Canon EF-S 24mm F 2 8 STM Review | 54 Data compared

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM lens is described as an extremely compact, lightweight "pancake" lens offering exceptional value with impressive center sharpness, solid build quality, and quick STM autofocus, according to The-Digital-Picture.com. Key advantages include its portability, close-up capability with a 0.27x maximum magnification, and smooth, quiet AF performance suitable for video. Conversely, the review notes minor drawbacks, including noticeable vignetting at the maximum f/2.8 aperture, slight barrel distortion, and a sometimes busy bokeh. Additionally, the electronic fly-by-wire manual focus system provides minimal tactile feedback, and the lens exhibits some sharpness drop-off in the extreme corners when shooting wide open.

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is an exceptionally compact and affordable "pancake" prime lens designed exclusively for Canon's APS-C sensor cameras, giving a versatile full-frame equivalent field of view of about 40mm. Weighing just 4.5 ounces and measuring less than an inch deep, its ultimate pro is a highly pocketable form factor that makes DSLR setups significantly less imposing. Performance-wise, the lens delivers impressive sharpness across the frame when stopped down to f/4, excellent macro capabilities with a 16cm close-focusing distance, and an upgraded Stepping Motor (STM) system that offers smooth, quick, and remarkably quiet autofocusing ideal for video recording. Despite its high value, the lens has a few notable cons, including a trace of corner softness and three-quarters of a stop of vignetting when shot wide open at f/2.8,.5% barrel distortion in the corners. Physically, the lens features a very narrow 1/8-inch polycarbonate focusing ring that employs a focus-by-wire design, which spins indefinitely without physical resistance markers. Finally, it cannot be mounted on full-frame Canon EF bodies, and cost-saving omissions mean it features plastic filter threads and fails...

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens is a budget-friendly, lightweight prime lens designed for APS-C cameras that delivers impressive optical performance for its size. Priced at $149, it stands as the third-best EF-S prime lens in DXOMARK's database, achieving a peak sharpness score of 12 P-Mpix and an overall score of 19 when tested on the EOS 70D. Its standout features include a highly homogenous sharpness profile across the frame between f/2.8 and f/5.6, significantly better light transmission (3 T-stops) than standard kit lenses, and an STM stepping motor specifically optimized for smooth contrast-detection autofocus during video capture. It strongly outperforms basic 18-55mm kit lenses in central and corner resolution, and even holds its own against premium options like the $549 EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM and the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom. Despite its high value, the lens does have a few drawbacks when compared to heavier or more expensive rivals. It displays marginally worse distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration profiles when stacked against the standard 18-55mm kit zooms, and it yields more distortion at 24mm than the...

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is an affordable, ultra-compact "pancake" lens designed exclusively for Canon's APS-C crop-sensor DSLRs, such as the Rebel series, 70D, and 7D. Priced at just $150, this highly portable lens is praised for its lightweight build and a smooth, near-silent STM focusing motor that makes it excellent for shooting video. It delivers a fixed 38mm effective focal length that offers consistent sharpness across the entire frame, even when shooting wide open. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8, it significantly outperforms standard 18-55mm kit lenses in dim lighting, making it a budget-friendly breath of fresh air for everyday travel, landscapes, and casual photography. However, the lens comes with several performance trade-offs that keep it from being a stellar performer. Its optical limitations include mild to moderate barrel distortion of roughly 1.2%, noticeable corner vignetting at f/2.8, and persistent chromatic aberration (colored fringing) that is worst at wide apertures. Furthermore, the out-of-focus background blur (bokeh) is described as busy and unappealing due to distracting coma issues across the frame. Finally, because it is an EF-S lens, it...

The LensTip Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM Review highlights this "pancake" lens as an exceptionally high-performing prime designed specifically for APS-C crop sensor cameras. Tested on a Canon EOS 50D, its core strength lies in its sensational image quality in the frame centre, which reaches a very high level of over 50 lpmm right at the maximum f/2.8 relative aperture and nears a spectacular 52 lpmm when stopped down to f/4.0. Beyond central sharpness, the optics excel with a lack of longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberrations, very good coma correction, slight astigmatism, moderate distortion, and proper functionality when shooting against bright light. Physically, its ultra-compact dimensions, lightweight build, and quiet STM focusing motor make it a highly portable and effective daily walkaround option. Conversely, the lens has notable trade-offs tied directly to its compact, budget-friendly blueprint. A primary visual weakness is its compromised performance on the edge of the frame, where wide-open shooting at f/2.8 lands right on the borderline of the decency level, requiring users to stop down the aperture slightly to achieve acceptable sharpness. Mechanically, the narrow...

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens is an affordable, ultra-compact prime lens designed exclusively for Canon APS-C crop-sensor cameras, offering a full-frame focal length equivalent of 38mm. Reviewer Tim Gilbreath highlights several prominent advantages, including its highly inconspicuous, lightweight profile—measuring only 2.75 inches thick and weighing under five ounces—which makes it excellent for discrete street photography. Additionally, its stepping motor (STM) provides fast, quiet autofocusing, and the lens boasts a short six-inch minimum focusing distance. Performance-wise, the lens delivers deep, accurate colors and impressive sharpness across all aperture stops, capturing fine textures and deep tonal ranges exceptionally well. Despite these strengths, the review notes a few limitations and drawbacks. Because it is a wide-angle lens, it cannot produce smooth bokeh or background blurring as easily or effectively as longer prime lenses like a 50mm f/1.8. Furthermore, its compatibility is strictly limited to crop sensors, meaning it cannot be used on full-frame camera bodies like the Canon 6D. Priced at $149.00, it is ultimately recommended as a highly capable backup or a budget-friendly starter option for landscape and everyday...

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is a highly affordable, compact "pancake" prime lens designed specifically for Canon’s APS-C crop-sensor DSLRs and compatible mirrorless systems via an adapter. Delivering an effective focal length of 38.4mm, it functions as a highly versatile "normal" field-of-view lens rather than a true wide-angle option. The reviewer praises its solid build quality, which incorporates a metal core that feels less plasticky than the 50mm f/1.8 STM. Optically, the lens excels with impressive center-to-edge sharpness even wide open at f/2.8, well-controlled chromatic aberrations, and strong contrast. Its stepping motor (STM) provides smooth, quiet autofocus that tracks excellently during video capture, while its class-leading 0.27x maximum magnification allows for impactful, close-up shooting and localized bokeh creation. Despite its high value, the lens has notable drawbacks, including a heavy vignette exceeding two stops in the corners when shot wide open at f/2.8, which requires software correction. Flare resistance is good but not perfect, revealing mild greenish ghosting when pointed directly at bright sun, and a prism effect at narrow apertures like f/11. Additionally, the quality of the bokeh...

Reviewers praise the lens for its excellent image quality, which punches well above its weight by delivering stellar sharpness, negligible color fringing, and minimal barrel distortion. Its tiny form factor makes it exceptionally stealthy and ideal for travel or street photography, especially when paired with smaller bodies like the Canon 250D. However, a notable con is its slower, gear-type Stepping Motor (STM) autofocus system. Unlike quieter lead-screw STM systems, this mechanical design makes the autofocus slightly slower and more audible, though this trade-off allows the overall lens assembly to remain remarkably compact.

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is highlighted as a super-sharp, hyper-compact "pancake" lens designed for APS-C cameras, offering a versatile 35mm-equivalent focal length and fast, quiet autofocus. Its key pros include excellent sharpness, lightweight design, and a smooth manual focus override, making it an ideal, affordable alternative to standard kit zooms. However, the lens has limitations, including slight barrel distortion at close distances and limited background bokeh. Additionally, it is exclusively compatible with APS-C bodies and will not fit full-frame cameras.

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is a highly sharp, ultra-compact, and affordable "pancake" prime lens designed specifically for Canon's APS-C crop-sensor DSLR cameras, offering an all-around excellent value. In lab testing paired with a 20-megapixel EOS 7D Mark II, the lens delivered impressive optical performance, resolving 2,299 lines at f/2.8 and peaking at,238 lines when stopped down to f/4, both comfortably exceeding the standard 1,800-line clarity threshold. It features a quiet STM autofocus motor that provides smooth focus tracking during video recording, a 7-blade rounded aperture for smooth background bokeh, and a close focusing distance of 6.3 inches with a decent 1:3.7 magnification factor. Measuring just 0.9 by 2.7 inches and weighing 4.4 ounces, this lens serves as an ideal, lightweight street and documentary photography supplement to standard 18-55mm kit lenses. Despite its high value and performance, the lens has notable limitations stemming from its low price and compact size. The primary drawbacks include a complete lack of image stabilization—which makes handheld video footage difficult to steady—and a disappointing, disconnected manual focus experience due to an electronic focus-by-wire ring...

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM "pancake" lens as an exceptional, budget-friendly, and lightweight (125g) option for APS-C DSLR bodies, delivering outstanding center sharpness at f/2.8 and tack-sharp images at f/4-f/5.6. Key advantages include minimal chromatic aberration, low flare, a 16cm minimum focus distance for close-ups, and a smooth, quiet Stepping Motor (STM) for both stills and video. Despite excellent performance, the review identifies minor compromises, including pronounced corner vignetting at f/2.8 that clears by f/4, along with some mild barrel distortion, and a small, electronic manual focusing ring. Overall, the review concludes these minor issues are easily overlooked given the lens's high-value performance.

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is highlighted as a compact, durable, and affordable "pancake" lens that offers high-quality imaging with a 38mm equivalent field of view on APS-C cameras. Its key strengths include an extremely lightweight design, a 0.16-meter minimum focusing distance, and versatile performance for travel and daily photography. Medium · However, the lens is restricted to APS-C cameras due to its EF-S mount and lacks the advanced, high-end features found in premium, more expensive lenses. Despite these limitations, it is strongly recommended for photographers seeking a portable, budget-friendly prime option. Medium ·

The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is an exceptionally affordable and ultra-slim "pancake" prime lens designed specifically for Canon APS-C format DSLRs, offering a 38mm-equivalent focal length. Weighing only 125g and measuring a mere 22.8mm thick, its highly portable design features a durable metal mount and a fast, quiet stepping motor (STM) that enables accurate autofocus and smooth video recording. The optical construction includes six elements in five groups—utilizing a short back-focus design—and a seven-blade rounded aperture that produces attractive background bokeh for a lens in its price tier. In terms of performance, the lens delivers consistently sharp and detailed images across the frame, especially when stopped down to f/4 and through to f/11. However, it does present clear compromises due to its compact size; shooting wide open at f/2.8 results in somewhat soft corners and prominent vignetting, which quickly clears up at smaller apertures. Additionally, there is moderately strong barrel distortion and visible red/cyan lateral chromatic aberration. While it lacks optical image stabilization and a native bayonet mount for a lens hood, these minor drawbacks are heavily outweighed by...