Canon Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Review

So, this is a two-lens kit built around the classic Canon 50mm f/1.8. It's a full-frame prime lens paired with a wider EF-S zoom. The idea is you get a sharp, fast prime for portraits and a versatile wide-angle for travel or group shots. It's a starter pack for someone who wants to move beyond their kit lens without spending a fortune.

The 50mm f/1.8 is the star here. It's got that nice f/1.8 aperture for creamy background blur, scoring in the 68th percentile for bokeh. Build quality is surprisingly solid, landing in the 96th percentile. But the optical performance is the big letdown, sitting in the bottom 4th percentile. Expect some softness, especially in the corners. The 10-18mm zoom is handy for wide shots, but it's slow at f/4.5-5.6 and not stabilized, so it's best for bright daylight.

Prices are all over the place, from $140 to $419. At the low end, this kit is a steal for a beginner just wanting to experiment with different focal lengths. At $419, it's a hard pass. You're paying a premium for convenience, not quality. Shop around and aim for the $140-$200 range to make this worth it.

Against manual focus primes like the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 or Meike 55mm f/1.8, you lose autofocus but gain much sharper optics for a similar price. The Yongnuo 35mm f/1.8 for Sony E is a direct autofocus competitor that often beats this Canon kit on sharpness. This Canon bundle's main advantage is having two lenses, but you sacrifice a lot of image quality to get that convenience.

Buy this only if you're a total beginner on a tight budget who wants to try a prime and a wide-angle lens, and you find it for under $200. For anyone else, especially if you care about sharp photos, a single, better prime lens from Viltrox, Meike, or even Yongnuo is a smarter buy.