Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 Pancake

TaDa wrote in post #14635347
I don't see it as a novelty. The size is just awesome for walking around. My smallest lens is my 35L. This will be 1/4 of the weight and size. Perfect for my upcoming trip to Orlando (though I'll bring my 35L just in case I don't like the results)

well the 35F2 is pretty tiny and a whole stop faster compared to the pancake.... that's pretty much my biggest reservation of the pancake. I really like the idea of a tiny lens, but being 2.8 prime, it's a novelty to me as well

Well you see.. That's the thing. Although it's a nice light lens, I'd probably always have the 35L with me just in case.

Another happy reviewer, this lens looks like a winner. Test results look impressive!

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=2598

Now, if they only do a wider focal length for street shooting on crop cameras...

The Photozone review is up now:

http://www.photozone.d​e …eos_ff/752-canon_40_28_ff

K_Elkhawaga wrote in post #14635395
Another happy reviewer, this lens looks like a winner. Test results look impressive!

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=2598

Now, if they only do a wider focal length for street shooting on crop cameras...

Looking at the comparison tool results against the two lenses this one gets compared to the most (35mm F/2 and 50mm F/1.8), to my eyes:

Versus the 35mm F/2, when they're both at F/2.8, the 35mm is slightly sharper in the center, but the 40mm is noticeably sharper in the corners. The 40mm stays sharper in the corners until F/5.6 when the two look basically even.

Looks like a similar story versus the 50mm F/1.8. Both at F/2.8, the 50mm is slightly sharper in the center, but the 40mm has sharper corners. They're even by F/4.

Distortion looks much better on the 40mm than either the 35mm or the 50mm from the charts, too.

I'm looking forward to his full review.

Another good review from photozone

Seems like it's designed to do video- for $200 might be worth a try!

Has anyone used the lens for low light conditions? I'm curious how it would preform.

Just picked mine up from Best Buy, it's had about fifteen minutes of use on my 60D. My thoughts so far:

- Honestly thinking it may be too small! I have very little to hold with my left hand so I have to basically grip the bottom of the camera body, which makes the whole package awkward to hold (I have no idea what I'd hold if I had my battery grip installed).

- The AF speed is mediocre, probably about as fast as the 18-55 kit lens. It is nice and quiet though. Not USM quiet, but you have to get close to hear it focusing.

- Manual focus is terrible. The focusing ring has very little damping, and the "focus by wire" focusing doesn't always seem to correlate 100% with how fast or far you're turning the ring. Also, oddly, the focusing motor is louder and has a different sound when manually focusing than it is when auto focusing. Still not super loud, though.

- It's awesomely sharp wide open, and stopping down doesn't make it noticeably sharper. I'll only ever stop down if I need more depth-of-field.

Though the first and third points give me pause, I still think the sharpness and portability make this lens a keeper.

MidnightRook wrote in post #14628215
Lenses need to have character

Well said...Character is pretty much the only thing that makes me want a lens.

I've purchased several 40 or 45mm lenses over the years because I love that FL on film or FF. I've been saying for a few years that a good 40mm pancake was one of the biggest holes in Canon's lens lineup.

I'll be buying the EF 40mm.

Mine arrived today. So far I really like it. Full time manual focus works in the normal way, the same as ring USM, as long as the focus is not assigned the shutter button. Optically it seems very good.

There are a few bits of information in the manual that might be of interest:
max magnification
naked lens: 0-0.18x (11.7"-infinity)
EF 12 II tube: 0.32-0.50x (6.9-8.5" focus distance)
EF 25 II tube: 0.70-0.88x (6.1-6.5" focus distance)

Canon also says:
"The close-up lenses cannot be used with this lens. (The end of the lens will become heavy, causing the focus to become unstable.)"
"When using an EOS film camera, the action of the focus may slow down if the battery is low on power or when the ambient temperature is low."

Cam101 wrote in post #14635374
Well you see.. That's the thing. Although it's a nice light lens, I'd probably always have the 35L with me just in case.

I know what you mean. I love using my 35L.

In the end, there's going to be times when I want to go with one lens, such as a 24-105. In those situations, the 40mm comes along because it will definitely fit somewhere. That can't be said for the 35L or 35/2 --- although the 35/2 comes really close in size, but, not in optical performance.

I love the pancake already

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/16848360@N02/7​455057382/

UPS just dropped mine off 15 minutes ago. Very very impressed. The caps almost double the size of the lens. Mounted on my 5D, it's almost flush with the mirror box casing. Damn tiny. And the thing is insanely sharp wide open. Good corners, razor center. As mentioned, the focus isn't lightning quick. Somewhere between 85L and 85 1.8.

For the price, size and IQ, it's a definite keeper