Photography Museum Lenses: Canon EF-M Mount

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When I made the shift to the EOS M-series of cameras I did so knowing I would adapt my existing (and often quite large) Canon EF lenses to the diminutive mirrorless APS-C sensor bodies. That has worked out fine for the most part and I’ve made many successful photographs with these adapted optics. Even the Tamron 150-600mm, which I have never even used in an EF amount body, has worked out quite well on the larger EOS M5.

The native Canon EF-M lenses were, for many years, highly underrated. The photographic community loved (and still loves) to disparage the tiny quantity of native EF-M lenses Canon has released. It’s fair to say that Canon could have done better than 8 lenses in 7 years, but the lenses they have released are all quite good, some optically class leading, especially given their tiny size. I also appreciate the consistent understated aesthetic Canon has used with these lenses.

Would it be nice to have a few more fast primes? Sure, but personally I do not feel limited by the current selection. The 22mm ƒ/2.0 pancake is fast enough for indoor work, though it could be sharper. A fast 15mm (24 equivalent) would also be handy for those who like something wider. On the long end, would a 54mm ƒ/1.4 (85mm equivalent) make a nice portrait lens? Sure, but I don’t really see M-series cameras being used for serious portraiture. At the moment, the fast 32mm ƒ/1.4 is a tack-sharp and versatile allrounder—good for portraits, low-light, and street photography—one of my favourite lenses ever.

You could argue that three fast fixed aperture zooms—wide-angle, standard, and telephoto—are missing from the EF-M line-up. Again, I would love to see these lenses made, but I’m not sure the target market would want the larger sizes and higher prices that these lenses would entail.

EF-M Prime Lenses

Canon EF-M Prime Lenses

EF-M Zoom Lenses

Canon EF-M Zoom Lenses

EF-M Miscellaneous

  • Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS M

I do not own the collapsible EF-M 15-45mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 IS STM which is not as sharp or fast as the original EF-M 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens.