Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM

I recently bought a Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM lens for my 5D Mark III. I’m trying to avoid buying any glass for it that isn’t L-class, but I really wanted this little lens – it makes my dSLR a lot more compact, and it cost less than $150.

On Friday, I finally decided to try it out. Since buying my Fuji X-Pro1 I’ve used it every chance I have. Except for macro photography, the only time I’ve used my 5D since November was at the Lincoln Memorial… to compare it with my X-Pro1. This was my first outdoor shoot with just the 5D, and even though I was only running some errands, I really enjoyed using it again!

I think the 40mm will be perfect for street photography. Not only is small and discreet, it also offers nice depth of field and a slightly wider angle than the 35mm I’ve gotten used to using on the sidewalk with my Fuji (a 52mm equivalent due to the sensor’s crop factor). Most of these shots were taken with the aperture wide open. They were all captured in RAW and minimally processed in Lightroom.

While I’ll be taking my Fuji with me on my next overseas trip in April, I look forward to travelling with my 5D again sometime soon. In the meantime, the 40mm pancake lets me use my 5D in ways that I haven’t before.  These pictures are merely scratching the surface. The lens will only tempt me to shell out $1500 for the 50mm… which is why I’m happy investing in my Fuji kit for the time being.

I like this lens… especially given how cheap it is. In addition to being compact and well built, it takes some nice pictures. 4/5