Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM, reviewed by drmaxx

Ouch! I am seriously considering one of these. Haven't started reading up on it yet, so I don't really know what to expect. I thought it would be sharper than what you are reporting. Thanks for the info!

Mine is sharp. Great lens for the price. It's my only non L lens.

Great lens for the price. Mine is on one of my bodies all the time instead of a body cap and always comes with me either on a camera or in my pocket even if I'm out shooting birds, with my 7d and 400f5.6, just in case a different photo opportunity presents itself.

I agree with the OP; I was underwhelmed. I actually bought it to go on my SL1 to make it a tiny package, but it was a bit of an odd focal length -- always too long indoors, often too short outdoor for ppl, but not wide enough for scenes, and not any sharper than the kit lens (which is v good btw), or perhaps less sharp. It was certainly weaker than I expected, though the crop sensors are very dense these days and I always wanted to shoot it wide open...

It's weird, I love a 50 prime or an 85 prime and though 64mm wouldn't be all that much different to either, but I just never got on with it. Maybe it's just that for the stuff I wanted to use it for -- out and about or indoors at home with the family, the kit lens is just so much more useful.

I thought about keeping it to use on the 5D, but the 24-70 is better in every way except weight and size, but if I'm lugging the 5D it's because I'm on a photography mission, and then I don't mind the size and weight.

I had the opposite reaction to the lens - it's insanely sharp. Combine that with its size and weight...it's ideal for an easy, versatile walk-around. At least on FF and in my opinion.

I find mine is very sharp in my 5D, even wide open, but not so sharp on my 40D.
I'm not sure why, since it should be sharper on the crop body.

Maybe the difference in on the sensors and not on the lens itself?

Has anyone compared this with the 24mm 2.8 STM?

I cannot get past how cute this lens is... alas, there are better ones out there

Very true! Especially when you compare this with the Sigma 35mm ART.

After several months of use I have to say that the lens is growing on me. Everything is still true that I stated as my first impression, but it's size just makes it sooo easy to have the camera along. Here some pics from a cooking course I participated myself. Difficult light - no flash. It just makes my camera so very handy and I find myself choosing it more and more over my Sigma 35mm ART.

This particular lens is not something to give you emotional turmoil this way or that. What it does though, it gives you very sharp and smooth pictures right out from wide open. It looks ridiculous. With a crop sensor camera you find yourself often with your back against the wall. Then again, portraits are not as distorted as with shorter focal lengths...(what else is new).

For the price, the performance is correct. With the Metabones adapter, it is the only one of my lenses that looks so abouts reasonable on the A6000.

Unless you are planning to shoot video with your Canon DSLR, you do not need this lens.

I personally love mine. Bought it a couple years back right after the lens was launched. it's a permanent functional body cap on my 50D. great lens to have to just pull out and go with the camera with no thought. very sharp and I would say a must have for any crop sensor user.

The 40 2.8 STM lens on my 5D makes it look like a Point & Shoot camera that is trying to be a DSLR wannabe. To solve this problem I attached a 52 to 55 mm threaded filter mount ring to the lens and then a compression mount all metal rectangular lens hood from days long ago. Here's a photo to clarify my long winded explanation.

ps: I use a Nikon D610 camera strap on the 5D and a Canon EOS strap on my Nikon D610 to cause confusion among the brand conscious out there.

This lens is new to me as I just acquired it several hours ago from a local pawn shop and I am already impressed with the macro capabilities.

IMAGE LINK: http://s648.photobucke​t.com …1673_zps4fzcd8k​r.jpg.html

I've had this lens for a couple of days now, and gave it a decent test run today. I can see this lens growing on me, oh so light!! Quick sample below, I was sitting on a swing set and quite liked the look of the swing chains and frame above me (this had some minor tweaking applied in DPP).

I'm a massive fan of this lens. Bought it to take on a trip and not be weighed down by my 24-70. After that I barely used the zoom for over a year and ended up selling it. The Pancake did everything and did it plenty well enough for me - street/travel, landscapes, portraits.

People often say they find the focal length a bit odd - on all kinds of camera, full frames, crop sensors, and I've seen the same said of the equivalent lens for the Fuji X system. I got on with it right away on that first trip ... it's wide enough without being too wide, I think that's why it's good for so many uses.

There are things it can't do. Being quite wide and only f/2.8 the background separation and blurring aren't phenomenal, but considering the size and price I think it's an amazing lens.