Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM review - Build quality

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Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM

6 May 2015

Arkadiusz Olech

3. Build quality

In the following chart you can find a comparison between the Canon 2.8/24 STM and other “pancakes” designed for smaller sensors with similar angles of view. One question arises immediately: if it was possible to produce a small 2/22 lens for the EOS M system, why the lens we are testing here is not as fast, aperture-wise, as f/2.0? I am personally pretty confident a 2/24 instrument would be far more popular than a 2.8/24.

The photo below shows the Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM positioned between full frame Canons EF 2/35 and the 1.4/50.

Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM - Build quality

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The tested lens starts with a metal mount surrounding a contact plate and a rear element, 16 mm in diameter. The rear element is mobile so it shifts with the whole optical system during focusing. When you set the lens at the minimum focus distance the element hides inside the casing, creating a very substantial gap through which you can notice isolated electronics parts. Next to the contacts you find two inscriptions: „CANON INC” and „MADE IN MALAYSIA”.

The proper casing of the lens includes a huge Canon inscription and below the focal length value of the lens. On the left there is a focusing mechanism mode switch (AF/MF) and right next to it a white dot making the alignment with a camera easier. On the opposite side you also see another inscription „MACRO 0.16m/0.52ft” providing information about the minimum focusing distance and a serial number of the instrument.

The next part is a narrow manual focus ring. It works with an electronic relay so, after detaching the lens from the camera, it moves without any effect, not changing the position of elements inside. You can start operating the ring only after attaching the lens to a body, switching your camera on and setting the MF mode. It moves smoothly and running through the whole scale needs a turn through an angle of from over 90 to about 180 degrees. That value depends on the speed of the turn.

In the front of the lens you find a non-rotating filter thread, 52 mm in diameter, and an inscription stating its name and parameters which goes round a front element, 16 mm in diameter.

When it comes to the optical construction you deal here with 6 elements positioned in 5 groups, one of them aspherical. Inside, you can also find an aperture with seven blades which can be closed down to f/22.

The standard accessory kit is very modest indeed – buyers get only both caps.