Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 Lens

I bought this lens to cut down on weight and size of my equipment while traveling. This lens fits the bill (literally considering the affordability), and delivers speed and quality, which is equal to heavier and bigger lenses. I am shooting with a Canon 50D and usually carry a Tamron super zoom lens as my main walk around lens. Now I can carry this pancake lens in my pocket, and when packing the gear into a small bag use it instead of a camera body cap, while having the camera ready for a surprise opportunity. I am looking into buying the new Canon SL1 small body, and with the pancake lens, having a really small and light high quality camera at hand all the time.

So I've been shooting professional photography for about 10 years. Fantastic lens for shooting video footage. I tested it on a crop frame and a full frame, much better shot on full frame sensor but still looks great on a crop frame. The discussion everyone has is that canon has a Plastic 50mm f/1.8 which is a great lens for cheaper. This 40mm is 40mm and metal so the quality of the lens is much greater increasing cost. But you lose the f/1.8 and move to a f/2.8. If you're looking for low light and a low cost plastic lens buy the Canon 50mm f/1.8If you're looking for a low light and little more solid quality without caring about the loss in F-Stop buy this 40mm f/2.8

Great little lens. Sharp and works well with APS-C or FF. Construction is good, not "L" good but not cheap either. Definitely not a piece of junk. The size makes it ideal for use on an SL1. You can slip that combo in a coat pocket easily. It does takes some time to get used to the small size. I had a tough time at first trying to keep it steady but with practice, you'll get the hang of it. It's so small that you can always find a place in your camera bag when heading out and never leave it behind. I'm planning on getting the 24 f2.8 STM pancake but that will work only on the cropped bodies. Overall, $150 well spent.