Home Donate New Search Gallery Reviews How-To Books Links Workshops About Contact Canon 22mm f/2 STM Intro Specs Performance Recommendations More Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM (43mm filters, 0.5'/0.15m close-focus, 3.6 oz./101g, about $250.) enlarge. I got mine at Adorama. I'd just as well have gotten it at Amazon, at Crutchfield or at B&H.
Also comes in silver. enlarge.
November 2015 Canon Reviews EOS-M Lenses Flash All Reviews Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures
Sample Image Files Jewelry, 31 October 2015. Canon EOS M3, Canon EF-M 22mm f/2, f/5.6 at 1/1,000 at ISO 100. bigger or camera-original file to explore on your computer (portable devices usually can't show the complete resolution).
ISO 800: VIP Room, 01 November 2015. Canon EOS M3, built-in flash ON, Canon EF-M 22mm f/2, f/8 at 1/125 at ISO 800. bigger or camera-original file to explore on your computer (portable devices usually can't show the complete resolution).
Balcony after Sunset, 01 November 2015. Canon EOS M3, Canon EF-M 22mm f/2, f/5.6 at 1/3 hand-held (rested on railing) at ISO 100. bigger.
Walkway in afternoon light, 01 November 2015. Canon EOS M3, Canon EF-M 22mm f/2, f/7.1 at 1/400 at ISO 100. bigger or camera-original file to explore on your computer (portable devices usually can't show the complete resolution).
Palm. Canon EOS-M, f/8 at 1/250 at ISO 100, STANDARD Picture Style with 6 sharpening and +3 Saturation. Camera-Original © 7 MB LARGE JPG File.
Palm Frond. Canon EOS-M, f/2 at 1/2,000 at ISO 100, STANDARD Picture Style with 6 sharpening and +3 Saturation. Camera-Original © 5 MB LARGE JPG File. Pretty darn sharp for wide-open at f/2, especially considering that this palm frond isn't flat!
Fabric. Canon EOS-M, f/8 at 1/250 at ISO 100, STANDARD Picture Style with 6 sharpening and +3 Saturation. Camera-Original © 10 MB LARGE JPG File. Pretty darn sharp, especially considering that this chair seat isn't flat.
Introduction top Intro Specs Performance Recommendations More This Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM is a tiny lens with superb optical performance. This tiny thing isn't much bigger than a lens cap, and has fantastic optics. It has a metal barrel and mount, but the filter ring and the insides are all plastic. It's made in Taiwan. It has no Image Stabilization.
Compatibility and Formats As an EF-M lens, it only works on Canon's EOS-M series of cameras.
Specifications top Intro Specs Performance Recommendations More
Name Canon calls this the CANON LENS EF-M 22mm f/2 STM. EF means "electronic focus," meaning that there is an autofocus motor in the lens itself. All Canon lenses since 1987 have been EF. -M means that it's a different, smaller mount, so it only works on the EOS-M cameras. STM means that the autofocus motor is a stepper motor.
Canon 22 2 STM. enlarge.
Optics top 7 elements in 6 groups. One aspherical element. Multicoated mostly in green and magenta.
Focal Length 22mm. Used on an EOS-M 1.6x camera, it will see about the same field of view as a 35mm lens sees on full-frame.
Angle of View (on EOS-M 1.6x cameras) 63.5º diagonal. 37.8º vertical. 54.5º horizontal.
Close Focus top 0.5 feet (0.15 meters) from the image plane, specified.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio top 1:4.76 (0.21x).
Minimum Subject Field top 2.83 x 4.29 inches. 72 x 109 millimeters.
Diaphragm top Front, Canon 22mm f/2 STM. bigger. 7 rounded blades. Stops down to f/22.
Focus Scale top No. The ring turns without stops; it's just an electronic encoder.
Depth-of-Field Scale top No.
Infra-Red Focus Indices top No.
Filters top 43mm thread, plastic. Does not rotate, but moves in and out with focusing.
Size top Canon specifies 2.40" (60.9 mm) diameter by 0.93" (23.7 mm) long.
Weight top 3.575 oz. (101.3g), measured. Canon specifies 3.7 oz. (105g).
Hood top Plastic screw-in EW-43, $29. I wouldn't bother with it; it looks quite useless.
Caps top New 43mm E-43 front cap, included. EB rear "dust cap," included.
Case top LP811 sack, $24. I'd use a tube sock instead.
Quality top Made in Taiwan.
Canon Product Number top 5985B002
Introduced top 23 July 2012.
Shipping Since top Late 2012.
Price, USA top 2012 July - 2015 November: $250. Box, Canon EF 22mm f/2 STM.
Performance top Intro Specs Performance Recommendations More Overall Autofocus Breathing Coma Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare Lateral Color Fringes Macro Mechanics Sharpness Sunstars
Overall performance top The Canon 22mm f/2 STM is the smallest and lightest lens ever made by Canon for its EOS system, however it only works on the tiny EOS-M cameras.
Autofocus performance top
AF Speed It's fast on the EOS M3. It's slow but sure on the original EOS-M of 2012. It's fast enough for scenic shots, but nowhere near fast enough for people or action shots. Use the M3 for those.
AF Noise The 22mm f2 hums like a stepper motor as it focuses: a quiet, precise hum.
AF Accuracy and Consistency AF accuracy is dead-on.
Auto/Manual Switching There is no switch; you have to screw with in-camera menus.
Manual Focus Manual focus is awful; don't bother trying to use the manual focus ring. The ring is merely an input to a computer, which in turn controls the lens motor — if you have everything else set properly. It only works if the camera is both on and awake. There is little direct relationship between the motion of the ring and the motion of the lens, and there is some time delay.
Focus Breathing performance top Focus breathing is of interest to cinematographers who don't want the image changing size ("breathing") as the lens is focused among different subjects. The image of the Canon 22mm f/2 STM gets larger as focused more closely; it's a unit-focusing lens.
Coma performance top Coma, or saggital coma flare, is when points of light in the corners turn into batwing-shaped blobs. This is often a problem with fast normal or wide lenses. I didn't expect to see any on this modern aspherical lens, but lo and behold, there is some in the far corners at f/2. It's much better at f/2.8, and gone by f/4.
Distortion performance top This Canon 22/2 STM has no visible distortion at 10 feet (3 meters) as shot on the EOS-M. For more critical use, use a factor of -0.5 in Photoshop's Lens Distortion tool to remove the slight pincushion distortion.
Ergonomics performance top Canon 22/2 STM. Ergonomics are drab: There are no controls on this lens. There is a manual focus ring, and it responds poorly. It's easy to mount and unmount from a camera, however the index dot is merely painted, so it won't be felt in the dark.
Falloff (darkened corners) performance top Shot on EOS-M with correction enabled, there is no visible falloff at any aperture.
Filters, Use with performance top 43 mm is a huge filter size for the tiny optics of this lens. It works without vignetting with many stacked filters, but watch it: Canon cautions to use just one so you don't damage the wimpy internal mechanics of the focus mechanism.
Flare and Ghosts performance top The 22 STM has some ghosts if you push your luck shooting into the sun and putting dark things in place to see the ghosts, and giving enough exposure. It is much better than the 18-55mm STM. Ghosts. Canon 22/2 STM, f/8 at 1/250 at ISO 100 on EOS-M, 6 sharpening +3 saturation. bigger.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top There are no color fringes when shot on the EOS-M with correction ON.
Macro performance top Macro is sharp and close: At close-focus distance, f/8 at 1/250 at ISO 100 on EOS-M, +3 saturation, 6 sharpening.
Crop from above image at 100%, 18 MP EOS-M. If this is 6" (15cm) on your screen, the complete image would print at 52 x 35" (135 x 90 cm) at this same magnification. You can see all the dirt on my watch crystal.
Mechanics performance top Rear, Canon EFM 22 f/2 STM. bigger. The Canon 22mm f/2 STM is inside out from a modern pro lens: it's metal on the outside for show, and plastic on the inside for low cost.
Filter Threads Plastic.
Hood Mount None, you use the filter threads.
Front of lens All plastic.
Focus Ring Anodized aluminum.
Barrel Anodized aluminum.
Internals Seems like all plastic.
Moisture seal at mount No.
Mount Chromed metal.
Identity Ring Paint on plastic.
Barrel Markings Laser engraved. Regulatory certifications are shallow enough to remain black-on-black, while the CANON and other white markings are engraved deeply enough to hit bare aluminum below.
Mounting Index Dot Engraved and filled with white paint.
Serial Number Laser-engraved into bottom of lens barrel. Shows as silver on black.
Date Code None found.
Noises When Shaken Mild clicking.
Made in Taiwan, hidden in black on the inside black plastic rear light shield.
Sharpness performance top The Canon 22mm is super sharp at all settings, however coma softens the far corners a little at f/2. Here is Canon's rated MTF curve: Canon 22mm f/2 STM MTF.
Sunstars performance top Sunstars. Canon 22/2 STM, f/7.1 at 1/200 at ISO 100 on EOS-M, 6 sharpening +3 saturation. bigger. With a rounded 7-bladed diaphragm, sunstars have diffuse, not sharp, points. They aren't often seen. For the best sunstars, shoot at f/11 or smaller and pray.
Recommendations top Intro Specs Performance Recommendations More This is a superb general-purpose lens for the EOS M series of cameras. It's ultra sharp, and has the same quality optics as Fuji's 23mm f/2 on their X100 series, or LEICA's SUMMICRON 35mm f/2 ASPH. It's super-compact and performs excellently, so I'd strongly suggest it for the EOS-M cameras, since the whole point of the EOS-M is tiny size. This lens is tiny. If you've found the time I've spent sharing this professional review helpful, this free website's biggest source of support is when you use these links, especially these links to it at Adorama, at Amazon, at Crutchfield or at B&H, when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks! Ken
More Information top Intro Specs Performance Recommendations More Canon USA's 22mm f/2 STM product page. Canon USA's 22mm f/2 STM instruction manual.
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August 2012