This review just comes from my experience using this lens on a couple hikes. I’ve owned pretty much all the Canon 50mm 1.8’s down to the FD and FL’s, and at the end of this review you can find a shootout of all generations, plus infrared performance from a IR-modified 5D.
The Canon 50mm 1.8 STM features numerous improvements over its predecessor including a better (and functional) focusing ring, STM focusing motor and more, all of which make this lens simply a no-brainer for any Canon shooter.
I invite you to make your own conclusions where performance is concerned. I have included 27.2GB of mages shot with the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM on a Canon 5D3, Canon 6D and Sony A7R, so download it to check it out for yourself, preferably on a retina or 4K display.
Key Features
- EF lens
- STM Autofocusing for video shooters
- Electronic focusing ring
- Metal lens mount, not plastic
weight
aperture blades
thread size
minimum focusing distance
Design & Durability
If you’ve ever used the previous Canon 50mm 1.8 you’ll know that Canon didn’t win any design or durability awards, but they did produce a very sharp and dependable prime while at the same time cutting corners on materials, quality and ultimately durability.
The design of the new Canon 50mm 1.8 STM eliminates the plastic lens mount from it’s predecessor, features a new (and functional this time around) electronic focusing ring similar to the Canon 40mm 2.8 and a better matte black finish, all of which produce a more durable and long-lasting lens.
The finish on the new Canon 50mm 1.8 STM feel and looks like powder coated metal. It has texture to it, and I actually quite like it. It’s different, and to my mind higher quality feeling than the Canon 40mm 2.8, and it’s certainly heads and shoulders above the previous Canon 50 1.8.
I haven’t seen this kind of finish on any of Canon’s other lenses, but I hope they continue this trend even on their more expensive lenses.
Image Quality
As you can see from the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM image gallery, critically sharp images are possible with AF, and with MF with a little work.
Even long exposure shots with a X3 ND and a couple Singh-Ray GNDs look clean and sharp. Colors didn’t hold that well, but the sharpness at the center looks great.
Details resolve critically sharp as would be expected from F4 to F8, with a gradual softening of details between F16 – F22.
Electronic Focusing Ring Performance
The Canon 50mm 1.8 STM’s image quality performs critically sharp in the center if focused correctly, and therein lies one of the difficulties with this and other electronic focusing ring lenses.
When trying to manually focus on my Canon or Sony A7R cameras, getting the correct focus was easier than my Canon 50mm 1.8 II, but not nearly as fast or accurate as the Canon FD or FL’s.
Personally I don’t like the electronic focusing ring (EFR), but hey, it seems this is the trend Canon is on with lenses under $200. It beats the hell out of the Canon 50mm II’s focusing ring, which was shoddy at best, and a clear example of Canon cutting corners.
Flaring & Ghosting Performance
I’m pretty impressed with the flaring and ghosting performance on the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM. There’s not much to say other than Canon pretty much nailed it.
I shot quite a few images in situations where I expected to see some flaring, but I didn’t.
Click above to view the STM vs. FD vs. FL shootout performance.
Sure, the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM overall performs sharper than it’s predecessor, but what about sharpness performance versus the FD and FL lenses of 50+ years ago?
Here I used a Sony A7R, which has a very good sensor and a small flange distance between the sensor and back of the lens, allowing for all lenses to be used on the same camera body without moving or adjusting the setup much.
