Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM $184.99 AC @ jr.com

I'm just starting to learn about photography. what is this Lens ideal for?

Quote from Totalfixation : I'm just starting to learn about photography. what is this Lens ideal for?

Probably best for street photography, of course it's not limited to that. On a crop body
, it's 64mm, so a little longer than your standard 50.
I think most people would want it just for the cool factor, being a pancake lens and all.

Through. shopdiscover.com, I believe there's another 5% back.

Fun lens on my 5D

Use shop Discover for an additional 5% CB to sweeten the deal.

Quote from black_mamba : Probably best for street photography, of course it's not limited to that. On a crop body , it's 64mm, so a little longer than your standard 50. .

The MTF chart shows its a bit sharper than the 50 f1.8.

This lens is wider than 50mm

Awesome lens for the money. The shorty forty is the new nifty fifty. Lots of fun on my 5D3.

Quote from Totalfixation : I'm just starting to learn about photography. what is this Lens ideal for?

Indoor photography without a flash... outdoor photography with a decent bokeh. It's light and it isn't that long in regards to focal length, so you can use it as a walk around lens when you don't want to carry something so much heavier like the 24-105 (which isn't that bad) or the 24-70 (which is super heavy).

Quote from JasonFTW : Awesome lens for the money. The shorty forty is the new nifty fifty. Lots of fun on my 5D3.

Probably. But when I was agonizing over buying the 50mm f/1.8 oh so many years ago... I had a hard time parting with 85 bucks. I'm not sure as a then beginner that I would be willing to shell out $185 for something that I wasn't sure I would like.

Quote from jdramirez : Probably. But when I was agonizing over buying the 50mm f/1.8 oh so many years ago... I had a hard time parting with 85 bucks. I'm not sure as a then beginner that I would be willing to shell out $185 for something that I wasn't sure I would like.

True. But $185 gets a beginner a long way: sharp fast prime with great MTF charts, fast & quiet autofocus, very small form factor, excellent build quality (metal mount vs. 50 1.8 plastic mount). Definitely a step up from the 18-55 variable aperture kit lens and 50 1.8.

Quote from ugotvijay : The MTF chart shows its a bit sharper than the 50 f1.8. This lens is wider than 50mm

Err 2.8 vs1.8? There's a reason you might need 1.8.

Quote from JasonFTW : True. But $185 gets a beginner a long way: sharp fast prime with great MTF charts, fast & quiet autofocus, very small form factor, excellent build quality (metal mount vs. 50 1.8 plastic mount). Definitely a step up from the 18-55 variable aperture kit lens and 50 1.8.

I don't disagree, but I remember when I used to spend $100 on a camera... and to spend $200 on a lens... it's a tough sell for some. I should say, it is a tough sell when explaining it to your wife.

Quote from fwhomi : Err 2.8 vs1.8? There's a reason you might need 1.8.

Yeah, but at f/1.8 the 50mm gets soft... very soft... @ f/2.8 the 40mm is VERY sharp (so I hear). The 50mm at f/2.8 is also sharp and it is nice to open the aperture more if necessary.

This lens get's passed when people have a 50mm f/1.4.

I got it because it seems budget friendly over the 1.4 (which I still want, but not forking over $300+ yet). The nifty fifty just seemed bad in terms of build.

Quote from matyekim : This lens get's passed when people have a 50mm f/1.4. I got it because it seems budget friendly over the 1.4 (which I still want, but not forking over $300+ yet). The nifty fifty just seemed bad in terms of build.

I got a refurb 50mm f/1.8 and have probably taken about 20,000 photos with it this year so far, mostly with AF. It's been fine. If you use MF a lot, it's hard to recommend, due to the basic build and lousy focus ring.

40mm f/2.8 is pretty dang nice. I liked the focus ring. On my friend's gripped 60D + 430EX, it had a nice weight balance. If you're looking for a prime and don't own something in the 35-60mm range (disregarding macro lenses), this is a nice lens. If you have one of the newer bodies (50D and beyond), their ISO performance sorta makes up for the loss of light versus the 50mm f/1.8.

I'd get one or the other, but not both. If you need the bigger aperture, I'd pony up for the 50mm f/1.4 or Sigma 30mm f/1.4, assuming you want AF.

As a beginner,this lens seems to be too high to use. am i right?