CANON EF-M 28mm f/3.5 MACRO IS STM

A small wonder for EOS M cameras, it goes beyond the usual 1.0x magnification

£269/$249

This is Canon’s one and only dedicated EF-M macro lens for EOS M cameras, and it has a surprisingly short focal length, equivalent to shooting with a 45mm lens on a full-frame. Typical of EF-M lenses, it’s compact and lightweight, tipping the scales at just 130g.

Although small, the lens packs in a lot of features. STM autofocus (AF) is effective for stills and video, and there’s a hybrid image stabilizer which corrects for x-y shift, as well as the more usual vibrations. It’s effective in general shooting, but less so for close-ups, and no substitute for a tripod in full macro shooting. Speaking of, the lens features an extra ‘Super Macro’ mode, which boosts the max magnification from 1.0x to 1.2x.

The working distance at max magnification is just 13mm between the front of the lens and the subject. The forward end of the barrel is chamfered to reduce shadows, but the lens can still block out ambient light. It therefore features a built-in LED Macro Lite, in which you can select one side or the other, or use both sides together, and at two different brightness levels.

Performance

The incredibly close working distance can make full macro shooting tricky, but the LED Macro Lite comes in useful. In our tests, it enabled exposure levels equivalent to 1/15th of a second at f/8 (ISO200). That’s a stop faster than in the EF-S 35mm. Sharpness is good and there’s not too much in the way of colour fringing or distortion, which can also be corrected in-camera.