Lack of sharpness at f1.8 on Canon 50mm STM

SD19194 wrote:

Canon_Guy wrote:

SD19194 wrote:

This only hit me the other day after reviewing many older photos and then doing a ton of practice shots. My Canon 50mm STM (newer model) simply isn't sharp at f1.8. So many times in the past I've gone down to this aperture hoping to get those crisp shots and have had to delete the photos thinking something must have went wrong whether it were camera shake or subject movement or the wrong shutter speed, etc. Now I'm starting to think I just have a rather lackluster lens that advertises f1.8 but really is best suited for f2.5 or 2.8. Has anyone ever heard anything with this lens with regards to this issue? Or is it at all possible I've been doing something wrong all along when going down to this aperture? It should be noted that when I go to 2.5 or bigger, things are almost always fine.

Also, the test shots I've done at f1.8 have been with a timer with the camera on a table to completely rule out hand shake. I also changed the AF point (red dots) to just one red dot in the middle for the test shots. Still, the photos lacked super sharpness in the middle.

Well, 50/1.8 STM is the most basic, cheap, optically simple lens. Can we then expect it to be super sharp wide opened? I guess the answer is obvious.

What lens might you suggest that can go actually perform well and properly at f1.8 (or better)?

Well, the currently best of the best in close focal lengths is Sigma 40mm f/1.4. Wide opened it is very sharp with great contrast and no fringing. Focuses flawlessly on mirorrles cameras but I do not know how it would perform in focusing accuracy on your T7. Sigmas tends to suffer from focus inconsistency on Canon DSLRs.

Otherwise native Canon 50mm primes weren't Canon's shining spot. You have your nifty fifty with its optical design. Then there is an old EF 50/1.4 with quite big copy variation and still not great at f/1.4 - f/2. And then there is EF 50/1.2 which is portrait oriented with creamy bokeh and mild rendering up to f/2.0. That is it.

You can check and try the Tamron 45mm f/1.8. I do not know this lens personally but from the tests it looks very well. And it has image stabilisation which is quite rare and very useful. But again I have no idea how it will focus on T7.