Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Out of all the lenses I’ve used with my Canon T6i, the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is easily my favorite. It’s incredibly compact—basically a pancake lens—but it delivers sharp, vibrant images that punch way above its size and price.The autofocus is smooth and quiet, which is perfect for video work, and the f/2.8 aperture gives great subject separation and solid low-light performance. I’ve used it for everything from casual street photography to product shots and it consistently delivers.It’s also super lightweight, which makes the whole setup feel much more portable. Honestly, it rarely leaves my camera. If you shoot with a T6i or any crop-sensor Canon body, this little lens is a no-brainer.

As a passionate photographer I am always watching videos about photography and lenses. Watched a review video about this lens and I decided to purchase one, NO REGRETS HERE!Great wide view as well as how close you can get to the subject. Impressed with its size and versatility. I own several camera lens but this one is a keeper for life :) Fantastic all around.

I love this pancake lens. This is ideal for day to day street and landscape photography. The sharpness and speed are all good. It is used only on crop factor DSLRs but I am okay with that. For the last four years, I have used this, this has become my go to lens for casual photography and professional photography alike. Factoring in the crop factor this 24 mm lens translates into a little less than 40mm on full frame which is may be a bit wide angle for portrait but still good for general versatile use. Build quality is decent for the price. I have no complaints what so ever.

I didn’t have very high expectations for a lens this cheap but it’s been absolutely phenomenal! One of the best purchases I’ve ever made! Here’s a photo I took while using it ☺️

Owning Canon's other fabulous prime lens, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens - Fixed aka the nifty-fifty, I thought I would take another flyer on one of Canon's budget, fixed lens offerings: Canon's EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens. In short, this lens at this price point does not disappoint and if you're after quality on a budget this lens definitely belongs in your arsenal as a wide angle option.--Build and Aesthetic AppointmentsAs other reviewers have mentioned, this lens is small. It's small size helps the whole lens feel very sturdy despite it being 100% plastic. The focus ring feels nice (which can be adjust manually even when autofocus is engaged, which is a huge plus) and the autofocus and manual focus switch has just enough resistance for a good quality feel to it.In terms of looks, this lens looks like any other non-L-series lens from Canon. Silver ring appointment with a nice rubbery-toothed grip on the focus ring, it's a nice looking lens. One thing you should notice before purchasing this lens is that the glass itself almost looks like a toy, seeing that it is so small and surrounded by a large plastic bezel. As far as I can tell, this does not have an affect on image quality, but definitely does not look like a conventional lens.--Usage and FeaturesThe size and price of this lens makes it a perfect knockaround lens that will deliver some pretty stellar images--you can literally slip this thing in your pocket, fanny pack, purse or whatever when traveling; really cool. Its maximum aperture is 2.8, while not as fast as the amazing nifty-fifty, the extra light you can get at this maximum f-stop across all focal lengths is a huge upgrade over most lens kits, making it a cheap and worthwhile upgrade.One thing to take into account is the focal length on this prime lens on an APS-C body is the APS-C crop factor that adds a 1.6x (I believe) magnification to the focal length. What this means is that, while this lens is certainly wider than the nifty-fifty fixed lens as example, you will more than likely not have as much headroom as you would like with this lens. Still, you have plenty of frame to take some nice architecture interior and exterior shots or group photos; just do not expect fisheye’ish expansive landscape shots from this lens--which would be too high of an expectation for this lens in the first place.Autofocus is fast and, for a lens at this cost, pretty quiet. I have not had any trouble getting proper focus with this lens even when shooting quick moving subjects like my dog running around at the dog park. For videographers planning on purchasing this lens is to be wary of the noise that your camera’s on-board microphone will pick up from the autofocus and manually adjusting focus. Believe it or not, noise from autofocus is not as big of an issue as the noise made when manually adjusting focus. I’ve noticed on video I have shot with audio that the focus ring makes a bizarre whirring sound that is almost cute, but the sound will cut through all of the other audio being recorded. If you are really serious about shooting video on a DSLR and need audio, it should go without saying that you should buy a separate mic for your rig and you will minimize or completely avoid picking up unwanted camera audio but this is just something that is good to know before you buy.A cool secret feature is this thing takes some pretty good macro shots. I have been able to get extremely closeup on subjects such as flowers, plants and my dog with really great results. My images turn out sharp even at f/2.8 and I have been pleased with the flexibility to get in tight on subjects to capture more depth and details.Another thing I noticed the first time I attached this lens to my 7D is that it was almost scarily snug. I was a little worried, but I have not noticed this issue again since changing lenses a multitude of times. So, if you notice that this lens fits a little tight on your camera’s body, this is more than likely not something to worry about as my camera and all of my lenses are functioning properly as they should.--Image QualityFor a lens this size and its price point, this little thing takes some fantastic images. There is noticeable softness in the edges with this lens, even at lower f-stops but is still a jump up from just about any Canon kit lens. Vignetting in my use has been negligible in my use and have noticed very little barrel distortion, even when getting close to subjects when shooting.Color aberration, or lack of it, is incredible for a lens at this price and tier. While writing this review, I had to go through quite a few images in Lightroom before I could find any example of fringing in the photos I have taken with this lens. Even then, aberration would be very easy to remove in Photoshop or Lightroom.Bokeh effect is fine on this lens as well. Nice, smooth bokeh where the background is still discernable but the focused subject jumps off the background, sharp and bright. I have been more than happy with the bokeh effects I have been able to achieve in still images and video with this lens.Colors overall are luscious and vibrant. I have been very pleased at the saturation and color of my images and video shot with this lens, even before editing.--OverallIf you are just starting out building your lens collection and do not have the nifty-fifty, I would suggest purchasing the Canon’s 50mm budget prime lens offering before getting this lens. I do believe that after purchasing any of Canon’s budget or L-series prime lens offerings, this lens is totally worth purchasing--as long as your camera has an APS-C sensor as this is an EF-S lens. Even as a knockaround, travel lens this thing smokes kit lenses and is just a fun little toy to have in your rig.This lens is always on my 7D by default because it is a prime lens with a little more versatility and frame headroom than my fixed 50mm. I love prime lenses and will end up purchasing Canon’s L-series fixed lens offerings eventually, but will always have a use for this lens as long as I own an APS-C camera body. Quality, fun and portability make this lens one of the Canon’s more intriguing offerings in the EF-S lens class and would highly recommend the lens to any photographer beginning or intermediate photographer. Buy it, love it and get a even more insatiable taste for prime lenses.