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Canon release the latest incarnation of their budget 50mm f1.8 EF lens for $125.00 US

By technical editor Matt Allard:

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The Canon 50mm f1.8 has always been the ultimate budget prime lens and a great choice for those getting into photography or videography for the first time. Despite its plastic feel and build quality, the lens was very capable of producing nice images.

The older 50mm f1.8 II lens
The older 50mm f1.8 II lens
The new 50mm f1.8 STM lens
The new 50mm f1.8 STM lens

Canon have now announced a new version of the 50mm f1.8 which includes STM (stepping motor technology). STM can be found on quite a few new Canon lenses and is a new design of focus motors, which along with a new iris mechanism, are designed to eliminate (auditory) noise during video recording. This is great news for those shooting video but it does come at a cost. STM lenses use the same direct connection to the lens focus group, which means manual focus has to be implemented using a focus-by-wire arrangement whereby moving the focus ring by hand sends a signal to the motor to move the focus group. This can make manual focus very difficult to do as there is normally a delay between you moving the focus ring and the motor moving the focus elements. A similar type of technology can be found on a lot of mmirrorless camera lenses such as the Sony FE 70-200mm f4 and 28-135mm f4.

A new focus ring placement and metal mount are just some of the improved features
A new focus ring placement and metal mount are just some of the improved features

The lens has been redesigned and features a new focus ring placement as well as a metal mount that is said to provide additional stability and ruggedness compared to its predecessor. Canon claims it is the most compact Canon EF 50mm lens ever, at just 1.5 inches in length.

Both auto and manual focus are available
Both auto and manual focus are available

The new 50mm f1.8 is composed of six elements in five groups, and features an optimized lens placement and Super Spectra Coating (SSC), that is claimed to provide less ghosting and flaring than the previous model. The new lens features a seven blade circular aperture, improved from the predecessor’s five blade non-circular aperture. This should help to deliver a sharper image and more pleasing bokeh. The minimum focusing distance for the lens has been shortened to 1.1 feet from 1.5 feet with a maximum magnification of 0.21x, allowing for closer operation.

The lens will retail for $125.00 US and be available at the end of this month. A optional ES-68 lens hood is available for $26.95 US.

This from Canon:
Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce the new lightweight and compact Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM standard lens. Featuring a large maximum aperture of f/1.8, this single focal length lens (which has an effective focal length of 80mm when attached to an EOS camera with an APS-C sensor such as the EOS Rebel T6i) is ideal for creating portraits with beautiful, soft-blurred backgrounds. It’s also ideal for low-light photography and night scenes. Now incorporating Canon’s proprietary STM stepping motor technology, this new lens supports Canon’s EOS Movie Servo AF* (autofocus) function to provide smooth and quiet continuous AF during video recording, as well as when capturing still photos.

“Canon’s optical heritage of creating high-quality lenses is something we are very proud of ,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Regardless of skill level or budget, all photographers and videographers should have access to superb creative tools that enable them to capture not only beautiful images but images that tell the story of their lives. This new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens, will provide photographers and videographers with outstanding images they will want to share for years to come.”

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