Yet Another Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Review

Image credit: The Phoblographer

The Phoblographer posted their Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM review. Another very positive review of Canon’s cheap and sharp pancake lens. The reviewer was

[…] was extremely surprised with the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens, the image quality delivered was beyond what I expected from a lens at this price point. I do wish the manual focus feel was a bit more responsive, and the AF speed just a touch faster, but I can certainly live with it as-is and have no issues. For $150 (as of Nov’ 2012) I feel like this should be a no-brainer purchase if you want the smallest lens that Canon currently produces.

Pros and cons:

  • Tiny physical size
  • Accurate AF
  • MFD under 12″
  • Very, very good image quality
  • Better AF during live-view (on STM friendly cameras like the T4i)
  • Highly Flare Resistant
  • Inexpensive!
Minuses:
  • Electronic AF  motor means camera has to be powered on to retract lens
  • Slight lag when manually focusing
  • Not quite as fast as Canon’s USM lenses
  • Manual focusing ring is tiny (though this is unavoidable given the size of the lens)

Sample pics are provided. Check it out!

Product specs:

  • Continuous Autofocus for Video With T4i
  • Bright f/2.8 Aperture
  • Lightweight 4.6 oz Lens
  • Unobtrusive–Less Than 1″ Long
  • Aspherical Element–High Image Quality
  • Optimized Coatings Reduce Ghost & Flare
  • Exceptional Color Balance
  • 7-Blade Diaphragm for Beautiful Bokeh
  • Close Focusing to 11.81″
  • 64mm Equivalent If Used on APS-C Camera

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Canon EOS M Sample Pics From Bangkok

First samples or my ongoing travel photography review of the Canon EOS M.

I am in Bangkok, waiting for my connection to Rangon in Burma. So I thought I could waste some time in infamous Khao San Road in Bangkok. Here are some sample pics, all purposely shot with ISO 3200. Minor adjustments, mainly cropping and straightening. So far auto focus didn’t let me alone. :-)

Do not have enough bandwidth to upload the full sized pics.

 

 

Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS vs EF 70-200 f4L IS – A Video Comparison

Thatnikonguy (on Youtube) compared two Canon EF 70-200 image stabilized lenses, the EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS ($2099) and the EF 70-200 f/4L IS ($1349).

Canon 70-200mm IS lenses, f2.8 vs f4. The F4 is half the weight, price and half the light – but is it enough for you? Should you pay the extra for the big boy?

Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

 

Another Canon EOS M Review (Cameralabs)

 

Cameralabs posted a comprehensive review of the Canon EOS M. Canon's super small MILC gets a “recommended” and an 83% score. From the verdict:

Good points

    • Small lightweight simple body.
    • 3 inch 1040k bright 3:2 touch-screen.
    • 18 Megapixel APS-C sensor.
    • Compatible with EF & EFS lenses using adapter.
    • 1080p movies at 24, 25 or 30p.
    • External microphone socket.

Bad points

    • Only 2 native EF-M lenses at launch.
    • Sluggish AF performance.
    • No electronic viewfinder option.
    • Record button dead in non-movie modes.
    • No built-in stabilisation.

See also my first impressions of the EOS M, and stay tuned for my upcoming travel photography review of the EOS M. In a few hours I am heading for Myanmar (former Burma) and the EOS M is in my baggage. Let's see how well the EOS M does for travel photography.

[via Cameralabs]

Canon EOS M price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STMB&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

 

 

Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Review (The Phoblographer)

Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Review
Image: The Phoblographer

The Phoblographer reviewed the Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM. It’s nice to see that Sigma is delivering this lens with a padded lens case (a good one, with shoulder strap). From the review:

The Sigma 180mm is a highly impressive lens. Not only has Sigma added their 4-stop OS (Optical Stabilization) system to their existing 180mm macro, they managed to pry open to aperture to f/2.8 up from f/3.5 (where most 180mm macro lenses fall). They have also added 3 FLD elements (similar to Fluorite) to the lens to help combat Chromatic Aberrations (commonly referred to as: CA). All of this results in a lens that is exceptionally sharp, capable of true 1:1 macro magnification and able to be hand-held at speeds well below 1/200 (where one would normally have to shoot this focal length for an acceptably sharp exposure).

Pluses

  • Impressive sharpness
  • Accurate AF
  • Excellent macro capabilities
  • Accurate AF (wait didn’t I already say that? Yeah, it’s that important)
  • Very usable stabilization system

Minuses

  • Somewhat heavy
  • Somewhat specialized (potentially limited uses)
  • Quite expensive at $1699 (at time of this writing)

The Phoblographer’s review has sample images and more information about the Sigma Macro 180mm.

Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Review

Product description (B&H):

The Sigma 180mm f/2.8 APO Macro EX DG OS HSM Lens (for Canon) is a high-speed macro lens offering a magnification ratio of 1:1 and a focal length of 180mm. This lens is compatible with the Canon EF mount for use on full-frame and APS-C DSLRs.

This lens incorporates 3 FLD glass elements for color aberration corrections, as well as a floating inner focusing system to reduce other aberrations such as field curvature and distortion, resulting in accurate scene rendition from 1:1 magnification to infinity. A Super Multi-Layer coating helps to eliminate ghosting and flare as well as produce images with more contrast and sharpness. The rounded 9 blade diaphragm also provides an appealing bokeh, especially when photographing at the maximum aperture or at 1:1 magnification.

The integrated OS (Optical Stabilizer) system permits users to photograph handheld with shutter speeds up to 4 stops lower than usually possible. An HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) is also incorporated into the design, ensuring quiet and quick auto focusing and manual focus capabilities.

High-speed f/2.8 180mm macro lens provides 1:1 magnification ratio.

FLD glass elements and a floating inner focusing system help to correct for color aberration, field curvature, and image distortion.

Multi-layer coating reduces ghosting and flare and provides greater contrast and color fidelity.

Rounded 9 blade diaphragm produces an attractive out of focus quality.

Integrated Optical Stabilizer system permits users to photograph handheld with shutter speeds up to 4 stops lower than usually possible.

A Hyper Sonic Motor is incorporated into the lens design, ensuring quiet and quick auto focusing and manual focus capabilities.