Pros
Exceptional image quality
Wide maximum aperture of f/1.8 for low light performance
Beautiful background blur (bokeh)
Solid build quality and durability
Smooth and quiet autofocus (STM technology)
Lightweight and compact
Versatile 50mm focal length
Great value for the price
Exceptional sharpness, even wide open
Compatible with a range of Canon cameras
Good minimum focus distance
Cons
Chromatic aberration in some situations
Weird squeaky noise from the servo motor
Autofocus can be finicky and may focus on the wrong spot
Main Product Advantages
10 Affordability
Provides outstanding value for money, making high-quality prime lens performance accessible to both beginners and experienced photographers.
9 Low Light Performance
The f/1.8 aperture allows for incredible light-gathering ability, making it perfect for dimly lit environments and producing sharp, noise-free images.
9 Bokeh Quality
Thanks to its wide aperture and 50mm focal length, this lens creates a dreamy, creamy background blur that isolates subjects beautifully.
9 Size and Weight
The lens is compact and lightweight, making it highly portable and easy to use for extended periods.
8 Long Exposure Shots
The fast aperture not only allows for more light but also longer exposure times without sacrificing image quality, capturing detailed and crispy long exposure shots.
8 Versatility
The 50mm focal length is ideal for various genres including portraits, street photography, and low-light scenarios, making it a versatile addition to any photographer's kit.
8 Image Quality
Offers exceptional sharpness, clarity, and detail overall, with improved chromatic aberration control compared to earlier models.
7 Build Quality
Although affordable, the lens features a solid, durable build with a metal mount and improved optical coatings compared to its predecessor.
7 Manual Focus
Focus-by-wire design provides smooth manual focusing, although it is not as precise as mechanical focus systems.
6 Autofocus Performance
While autofocus is generally smooth and quiet thanks to STM, it can be finnicky, sometimes focusing on the wrong part of the subject. Manual focus is often recommended for greater control.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Review
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens offers a wide f/1.8 aperture, which allows for over 8 times more light to be captured compared to standard zoom lenses. This results in sharper images with minimal motion blur and less dependence on flash in dim lighting conditions. As a result, the lens allows photographers to capture the ambiance of low-light environments effectively.
Ideal for Portraits
With a 50mm focal length, the lens enables you to frame your subject from a comfortable distance, making it an excellent choice for portrait photography. The perspective it offers is akin to that of the human eye, and its compact size makes it a practical everyday lens.
Advanced Focusing Technology
The near-silent STM (Stepping Motor) technology included in this lens ensures quick focus when taking photos, allowing you to capture fleeting moments. Moreover, when shooting videos, the STM provides smooth, nearly silent continuous focusing, ensuring that your audio captures the surrounding environment rather than the noise of the focusing motor.
Build and Quality
This lens is an update of the popular EF 50mm f/1.8 II, known for its outstanding picture quality at an affordable price. The newer version maintains the same image quality while offering faster and quieter focusing, as well as a more durable build.
Versatility and Performance
Canon's EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is versatile enough to be used for portraits, action shots, and nighttime photography. Its bright maximum aperture of f/1.8 not only improves low-light performance but also allows for beautiful background blur, thanks to its circular 7-blade design.
Improved Design
The updated lens arrangement and new coatings ensure excellent color balance and minimize ghosting and flare. The performance is further enhanced with a gear-type STM for practically silent Movie Servo AF. The lens also features a redesigned exterior with improved focus ring placement, simplifying manual focus adjustments.
Compact and Lightweight
The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is Canon's most compact 50mm lens, featuring a rugged metal mount and an improved minimum focusing distance of 1.15 ft (0.35m). Its maximum magnification is 0.21x, offering sharp performance for both movies and stills, making it an excellent fixed focal length option for expanding creative possibilities with EOS cameras.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is a fantastic addition for photographers and videographers looking for a high-quality, affordable prime lens. Its advanced focus technology, exceptional image quality, and compact design make it a versatile tool for a variety of shooting scenarios.
