Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM DxOMarked (very sharp!)

DxOMark analyzed the [shoplink 5686]EF 40mm f/2.8 STM (price & specs)[/shoplink] using a [shoplink 254]EOS 5D Mark II (price & specs)[/shoplink], and the nifty pancake got figures:

Considering its relatively low price, the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM was a solid performer on our DxOMark Camera Lens Ratings. […] it rates among the top seven standard prime lenses (with a focal range between 35mm and 85mm) achieving an overall DxOMark Score of 26.

Strengths of the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM include resolution […] Additionally, our sharpness measurements and field maps […] indicated that the lens delivered relatively consistent edge-to-edge sharpness from f/2.8 to f/11.

Other strengths include its low geometric distortion and well-controlled chromatic aberration as indicated by its low Chromatic Aberration score of 10µm.

The one weakness of the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM was the strong vignetting evident at the widest apertures. You can see from the vignetting field maps below that at f/2.8, there is heavy shading across 2/3 of the field.

The Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM actually has price tag of $149. A bargain for a lens that has such a good perfomance (click on shop name): [shopcountry 5686].

The 40mm pancake performs slightly better than the much pricier Canon [shoplink 175]EF 50mm f/1.4 USM(price & specs)[/shoplink], and the cheaper [shoplink 173]EF 50mm f/1.8[/shoplink]. As you can see, all three lenses have very good sharpness figures.

[via DxOMark]