February 1, 2017

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I photographed my Pentax 50mm f1.4 for an earlier post (using this Canon 50mm) and now, the roles are reversed.  These images of the Canon 50mm f1.8 STM were created with the Pentax.  As much as I appreciate the silky smoothness of the Pentax, I really enjoy how sharp the Canon is – it produces nice colors and a smooth background when shot wide open at f1.8 (the lower the f-number, the more open the aperture and the shallower the depth of field, meaning more out-of focus areas)

This lens isn’t as visually appealing as the Pentax, but it is light weight, feels solid, and is unobtrusive when mounted.  This STM version is an update to the 50mm 1.8II that has been around for 25 years.  While still an entry-level prime lens (about $125 new), it provides an image quality that surpasses the price tag.  Two significant improvements over the 1.8II, are the metal mount on the STM and upping to seven aperture blades from five.  The increase in blades means a smoother bokeh (those out-of-focus blurry dots in the backgrounds of some images).

While I love both of the 50mm’s that I use, the versatility (autofocus and focus to infinity) means I would reach for the Canon as an every-situation-lens over the Pentax.

50mm B&W Canon Lens Pentax Photography Super Takumar