(I want to start off by saying I have no affiliation with Canon, or any product manufacturer for that matter. I don't make money from these reviews, nor do I plan to. If I don't like a product, I don't review it. Simple as that.)

     Welcome back to the next lens review on my roster. This week it's the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens.

Form Factor

     Only protruding about 1 inch when mounted to the camera and weighing 4.6 ounces, this is a tiny lens. I can see someone fitting it in their pocket and taking it almost anywhere with them like I have gotten in the habit of doing. In fact, when I travel now, I don't use the body cap for the camera. I just put this lens on.

Autofocus

     Being used to full manual lenses, using autofocusing lenses can be a real treat... when they work that is. I can tell you that some lenses (I'm looking at you Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) stink at it. But this lens focuses really fast. I haven't timed it, but I can say on my T1i, it's fast enough to lock on to a car coming my way. Another nice thing about this lens is that when it focuses it's practically silent, which is perfect for quiet scenarios like weddings.

     One issue I have with this lens is: When you focus to close focus, the front of the lens extends. That's 100% fine. But when you turn the camera off, the lens stays out. I don't know if Canon is planning on putting out a Firmware Update to fix this, but I can see how this could cause the lens to break if you are in a hurry and need to put it in your bag.

Sharpness

     This lens is hilariously sharp. It's very usable at f/2.8 and at f/4 down it's tack sharp. Take a look at the images below:

     Tack sharp throughout the photos from corner to corner.

Final Thoughts

     This is by far my favorite lens to shoot with. Wide enough for street photography, long enough for portraits and sharp enough for both. If you're looking for an upgrade to cheap kit lenses, or simply looking for a lens to fit in your pocket when hiking, I can't think of a better lens to get.

     If you would like to purchase this lens, you can do so by clicking this sentence (which is connected to an Amazon Affiliate link).

     That's it for now. Tune back next week for another post. Until then, hej då!