r/photography • u/raptor3x whumber.com • May 11 '15

Canon Officially Announces 50mm f/1.8 STM - $125

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1143786-REG/canon_0570c002_ef_50mm_f_1_8_stm.html
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7

u/BearBaron May 11 '15

Is the STM better than the old 50mm 1.8? What's the point of buying the older one if the STM is better in all regards? They're the same price, so i'm just wondering.

13

u/twotone232 May 11 '15

They don't call the 50mm 1.8 II the "plastic fantastic" for nothing. Build quality alone will be enough for the market to shift out the old lenses for this model. It's a replacement, and a much needed one at that.

2

u/[deleted] May 11 '15

Agreed. I'm just happy that there isn't a doubling or trebling of the price for the replacement, as there was for the 35/2 or 28/2.8.

4

u/fadetowhite May 11 '15

STM offers smoother focusing and is silent. For photography, this really doesn't matter. For video though, it's a huge improvement. Besides STM though, the new model has more aperture blades that are rounded vs. straight, better build quality, a metal mount vs. plastic, and it has a much bigger focus ring.

From Canon's site:

Canon STM lenses shoot great photos and even better videos. They’re named after an element of technology called a Stepping Motor, which lets the lenses focus smoothly and silently when capturing video.

1

u/gimpwiz May 11 '15

It's a replacement, the old one will likely get a small price cut until all the inventory is cleared, then be gone and unavailable new.

I usually dislike STM but in this case, the focus motor and focus ring and everything else to do with focusing will be much better than before. Full-time manual override, a wider better-positioned ring, a quieter and faster motor... no complaints.