Canon EF-M 22mm F 2 STM Review | 54 Data compared

The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM is a remarkably compact and lightweight "pancake" prime lens designed specifically for Canon’s APS-C format EOS M mirrorless system cameras. Weighing just 105 grams and measuring under an inch in length, it provides a classic 35mm effective focal length that makes it highly portable and ideal for stealthy street photography and all-day casual shooting. Its optical configuration consists of 7 elements in 6 groups, including an aspherical element to minimize physical size and aberrations, alongside Super Spectra coatings to reduce ghosting and flare. Performance-wise, the lens delivers respectable center sharpness and contrast, zero distortion even uncorrected in-camera, and a short 6-inch minimum focusing distance that allows for close-up shots with a smooth bokeh. The review highlights several prominent pros and cons for prospective buyers. On the positive side, the lens is exceptionally lightweight, stands at less than an inch long, and features a durable metal mounting plate rather than plastic. It also features a quick and very quiet STM (Stepping Motor) autofocus system. On the negative side, the lens completely lacks optical image stabilization...

The DXOMARK Canon EF-M 22mm f2.0 STM review highlights this pancake prime lens as a decent performer, earning a total score of 21 points. Pros of this wide-angle lens include high overall sharpness peaking at 13 P-Mpix and strong edge-to-edge clarity when stopped down past f/2.8. It features a complex optical construction—7 elements in 6 groups—yet remains incredibly compact at 23.7mm long and lightweight at just 105g. Additionally, it boasts reasonably low levels of chromatic aberration and utilizes a quiet linear stepper motor (STM) that provides discreet autofocusing ideal for video capture. On the flip side, the lens suffers from notable cons regarding light management and initial frame consistency. Specifically, DXOMARK notes that it exhibits quite high vignetting when shooting wide open at its maximum aperture, though it becomes well-controlled starting at f/2.8. Furthermore, its light transmission rating sits lower than ideal at 2.3 T-stops. Edge-to-edge sharpness is also compromised at the widest settings, as the lens requires users to step down to at least f/2.8 to achieve uniform clarity across the entire frame.

The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM is a highly compact, "pancake" prime lens that serves as an excellent, lightweight option for the EOS M mirrorless system. It features a solid, well-damped electronic focus-by-wire ring that mimics the feel of vintage manual lenses. Optically, the lens delivers exceptional performance, providing center-to-corner sharpness that easily beats out the system's standard kit zoom when stopped down to f/4. Additionally, it exhibits virtually nonexistent image distortion. Its 43mm filter thread is incredibly small, which helps keep the overall setup sleek and ideal for one-handed shooting. However, the lens has several design and operational drawbacks. The focus ring takes up half of the lens barrel and lacks physical hard stops, which can cause users to accidentally turn the focus ring instead of unlocking the lens from the camera mount. Autofocus performance is noticeably slower than the 18-55mm zoom lens—taking 0.48 seconds to focus from infinity to three feet—and its unit-extension focusing mechanism makes a faint rubbing noise during still photography. For video creators, the lens lacks optical image stabilization and suffers from visible focus breathing,...

The OpticalLimits (formerly PhotoZone) review of the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM highlights it as a highly capable pancake prime lens tailored for the EOS M mirrorless system. The pros of this lens include its exceptionally compact pancake design and lightweight build of just 105g, which makes it an ideal "take-me-everywhere" option for street photography when paired with a body like the EOS M3. Optically, it provides a versatile "35mm" full-frame equivalent field of view and delivers a fast f/2 aperture. The reviewer notes that image quality features great center sharpness throughout the aperture range, very impressive borders, minimal image distortions, and well-controlled lateral chromatic aberrations. Mechanically, its build quality is solid with a smooth, highly precise "by-wire" manual focusing ring and a stepping motor (STM) that operates noiselessly. However, the review details several notable cons regarding the lens's performance and system limitations. Optically, there is visible softness in the image corners at large apertures, which is exacerbated by field curvature. Additionally, vignetting remains on the higher side even when the lens is stopped down, and the bokeh is described...

The Canon 22mm f/2 STM EF-M is an exceptionally compact and lightweight pancake lens weighing just 3.7 ounces (105g) and measuring roughly one inch in length, making it a highly portable 35mm-equivalent option for EOS M bodies. Structurally simple with 7 elements in 6 groups, it features a 7-bladed rounded diaphragm, a 43mm filter thread, and a thin front focus ring. In terms of advantages, the lens boasts very fast and virtually silent autofocus performance due to its lightweight internal mass. Its center sharpness is excellent even when shot wide open at f/2, reaching peak performance across most of the frame by f/4. Additionally, it offers impressive perspective versatility by focusing as closely as 5.9 inches (0.15m), and it suffers from virtually non-existent, ignorable linear distortion. On the downside, the lens exhibits severe vignetting that never drops below two-thirds of a stop, measuring a heavy one and two-thirds stops in the corners at f/2 and remaining noticeable even when stopped down. Optical sharpness drops significantly at the extreme edges, yielding terrible corners at f/2 that only become fair at f/2.8...