# Review - Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 STM



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jun 15, 2016)

Discuss our review of the Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 STM here.


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## Chaitanya (Jun 15, 2016)

Thanks for the review, higher magnification ratio and smaller size is making this lens more tempting to purchase compared to 50mm STM.


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## J.R. (Jun 15, 2016)

An EF-S lens masquerading as an EF lens? 

Modification required both, in the title of this thread as well as the review page.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Jun 15, 2016)

This lens can be interesting for someone who has only 18-55 or 18-135, but does not add much except to be small. If the person has other different expectations of small size, you will be frustrated. ???

My brother in law, was traveling to the USA without speaking any words in English,  and I wanted a luminous prime as the Sigma 30 Art, but I was afraid he buy Sigma with the wrong mount. :-X So I asked Canon 24 pancake.

When he arrived, I tested quickly and not saw the advantages over 18-55mm STM. The difference between F2.8 and F3.5 did not impress me. Lack of Image Stabilizer, and focus much slower in pancake left me disinterested. I sold the pancake, and found a Sigma 30mm Art used, and fell in love with it.

Honestly, I would prefer that Canon offered something like the Nikon 35mm F1.8 DX, which costs about the same but captures more than twice the light. I like small lenses but not as small as a pancake.


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## zim (Jun 15, 2016)

Yip, very fair assessment.
I have both the 24 and 40, have to admit though there is just something about the 40 that feels photographically better, that might just be my preferred style though.
Spot on about the sharpness and close focus distance which for me added to the usefulness of the lens greatly.

These pancakes are just great unthreatening walk-about lenses lens caps! ;D

Regards


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## RustyTheGeek (Jun 15, 2016)

I've been pretty pleased with this lens on my SL1 where it pretty much lives unless I use the 18-270 super zoom. Great little lens!


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## arcer (Jun 15, 2016)

This lens was one of the few lens I bought at launch. Luckily, they were bundling a SanDisk 32GB Extreme SD card with it, so it was more attractive and I got to haggle the price lower by asking them to unbundle the card for me. (Cause I got a few Extreme Pro SDs already at that time)

I have to say it was a great buy for me and it is still giving me great experience as a lens cap. When I'm bored or stuck in my photography "career", it is a nice lens to bring when going around the city and countryside. Yes, it is sometimes distracting for not having the "L" quality I'm used to when I bought it, however, its performance still gives me awe for delivering nice images in such a small package. There are some (pin-cushion?) distortion, minute chromatic aberration, and some vignette, but they are really not a problem when you can fix them at post.

I did some images for some of my clients with this lens and most of them were shocked by how a cute little lens have a significant impact on their photos. I would like to share some of them here but I guess I might just be ridiculed for having clients of low standards. Haha.......

Anyway, for now it is the permanent resident on my 10 years old 350D, which I still use cause that is the only personal body I got now. But I was impressed with it on the 7D2 and 70D, and printing sharp photos of up to 8R on the 350D.


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## Luds34 (Jun 15, 2016)

I really liked this lens when I owned it. I pre-ordered it as soon as it was announced. I loved the FOV!

However I agree that it's small size is it's biggest selling point. I liked it best when I would pair it with a small body, like my old T2i. However, after I sold that body and I used it on a 70D, well at that point, it was the same size as my 6D + 40mm, so I preferred that route instead. For out and about family snapshots, the f/2.8 on full frame gets better subject isolation.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Jun 15, 2016)

zim said:


> Yip, very fair assessment.
> I have both the 24 and 40, have to admit though there is just something about the 40 that feels photographically better, that might just be my preferred style though.
> Spot on about the sharpness and close focus distance which for me added to the usefulness of the lens greatly.
> 
> ...



I don't know what body you are using the 40 STM on, but one of the reasons why it has always felt "photographically better" for me is that I have most often used it on FF bodies where f/2.8 has better subject isolation.


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## PLIV1974 (Jun 15, 2016)

Hi everyone, 

i bought that EF-S 24 STM f:2.8 + a SANDISK SD64GB + a LOWEPRO card wallet for 225€ in France.

I am not aprofessional photographer, so i won't be able to explain you technically my thoughts, but ok, let's say like this: i like the pictures that i shot with that lens, isn't it the most important?

I cannot tell you about the defaults of the lens, and honestly even if it has some, i don't care, my wife also likes the pictures! and if my wife is happy with my pictures, i can continue to invest!  

Hey guys, don't be macho, don't tell me that you don't have your own strategy to justify your investments to your wifes... 

I still look for the EF600mm IS f:4 L to join my bird photography gear, this is my real hobby, this EF-S24 STM f:2.8 was just an happy accident along the road, but a good one ! No regret at all !


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## Maximilian (Jun 15, 2016)

Thanks, Dustin, for another good review! 

I can 100% support your conclusions, having and using this lens on my 100D/SL1 a lot. 
Great little steal of a lens.


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## unfocused (Jun 15, 2016)

I'm always conflicted about these pancake lenses. They are cute, but I have not been able to justify them.

The 24mm f2.8 IS lens is pretty small as it is, has IS and fits both full frame and crop cameras. Plus, to me, a 38mm (effective) lens is not a focal length I am interested in. If it were 15mm, I'd find it much more appealing. I feel the same way about the 40mm pancake lens. It's not really a wide angle and it's not really a standard focal length and for about the same weight and less money I can get the 50 mm f1.8 STM. 

That's just me. I don't begrudge anyone who likes and buys these lenses, I just haven't found a rationale for them yet.


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## Maximilian (Jun 15, 2016)

unfocused said:


> I'm always conflicted about these pancake lenses. They are cute, but I have not been able to justify them.
> 
> The 24mm f2.8 IS lens is pretty small as it is, has IS and fits both full frame and crop cameras.
> ...
> I just haven't found a rationale for them yet.


EF24/2.8 IS vs. EF-S24/2.8
Street price: about 320 % (of course you'll have to add the price of the body as well - but not if you already own one)
Length: about 240 % (of course you'll have to add the length of the body as well - but not stored in your bag)
Weight: about 220% (of course you'll have to add the length of the body as well - but not stored in your bag)

A lot of people I know would say: "500 €/$ for a lens? I want a whole camera (system) for that money."
For those people, for that market and the ones who want to save space there are several rationales for this lens.


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## ashmadux (Jun 15, 2016)

Hmm, I dont really get this lens.

Its wide on crop and on FF- too wide for a walkabout unless you are in vast grand areas, i think. 

I wish cannon would made an efs version of the 22/f2. Now THAT lens is a winner.

The 40mm on full frame or crop just makes a whole lot more sense to me.

My 2c


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## monsieur_elegante (Jun 15, 2016)

The topic title confused me -- Dustin's review is for the EF-*S* 24mm f/2.8 STM, not an EF 24mm. This lens would not work on an EF mount (FF bodies).

I loved my EF-S 24mm STM -- I recently reluctantly sold mine to a friend simply because I picked up a 6D and now do most of my wider shots with that FF body instead of my 7D2. 

Took some pretty amazing shots with this lens on the 7D2 -- I agree 100% with Dustin calling this lens a "must own" for crop body shooters. Compared to the 50 f/1.8 STM, I found this prime lens to be a lot more versatile as a walk-around lens on a crop body and, at least to my eyes, yield better results given the same crop body.


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## Sharlin (Jun 15, 2016)

ashmadux said:


> Hmm, I dont really get this lens.
> 
> Its wide on crop and on FF- too wide for a walkabout unless you are in vast grand areas, i think.
> 
> ...



Uh, what? The 24mm on crop gives almost exactly the same field of view as the 40mm on full-frame. It's just a trifle longer than a full-frame 35mm which is a very well regarded "wide standard" focal length - many like it better than 50mm but obviously we all have slightly different styles and needs.


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## Cory (Jun 16, 2016)

Thanks for that review - couldn't be more timely. I'm torn between a nice compact (like maybe the new Lumix GX85) or this lens on my 70D and a Think Tank Slim Changer. Am big on keeping it simple so sticking with one camera/one system is a major bonus.
Thanks in advance for talking me off my current ledge.


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## Refurb7 (Jun 16, 2016)

It's a wonderful lens for a crop camera. It is my "standard" lens on the SL1 camera body.


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## MrFotoFool (Jun 16, 2016)

I bought it for one reason: to keep permanently attached to an infrared modified body I bought (50D). It is small enough that the body with lens takes up basically the same amount of space in my bag that the body only would. For this purpose it works well, I swap my main lenses on my 5D3 as needed and just keep this lens on the IR body.


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## d (Jun 16, 2016)

Chaitanya said:


> Thanks for the review, higher magnification ratio and smaller size is making this lens more tempting to purchase compared to 50mm STM.



...also, the focal lengths are completely different - some would factor that into their purchasing decision as well!


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## Azathoth (Jun 16, 2016)

Great lens. But i disagree with one thing said on that review. The focus speed althroug we cannot call it slow it's not fast. For example the 18-55 IS II was faster.


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## NancyP (Jun 16, 2016)

I find the focal length of ~40mm equivalent a very good length for general use.


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## Phenix205 (Jun 16, 2016)

A great review Dustin, as always.

However, I am not sure it is something the APS-C shooters "must have". Like many others, I bought the 40mm pancake for my FF camera the first day when it was on the market, but it has turned out to be my least used lens. Other than the small size and low price, it hasn't offered anything that is unique. The aperture is not large enough, the image quality, bokeh and AF performance are just OK, and on a full frame body the whole setup is so unbalanced and it is actually awkward to hold in hand. Had it been a f2 lens, it would've been a different story.


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## Random Orbits (Jun 16, 2016)

Phenix205 said:


> A great review Dustin, as always.
> 
> However, I am not sure it is something the APS-C shooters "must have". Like many others, I bought the 40mm pancake for my FF camera the first day when it was on the market, but it has turned out to be my least used lens. Other than the small size and low price, it hasn't offered anything that is unique. The aperture is not large enough, the image quality, bokeh and AF performance are just OK, and on a full frame body the whole setup is so unbalanced and it is actually awkward to hold in hand. Had it been a f2 lens, it would've been a different story.



For people that have a lot of L glass, it makes less sense, but for bang for the buck, it's up there. I picked up a refurbished EF 40mm on sale after it had been out for a while, and I use it from time to time, but it's not in my top 5 lenses in shots taken. It gets used as a shorter focal length option when using a 70-200 or a 100-400. The longer zoom stays on the BR strap, the 40 goes on for a few shots and goes back into a pocket, and the longer zoom gets reattached. I find it useful for the kids' soccer games. Taking a team photo with a long zoom is hard when other parents are in front of you with cell phones.


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## RustyTheGeek (Jun 16, 2016)

Random Orbits said:


> Phenix205 said:
> 
> 
> > A great review Dustin, as always.
> ...



Which is why I keep the 16-35 in my bag! That way I can get way out in front closer to the group and _block all the cell phone parents_ !!​ ;D Bwahhhh - Ha - Ha Haaaaa!!! 8)​


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## Plainsman (Jun 16, 2016)

Having used the 24, 40 and 50 STMs I would rate the 24 the sharpest overall followed by the 50.
The 40 was good in the centre but soft at the edge of the field so got rid of it pronto.

C'mon Canon give us some more STM primes e.g. 200/4 and/or a 300/5.6 - just like you, Nikon, Minolta etc etc gave us in the old days of film!


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## fon-foto (Jun 17, 2016)

Another +1 from me, I spent a while building a super light weight day-trip kit (small bag, 100D, 24mm + 50mm STM and pocket manfrotto tripod). Absolutely love this kit, and ultimately blows any of the EF-S zooms out of the water for image quality.

Versatile, discrete and light weight.


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## d (Jun 17, 2016)

fon-foto said:


> Another +1 from me, I spent a while building a super light weight day-trip kit (small bag, 100D, 24mm + 50mm STM and pocket manfrotto tripod). Absolutely love this kit, and ultimately blows any of the EF-S zooms out of the water for image quality.
> 
> Versatile, discrete and light weight.



Nice kit...I'm working towards the same. Just need the 24mm and I'm done (waiting for a used one at the right price). May I ask which Manfrotto model you went with?

Cheers,
d.


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## zonamav (Jun 17, 2016)

Love this lens on my small crop body. Can't see myself carrying around larger gear when traveling or hiking after the enjoyment I've had with it.


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## Plainsman (Jun 20, 2016)

zonamav said:


> Love this lens on my small crop body. Can't see myself carrying around larger gear when traveling or hiking after the enjoyment I've had with it.



It's exceptionally small on the 750D - pocketable if you have deep pockets.
And when you crop down from 6000px width to say 2000 you should get an exceptionally sharp hand held image without the need for IS.
My desire for a "heavyweight" full frame combo has gone.
In fact FF enthusiasts with their expensive white lenses are missing out big time here!


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## Maximilian (Jun 20, 2016)

Plainsman said:


> ...
> In fact FF enthusiasts with their expensive white lenses are missing out big time here!


But they have their counterpart: EF 40/2.8 STM

Or they have both pancakes, like I do.
(Of course not using the EF-S 24 on FF  )


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## Cory (Jun 20, 2016)

Just made the leap. This might be my default lens with the others on hand as needed.
On a side note - the Think Tank Slim Changer is the PERFECT minimalist bag for the body(not a 7D)/pancake lens.


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