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Are copies of the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM highly variable in quality?

Started 9 months ago | Questions
Dunlin Senior Member • Posts: 2,610
Are copies of the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM highly variable in quality?

I've read that some lenses (eg. EF-M 15-45mm) are variable in quality, with "good" copies and "bad" copies.

Is it the same with the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM?

Thanks, J.B.

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ANSWER:
WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Lensrentals.com "Variation Measurement for 50mm SLR Lenses".
1

Canon 50mm f1.8 STM

I have included the Rokinon lens because I couldn't crop it out of the image.

Comment from Roger Cicala of Lensrentals.com regarding copy-to-copy variation scores. "To us, the most surprising finding is that the inexpensive little Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM is incredibly consistent".

OP Dunlin Senior Member • Posts: 2,610
Re: Lensrentals.com "Variation Measurement for 50mm SLR Lenses".

Is that a no?

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WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Re: Lensrentals.com "Variation Measurement for 50mm SLR Lenses".

Lensrentals.coms' findings were that the Canon EF 50mm, 1.8, STM lens showed extremely little copy-to-copy variation.

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Sittatunga Veteran Member • Posts: 5,413
Re: Lensrentals.com "Variation Measurement for 50mm SLR Lenses".

WindwardHaole wrote:

Lensrentals.coms' findings were that the Canon EF 50mm, 1.8, STM lens showed extremely little copy-to-copy variation.

Which is hardly surprising given that the relatively large glass elements haven't really changed (apart from possibly the coatings) in 35 years and all six of them move as one unit for focussing.

WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Canon EF 50mm, 1.8, II and EF 50mm, f/1.8, STM lenses
1

Seven years ago, in 2015, Canon replaced the EF 50mm, 1.8, II with the EF 50mm, f/1.8, STM. The STM has different lens coatings and seven aperture blades instead of five and according to Lensrentals.com, Canon's production methods for the STM were significantly upgraded.

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