Beach days are back again along with more Canon Rebel T4i/650D and EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens video tests. My kids and their cousins hit the ground running at Clearwater Beach, Florida with open arms despite the heat and high humidity.
A 1080p video shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D paired with the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens at 29.97fps. Edited with Final Cut Pro 6.0.6 with the Canon E-1 Movie plugin to transcode to AppleProRes422. I used Compressor to export my timeline for a 800mb h264 video file. For audio capture, I used a Senneheiser MKE400 shotgun microphone. For support, I used Benro 3580 tripod legs with a Manfrotto 701 HDV video head. To control the incoming exposure in direct sunlight, I used a FADER HD variable ND filter on the "shorty forty" lens.
The Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens is an affordable, portable and super sharp lens that gives great color and contrast. A great value is an understatement describing this lens for still and video purposes. The "shorty forty' is a must have for your camera bag.
Just like I mentioned in my full Canon Rebel T4i/650D Verdict and Video Review, I found the lack of AF Quick in video mode rather disappointing along with other big features. The AF Flexizone Single Point in the T4i is no replacement for the faster AF Quick mode of the previous T3i.
The AF Flexizone Single Point uses an enhanced contrast detect sensor in the CMOS chip to maintain focus automatically or on demand. It is simply not fast enough for my taste, but fortunately it is just as accurate as AF Quick of the T3i. Shooting in the direct sunlight of the beach was a great test of the AF of the T4i. Rejoice!
Just like my kids and their cousins, the Canon Rebel T4i and the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens make a great pair together. The "shorty forty" on the T4i's crop sensor give a focal equivalent of 64mm. A perfect focal length for portraits with dreamy out of focus background. A match made in heaven!
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Chad,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog i stumbled upon it while searching up on the rokinon 35mm for filming and the canon pancake lense. Thanks for doing what you do.
Hi Chad,
ReplyDeleteCan I use this new 40mm shorty STM with a EOS Rebel T3i? Does this STM AF work with my Camera? I will use my camera taking photos in our bridal dress shop and some videos.
Thanks,
Sandor
Sandor,
DeleteYes, the 40mm pancake works with the T3i. Unfortunately, you will not be able to take full advantage of the STM AF for video. The STM only works kind of okay with the Hybrid AF Servo of the T4i. No worries, the STM and T3i for still pictures have minimal effect on AF. Just for video, manually focus the lens.
Sincerely, Chad Soriano
Chad,
DeleteIt is a good news. I will use it mostly for still pictures (starting some wedding photo carrier). Thank you!
Sincerely, Sandor Nagy
Thanks for the review Chad! I am new to the dslr world abut i have recently acquired this exact combo. What accessory do you have on the 40mm in the 1st pic? any true purpose of it?
ReplyDeleteDa Kid BONSU,
DeleteYou are very welcome! The accessory attached to the front of the 40mm pancake lens is a variable neutral density filter. A variable ND or Fader filter reduces the incoming light without affecting aperture, shutter and ISO setting of the camera during video recording. In bright settings, such as the beach on a sunny day, the fader filter enables the camera lens to shoot wide open (lowest aperture number) and get that dreamy out of focus background. Fader filters have come down in price over the years. You can pick up a professional grade fader for around $100 or you can pick up a chinese knock off with decent performance on Amazon for under $20. The $20 brand is Neewer and is sold or fufilled by Amazon.
Sincerely, Chad Soriano
Awesome! Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteChad, how are you connecting the filter to the canon 40mm pancake lens and where can I purchase the filter? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRobert,
ReplyDeleteAmazon.com is a beautiful thing. The Fader filter I used in this post is rather pricey for the market today. Amazon now has affordable and decent fader filters fulfilled by Amazon retailers as well as step up filter rings. On Amazon.com, Neewer brand Fader Filters of any size can be purchased under $20 a piece. If you want to stick with one size fader filter, you can purchase affordable step up or step down rings from the Fotodiox company on Amazon.com. Although, the fader filter brands over $100 are sharper with their better optical quality, the cheap faders on Amazon such as Neewer brand are quite satisfactory, IMHO.
Sincerely, chad soriano