Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Review
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The Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is a new standard prime lens for Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras. With its relatively affordable price, bright aperture, and emphasis on subject, it is a good option for those on a low budget.
At around 200 USD, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens presents a fairly sharp and contrasty image with a bright aperture of f/1.8. Despite some limitations like lacking build quality and slow autofocus, it is a good option for those on a low budget.
Pros
- Affordable price for the features
- Bright aperture of f/1.8
- Nice emphasis on subject
- Minimum focus distance of 30 cm
Cons
- Lacking build quality and weather sealing
- Awkward control ring functionality
- Slow and noisy autofocus
- Softness and hazy corners at wider apertures
The lens shows noticeable softness and hazy corners when shooting wide open at f/1.8, but it improves significantly when stopped down to f/4 or higher.
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is a new standard prime lens designed for Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, retailing for around 200 USD or 220 pounds in the UK. At this price point, it offers a fairly sharp and contrasty image, along with a bright aperture of f/1.8, which allows for nicely blurred backgrounds and easier shooting in darker situations. The lens boasts a minimum focus distance of 30 centimeters, making it handy for close-up shots, and it is also compact and relatively lightweight at 160 grams. However, the build quality is somewhat lacking, with no weather sealing and a slightly awkward control ring that has limited functionality. The autofocus is a bit slow and noisy, and there is noticeable focus breathing, which could be bothersome for videographers. In terms of image quality, the lens shows some softness and hazy corners when shooting wide open at f/1.8, but it improves significantly when stopped down to f/4 or higher. Vignetting is heavy at f/1.8 but diminishes at narrower apertures, and close-up image quality improves at smaller apertures as well. The lens presents noticeable flaring when working against bright light and average bokeh performance. Overall, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is a good option for those on a low budget, but it does come with some limitations.
The bokeh performance is average, showing busyness and slight outlining, but it can create nicely blurred backgrounds in some situations.
Source
This article is based on the review by
Christopher Frost
Christopher Frost is a YouTube channel dedicated to providing in-depth reviews and analyses of photography equipment, particularly lenses. Christopher Frost, the creator and host of the channel, is known for his thorough and detailed evaluations of various lenses from different manufacturers, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and others. To learn more, please visit the channel here.