Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Review

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Handling and Features

In contrast to the previous version of this lens, build quality is good, with high quality plastics used for the lens barrel and a metal bayonet. Despite the higher build quality, this optic still only weighs 160g. The lens balances well with the Canon EOS 5D MkIII body used for testing.

Autofocus is virtually silent, although it can be a little slow when compared to many other Canon lenses. Unlike many of Canon's USM lenses, full time manual focus override is not possible and manual focusing is performed by the focusing motor. Manual adjustments can be made in single focus mode once the lens has locked onto a target though. The manual focusing ring is well enough damped to prevent the focus ring rotating freely, which makes applying fine adjustments a pleasure. A small switch on the side of the lens allows switching between manual and autofocus quickly.

Focusing is not performed internally, extending by around a centimetre at closest focus. Even so, the 49mm filter thread doesn't rotate, making this lens ideal for use with polarising and graduated filters.

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