Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM Review

The Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM lens is a prime lens in the EF series of lenses offered by Canon. 

50mm refers to the focal length of the lens and is considered one of the best focal lengths for shooting portraits. 

In addition, the 50mm focal length of the Camera is considered a holy grail and a must-have in a cinematographer’s lens collection. 

So much so that it is referred to, affectionately, as the “nifty 50.” 

A name that encompasses its usefulness, durability and reliability and calls into focus the high regard which the EF 50mm F/1.8 is held in the cinematography circles. 

In this post, I will attempt to delve into and review the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM lens, a lens I have had for just over 3 months now. 

I will also include and talk about its pros and cons, when to use it, how I have used it and what I think about the lens in general. 

Without further ado, let’s review the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM lens. 

What’s In The Box 

When you purchase your Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 lens, you can expect the following in the box.

• The Lens (Canon EF 50mm)
• 49mm Lens Cap (Covering the front of the lens)
• Lens Dust Cap (Covering the back of the lens)
• Manual
• Warranty

Specifications

Key Features 

In this next section, I’m going to discuss the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8’s key features and what makes it such a good addition to any cinematographer’s arsenal.

Manual Focus & Autofocus Options

The Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 comes equipped both with an Autofocus button as well as a Manual focus button.

The intuitive button placement on the side of the lens allows for quick switching back and forth between the modes to achieve the desired results.

When on autofocus, the lens does a good job of acquiring and keeping subjects in focus, with minimal noise.

And the manual focus option lets you use the focus ring at the top of the lens to acquire focus like you want it to. The focus ring is smooth, and feels nice to the touch; 

I personally almost never use the manual focus option on the lens. That’s how good it is at acquiring and keeping focus on its own using autofocus. 

Beautiful Portraits

Portraits have always been a strength for the Canon EF 50mm lenses since they were launched in 1990.

The first EF 50mm F/1.8 2 was released in December of 1990 and replaced by the EF 50mm F/1.8 STM in May of 2015.

And the lens has kept its pedigree for taking beautiful portraits. This is due mainly to two things;

1. 50mm focal length is the closest focal length to the human eye, this has led to the EF 50mm lens being called a “normal lens”

Normal in the sense that it sees what the human eye sees or as close to what the human eye sees as any camera lens can get.

2. Its wide maximum aperture of F/1.8 allows for a beautiful bokeh effect on portraits taken using the lens. 

The 7 diaphragm blades in the lens create a smooth, flowing blurry background effect that renders the portraits taken on lens beautiful. 

Low Light Photo And Video Capability

Speaking of the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 aperture, the lens also does very well in low light situations, in both video and photo roles.

F/1.8 allows the maximum amount of light to come into the lens, allowing it to be used in low-light situations to an extent.

Pair the lens with an external light option like a Speedlite and a softbox and its low light capability is extended even further. 

I have used the lens with a Speedlite till late at night. I have also used the lens to take beautiful portraits without an external light up to about 7 PM.

Design

The Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM lens is designed with plastic and metal.

The metal mount on the back of the lens gives it an expensive look and the type of plastic used on the body surprisingly also feels good to the touch. 

Overall, the lens is compact and light due to the extensive use of plastic in its construction. 

There are more expensive and good-looking lenses in this focal range out there, but the EF 50mm F/1.8 doesn’t feel cheap or under-designed at all. 

Durability 

I have had my Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 for a little over 3 months and looking at it now, you’d think I unboxed it yesterday.

The lens is designed to be used as a secondary lens option due to its focal length and massive maximum aperture. 

As a vlogger on YouTube, I rarely use the Canon EF 50mm for video, preferring instead to use the wider kit lens that comes with my Canon M50 camera. The Canon EF-M 15-45mm F/3.5 to 6.3 lens.

At 15mm, the kit lens allows me to vlog and capture a wider area, as such my Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 is a broll and photography lens.

At least that’s how I use it.

That is not to say that I use it rarely, I have taken hundreds of pictures with the lens ever since I purchased it towards the end of 2023.

I have dropped the lens and by now it should be fairly scuffed, however, the lens has retained its out-of-the-box look to date.

Something that makes me very happy. I will continue to pay attention to how fast it ages, but at the moment, I have to say, that the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 holds its own in the durability scope. 

Image Quality 

The pictures and videos I have taken using the Canon 50mm F/1.8 are both sharp and in focus at all times.

Due to the maximum aperture of F/1.8, using the Canon 50mm in broad daylight, say midday, will let in too much light and make your videos and photos overexposed.

To prevent that, you will need an ND filter. 

However, if it’s not too sunny outside, or rather if you take pictures and videos during early mornings and evenings, you should be able to get sharp, on-focus pictures and videos all the time using this lens. 

At the end of this post, I’ll include a few samples of pictures and videos I have taken with the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 for use perusal.

I will also include the settings I used so you can replicate the same to get similar results. 

Adaptability 

I use my Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 lens with a Canon M50 camera, which is the camera I own.

Unfortunately, the Canon M50 is not a full-frame camera  (It is an APS-C Camera) and the Canon EF 50mm lens is designed to be used on full-frame cameras.

However, the lens can be adapted to be used by APS-C sensor cameras like the Canon M50 using a lens mount adapter.

My adapter of choice is the Viltrox EF-EOS M Autofocus adapter (Picture attached) 

Because my Canon M50 is an APS-C sensor camera, It multiplies the focal length of a full-frame camera by 1.6. 

Therefore using the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 on the Canon M50 gives me a focal length of (50mm by 1.6) equaling 80mm. 

Pros and Cons

Conclusions 

The Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 lens is a powerful, cheap and robust lens option that should be in every cinematographer’s arsenal of lenses.

Its maximum aperture of F/1.8 is remarkable in low light and its focal length of 50mm takes pictures and images closest to the human perception. 

The lens is rugged in construction and should last many years, a definite must-have for the discerning cinematographer. 

Picture Samples Taken By Me Using The Canon EF 50mm F/1.8