Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens

CUSTOMER REVIEW



The EF-s 24 2.8 STM joins the EF 40 2.8 STM as one of two pancake lenses in Canon's lineup. Although appearance is nearly identical to the 40 2.8, the mount is APS-C only, e.g., Rebel and 70D, and does not fit full-frame cameras such as the 5D MKIII or 6D.



BUILD: This six-element design is housed in a protrusion barely larger than a body cap, hence the pancake moniker. Mounted on a Rebel SL1, it easily slides in my coat pocket. At 125g, the camera is so light it feels like I forgot the lens! Build quality is great: metal mount, sturdy plastics and attractive industrial satin finish.



AUTO FOCUS is considerably more surefooted and peppy than the 40 2.8 STM. While AF is normally reliable and accurate, it misses focus a little more often than my USM primes, e.g., EF 24 2.8 IS USM, especially when refocusing on the same point in a subsequent photo.



Focus is almost inaudible--a pianissimo "sheeek"--but may be picked up by the SL1's built-in mic during a quiet video clip. Workarounds include use of an external mic, focusing before shooting or disabling movie servo. However, focus is buttery smooth and ideal for touchscreen pulls during video.



MANUAL FOCUS is "focus-by-wire"; i.e., the MF ring isn't mechanically coupled to the lens and is merely a switch for activating focus. Manual focus is smooth and accurate, albeit slow. The nested barrel extends during focus, getting slightly longer at macro distances. It also features FTM (Full-Time Manual), i.e., ability to override AF without flipping a switch. The gotcha is FTM is only active when the shutter button is half depressed.



IMAGE QUALITY: The slightly wide view coverage of 24mm on APS-C--equivalent to 38mm on full frame--is ideal for street shooting, landscapes and candids. I love shooting wide open at F2.8 and this lens delivers tack sharp images. Corners are slightly softer but improve when stopped down, nearly equalizing with the center by F4.0. Light falloff (vignetting) is pronounced at F2.8, nearly two stops below center brightness, but fades by F4. Although light falloff is considered a drawback, the natural vignette is pleasing for portraits and nostalgic landscapes.



Defocused areas at F2.8 have a smooth swirl to them (bokeh), albeit not as pronounced as longer lenses. There is slight chromatic aberration (CA), but only in high contrast light at frame edges, e.g., tree branches against a bright sky.



LENS HOOD: The dedicated hood that fits both the EF 40 2.8 STM and EF-s 24 2.8 STM is the Canon ES-52. It's basically a 52mm aluminum filter ring around a disk with a hole in the center. It provides almost no shading or protection. If you don't mind spoiling the pancake vibe, a 52mm thread generic metal hood for 28 to 35mm coverage works better.



Normally a Benjamin and a half doesn't buy much in terms of optics but the EF-s 24 2.8 STM lens is an exception: made well, renders beautiful images and it's sharp wide open at F2.8. I take it and my SL1 everywhere and the tiny form factor allows stealth in bars, casinos, restaurants, markets and streets, places where hoisting a big zoom tends to draw attention.