Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM - Review 2022

Mirrorless cameras are popular for photographers who want the image quality of an SLR without the bulk. But lenses aren't ever small, with some systems featuring drinking glass that's quite large compared with the body. The Catechism EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM ($299.99) is delightfully tiny, matching well with EOS G bodies. Images are well-baked from border to edge, and macro shooters will dearest its high-magnification design and integrated LED calorie-free. If you've got a Canon mirrorless camera, this is a lens to get, and piece of cake to call an Editors' Choice.

Design

The EF-Thou 28mm measures 1.eight past 2.4 inches (Hard disk drive) and weighs just 4.6 ounces. It's a collapsible lens, which means those measurements are logged at its smallest position. You'll demand to twist the barrel while belongings the unlock switch in guild to telescope the center out a scrap, adding about a one-half-inch of height. The small-scale size is helped past a rather narrow maximum aperture, f/iii.5, which makes the lens a fleck less versatile as an all-around prime. For indoor and depression-light shooting, the EF-1000 22mm f/2 STM is a stronger selection.

Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM : Sample Image

There'southward a small metal lens hood with a thread that accepts 43mm filters. You lot'll need to unscrew the hood to use the integrated LED light. It's controlled by a button on the side of the lens. The light is broken into ii halves, to the left and right of the lens, each lit past an adaptable LED with two levels of effulgence. Use the push to modify power or, with a long press, switch between the left, correct, or both lights simultaneously.

The 28mm features an STM motor, which is smooth and silent. It's peculiarly handy for video, as it allows for slow, steady racks in focus between subjects. Image stabilization is built in, which is a big plus for video use, and also makes it easier to shoot macro shots handheld, every bit the high level of magnification would otherwise require a steady paw for well-baked results.

In its standard focus range, the lens locks on to subjects as close as 3.80 inches from the sensor, which gives it a very solid macro capability with 1:1 life-size magnification. Twist the barrel slightly to put information technology in Super Macro capability if y'all desire to work even closer, 3.66 inches, which projects images onto the sensor at larger than life-size, 1.2:1. The lite comes in handy here, as when you're working that close the front element of the lens is well-nigh touching your subject and casts a shadow. In the prototype of a MacBook Pro keyboard above, the left one-half shows 1:1 magnification and the right ane.2:1.

Image Quality

I used Imatest to test the EF 28mm forth with the 24MP EOS M6. At its maximum aperture, f/3.v, the lens scores two,394 lines per picture tiptop. The score is calculated using a center-weighted average, simply image quality is almost as strong at the edges (two,280 lines) equally information technology is at the mid parts (ii,315 lines) and centre (2,507 lines) of the frame. It's well above the one,800 lines nosotros look for at minimum in a photo.

Epitome quality is just about the same at f/4, and yous get the sharpest images at f/five.6 (2,643 lines). There's a modest drop at f/8 (ii,567 lines) and f/11 (2,366 lines), with a more than noticeable dip at f/16 (two,073) and the minimum f/22 aperture (1,586 lines).

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At that place's no visible distortion in images. You do get some corner dimness when shooting Raw, about -iii.4EV at f/iii.5, -2.5EV at f/4, and -1.7EV at f/v.6. At narrower apertures illumination is quite even from edge to border. Information technology'south piece of cake to burnish corners with a Raw converter—Adobe Lightroom has a lens profile to right the issue automatically.

If you shoot JPGs, your camera automatically brightens corners to make them closer to the heart. An f/3.5 JPG shows -1.2EV illumination at the corners, which is just outside our -1EV tolerance. It's a nonissue at narrower settings when shooting JPGs.

Conclusions

I have almost no complaints about the EF-M 28mm f/iii.5 Macro IS STM. Information technology'due south minor, cheap, sharp, and focuses almost correct upwardly to the front element. I tin nitpick and say it'south non an f/2.eight or f/2 lens, but it's tough to combine broad apertures with macro capability, and the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras make the half-cease difference between f/2.8 and f/3.v fairly academic.

The current generation of Canon's mirrorless cameras are a stride backside the competition, but I expect them to grab up, and lenses like this brand a compelling argument as mirrorless being a better pick for many consumers compared with SLR. If you've already invested in the EOS M arrangement and desire a lens that'due south going to evangelize better prototype quality and closer focus than the standard zoom that came with your camera, the EF-Yard 28mm should exist an easy purchase decision, especially at under $300. Information technology'south an easy pick as Editors' Option.