Yackers' Photography Tips and Tricks: CANON'S BEST BUDGET LENS

There was a time when the best budget lens for Canon dslr cameras was the 50mm f1.8 or “nifty fifty” as it is affectionately known. Times have changed, and whilst the Canon 50mm f1.8 is still a great budget lens however there is another affordable lens that is better and has stolen the “best value lens” crown. The lens I am referring to is the Canon 40mm f2.8 STM.

The Canon 40mm STM is an exceptional lens and whilst it is a bit more expensive than the Canon 50mm f1.8 it isn’t much more expensive. In fact, at the time of writing this post the Canon 40mm f2.8 lens is just £30 more expensive than the 50mm f1.8.

The Canon 40mm f2.8 isn’t as wide (or fast) as the 50mm f1.8 but what it lacks here it more than makes up for in image quality. The image quality of the 40mm f2.8 lens is exception given the cost of the lens. It is a sharp lens that renders accurate colours and controls pin cushioning, aberrations and distortion. The 40mm lens outperforms lenses costing several times more.

One of the biggest criticisms of the 50mm f1.8 was the build quality, which in all honesty is pretty poor. The 50mm f1.8 lens feels more like a child’s toy than a serious bit of photography equipment. The build quality of the 40mm f2.8 is very good and, compared to the 50mm f1.8, I would say exceptional. The 40mm lens feels solid and well built, which is more like it.

I appreciate the 40mm doesn’t have the same reach as the 50mm lens, and this fact concerned me at first as I liked the angle of view of a 50mm lens. Now I have used the 40mm f2.8 lens I have to say that I like the wider angle of view, and I now prefer it to that of the 50mm f1.8.

The 40mm f2.8 lens is a pancake lens, and as such is tiny and smaller than the 50mm f1.8. I like this because the 40mm f2.8 lens is discreet, which not only makes it portable but also great for candid and street photography where you need to be stealth like.

I bought my 50mm f1.8 lens many years ago and it was a favorite lens of mine, however since I bought the Canon 40mm f2.8 pancake lens I am finding I use the 50mm f1.8 less and less, and instead use my 40mm f2.8. I am stunned that Canon can make a lens this good for such little money. If you want the best value lens for your Canon camera, and want the biggest bang for the buck look no further than the Canon 40mm f2.8 STM pancake lens. I guarantee you will not be disappointed with this lens.