Canon 24mm f/2.8 STM lens review: Crop-sensor Canon shooters finally get their fantastic, affordable pancake lens

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posted Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 4:37 PM EDT

 
 

One of Canon's many Photokina announcements was the introduction of a super compact, super lightweight and super affordable wide-angle pancake prime lens for APS-C shooters -- the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM. A couple years ago, Canon introduced the 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens. This thin, lightweight, and budget-friendly optic became very popular, but because it was designed for full-frame DSLRs, the field of view was equivalent to around 64mm when placed on an crop-sensor Canon DSLR. 

Now, Canon's APS-C DSLRs, which have become more compact and lightweight, get a great companion lens with the new 24mm f/2.8 STM. We've just published our full review on this new pocketable optic, and by all accounts, it's quite the impressive little lens!

 
The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM mounted to the Canon 7D.

Sharpness is extremely good, and other optical qualities such as CA and vignetting are well-controlled or only minor issues. The design and build is very similar to it's full-frame 40mm brother, but it's even lighter and focuses closer than the 40mm. All in all, the little 24mm f/2.8 STM pancake is a great lens and pretty much a no-brainer to add to your camera bag if you're the owner of a Canon APS-C DSLR, especially the smaller-style bodies like the Rebel T5i or SL1.

Head on over to SLRgear to read our Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM review, complete with our in-depth report, final conclusion as well as our full range of test results and sample images.

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM ships without a lens hood, though one is available for around $30. The lens itself is currently availble for pre-order, for a budget-friend price around $150. Check out Amazon, Adorama or B&H for more info on purchasing. Buying this lens, or any other item, at one of these trusted affiliates helps support this site and keeps the reviews coming!

In the meantime, check out some sample photos shot by our senior lens technician Rob Murray using our Canon 7D test camera. You can view more sample photos, plus download the full-resolution files, over at our Flickr page.

 
24mm, f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100, +2/3EV
 
 
24mm, f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 100
 
 
24mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100