast, but the focus is soft, color rendition is flat and bokeh is basically non existing. So overall, I would say the price is not that good, because you get exactly what you pay for.
But even once upgraded the lens remains pretty flat in terms of performance . Yes, the autofocus is fast, but the focus is soft, color rendition is flat and bokeh is basically non existing. So overall, I would say the price is not that good, because you get exactly what you pay for.
6 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: RawDogg
Location: Redwood City, Ca.
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Can't beat this lens for the price
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 19, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: larger aperture
Small, Light weight, Fast and fun to use. I put it on my 5D Mark II and was totally surprised by the results. I wasn't expecting the image quality that I received. I wish it were a 2.0 or even 1.8 or better yet 1.4 but it would have cost more. I'm totally happy with my purchase. I use it for landscape, friends & family, video, macro, portraits, and it works excellent.
21 of 22 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Eyeballer
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
A Good Buy
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:July 11, 2012
Pros: small and light, good build quality, convenient focal length
Cons: slightly soft at 2.8, sleeps too quickly, needs a larger aperture
I purchased this lens mainly because of its size and weight. The lock-up is nice and tight. I use a 5Dii. It's a great lens if you want to drop the overall weight and size of your set up for a day of snapping. Lugging around a camera with thick, heavy glass does become a drag. Image quality is good and I get usable photos. Background blur is nice. Build quality is impressive when considering its price. It has full-time manual focus, too.
Some of my minor complaints are that the lens goes to sleep too quickly and on occasion it will not wake up. I'll have to turn the camera off, then on again to get the lens working. Manual focus doesn't work when the lens is asleep. It's a little noisy when focusing and its focusing speed could be better. It's not slow, but it's not fast either. Of course it's not a USM, however focusing is accurate.
Some of my major complaints are that the lens is not very fast at only 2.8. I think a prime lens should be faster, at least a 1.8, but if that were the case it would probably out compete the 50mm 1.8. The relatively small max. aperture is disappointing and irksome. Canon should have made this lens faster. Also, image quality is slightly soft wide open. It's not as sharp as others at 2.8 (it's sharp enough, just not razor sharp) and vignetting is very obvious on a full frame.
This lens could be better, but considering what it sells for I'm not too surprised about its overall quality and performance. You get what you pay for.
If you already have the 50mm 1.8 or the 1.4, then there's no reason to buy this lens except for its attractive size. The focal length makes it a great walk-around for the streets or indoors, but the 50mm 1.4 would do the same with slightly better IQ at 2.8. Plus, you'll have the option of going larger in low light conditions.
Overall, I'm happy with this lens for what it is and I am satisfied that I purchased it. It's discreet, compact, affordable, and easy to carry and produces usable photos. However, if you're thinking about buying this lens before the 50mm 1.4 or 1.8, then don't.
35 of 40 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: Nick
Location: Norfolk,VA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 5, 2012
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Just got it today I have a T2i not like the big dogs but it does a good job,it fits pretty snug on to the body at first I thought something was wrong how snug it is. Its pretty quiet "to me" when focusing.I took 10 shots with it and they all are very sharp.I'm new to the world of photography and if there's others like me please get this lens for the price it want let you down and the build of it is very good as well it a keeper I can see some good things down the line with this one.
9 of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: viktas
Location: Wharton NJ 07885
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Excellent Sharp Pancake
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 4, 2012
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
I really like so many things about this lens so lets get in to it. First the size is a GREAT answer to mirrorles systems. Second the Optics are very sharp even wide open just slghtly soft at extreem edges wide open. Third the color out put is really nice not muted. Forth the build quality is incredible for such a cost and that is the fith consideration the inexpensive price. I am using my copy on a 5Dmk3 and I love it. I am having issues with non Canon lenses AF on my 5Dmk3. But not with this Pancake 100mm f2.8L and 70-200 f2.8L ii. to put it simpler tjherms I get all the resolution of the 5Dmk3 with this lens and my other two all the time, completing my system for now till I get a 18-135 STM and T4i for video. finailly Canon is catching up with the High Megapixel sensors in optics. Check the MTF charts. if you might be considering a undercover looking lens or compact size don't hesitate get your copy now. Despite having two 430ex ii I decided to get a 270ex ii because of it's compact size to use as IS and it's a lovely combination. The AF is not slow on this lens, just not as fast as my other two!
9 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
Nickname: derob
Location: Concord, NH
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: No
this lens makes me happy
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:June 22, 2012
Pros: discreet small size, overall image quality, price performance
Cons: vignetting
I bought this lens for my 5DII for two reasons; I thought 40 mm is just excellent for landscapes, stills, and cityscapes, and I wanted to have a lightweight and discrete alternative for the big zooms.
Well, this lens is pretty excellent for this purpose. I have had it only for a week now and I am really happy with it. It lives up to its discreetness (it looks strange on my camera, as if no lens is mounted). I made some really nice pictures with it already.
About image quality: Sharpness first. Although I did only field testing, to me it appears tack sharp. At f2.8 it is OK (though at 100% visibly softer and less contrast), with some quite apparent problems in the extreme (really extreme) corners. You will not notice without looking for it. From f4 onwards I did not notice this anymore and IQ appears overall excellent. Another thing what is outstanding is bokeh; even at f8 it is very smooth. From some test shots made for the purpose I did not notice bokeh fringing either. Overall color and contrast appear OK as well. With some real effort I detected some barrel distortion which was already fully corrected in Photoshop by using the smallest correction possible.
Except... with image quality I am afraid there is one problem, and that is vignetting. At f2.8 this is very apparent, and does only go away at f5.6 or so. Of course my 5DII firmware doesn't have data for this...Canon please please add correction data at least to DPP, it is difficult to correct by hand...
Other things, well, build quality is very good, and manual focusing is surprisingly easy given the by wire focus control. The focus ring is also big enough. The AF is a bit slow though, and makes a weird noise. STM I don't need.
Given the price/performance/discreetness, I think this lens is a definite hit. If you don't really need the speed of one of the other primes, this is a good bet.
43 of 44 people found this review helpful.
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