Canon EF-M lenses: the complete list

12/27/2023

• Added the following lenses: 7artisans 4mm f/2.8 Circular Fisheye M, 7artisans 12mm f/2.8 Mark II M, 7artisans 24mm f/1.4 M, 7artisans 18mm f/6.3 Mark II M, TTArtisan 25mm f/2 M and TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 M

01/03/2023

• Added:
  • Meike: Meike 25mm f/2.0 Manual Focus Wide Angle and Meike 10mm f/2 MF M
  • 7Artisans: 7artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 II, 7artisans 35mm f/1.2 II, 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 and 7Artisans 55mm f/1.4 II
  • TTArtisan: TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 M, TTArtisan APS-C 50mm f/0.95 M, TTArtisan 50mm f/2 M and TTArtisan APS-C 50mm f/2 M
  • Laowa: Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO and Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie X
  • Samyang: Samyang 85mm f/1.8 Manual Focus
  • Bower: Bower 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS
  • Kipon: KIPON Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 Mark III
  • Neewer: Neewer 35mm f/1.7
  • Lensbaby: Lensbaby Sol 22mm f/3.5 MFT, Lensbaby Velvet 28mm f/2.5 MFT, Lensbaby Trio 28mm f/3.5 MFT, Lensbaby Burnside 35mm f/2.8 MFT, Lensbaby Sol 45mm f/3.5 MFT, Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 MFT, Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8 MFT, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Edge 35 Optic MFT, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Edge 50 Optic MFT, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Edge 80 Optic MFT, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 35 MFT, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50 Optic MFT and Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 80 Optic MFT

07/11/2022

• Added the Meike 7.5mm f/2.8 MF, Meike 50mm f/0.95, TTArtisan 7.5mm f/2 APS-C Fisheye and Meike 12mm f/2 MF

12/02/2021

• Added the following lenses: TTArtisan APS-C 40mm f/2.8 Macro, 7artisans 50mm f/0.95, 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 II V2 Macro and 7Artisans 25mm f/0.95
• Added the Pergear 10mm f/5.6 Pancake Fisheye

06/27/2021

• Added the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4, a bright manual-focus wide-angle lens

01/23/2020:

• Added the following Meike lenses: 6-11mm f/3.5 Fisheye, Meike 6.5mm f/2 Fisheye and Meike 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye
• Added the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4, a bright prime lens capable of producing a shallow depth of field for portrait photography
• Added the following 7Artisans lenses: 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3 UFO Lens, 7Artisans 35mm f/0.95 and 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro
• Added the three Viltrox f/1.4 lenses for the EF-M mount: the 23mm, 33mm and 56mm
• Added the following Opteka lenses: 6.5mm f/2 Circular Fisheye, 12mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/1.7 and 50mm f/2

Canon offers only a small number of native EF-M lenses. It is possible to use Canon EF lenses, originally designed for full-frame DSLR cameras, on an EOS M body with an adapter. However, these lenses are generally heavier, larger and more expensive. The native EF-M range includes several zooms and three prime lenses.

• Canon offers only one native wide-angle zoom for the EF-M mount: the Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM. According to the reviews I have read, it is a very good lens. Its main drawback is the noticeable vignetting at 11mm and maximum aperture. Build quality is good, and it remains one of the best native options for capturing a wide field of view, particularly for landscape photography. Considering its relatively low price, it represents excellent value.
• When purchasing a Canon EOS M camera, there is a good chance that it will come with the Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM as the kit lens. It is not an exceptional lens, but it is perfectly adequate for beginners. The Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM delivers better image quality, although its focal range is slightly less versatile.
• For photographers looking for an all-purpose lens, the Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM is a strong option. It provides a full-frame-equivalent focal range of approximately 29-240mm, which is enough for travel, wildlife, portraits and close-up details. Based on the comparisons I have read, the Canon performs better overall than the Tamron Di III 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 VC, its closest direct competitor.
• The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM is an excellent compact pancake lens. Sharpness is already impressive in the centre at maximum aperture, and the edges are also reasonably good, although the extreme corners remain soft. Performance improves noticeably by f/4. As with the Canon 11-22mm, vignetting is the main optical weakness at maximum aperture. Another lens worth considering is the Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 M. It offers reliable autofocus and better vignetting control, even at f/1.4, than the Canon does at f/2. Sharpness also appears to be at least as good, particularly in the corners.
• The Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM is Canon’s only native EF-M macro lens and has an excellent reputation.
• The Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM is also very highly regarded. A more affordable alternative is the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 M, which usually costs around half as much.
• Finally, Canon offers only one native telephoto zoom for the EF-M mount: the Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM. Photographers seeking a faster or higher-quality telephoto lens will generally need to use an adapted Canon EF lens designed for full-frame DSLR cameras.

Canon’s native lenses are very good, but Sigma also offers three bright autofocus primes with an f/1.4 maximum aperture, generally at a lower price. Their wide apertures make it easier to use faster shutter speeds without raising the ISO too much.

• The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN is a bright wide-angle prime with very good overall build quality, although it is not especially compact. It provides a field of view equivalent to approximately 26mm on full frame. Image quality is already good in the centre at f/1.4, but the corners are noticeably softer. Stopping down to f/2.8 improves sharpness across the frame. Whether this weakness matters will depend on how you use the lens. It may be limiting for astrophotography, but is much less important for street photography or images with a shallow depth of field. At around $400, it offers excellent value for money.
• The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN competes directly with the Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM. According to the comparisons I have read, the two lenses deliver very similar image quality, although the Canon is slightly sharper at maximum aperture. The Sigma is generally cheaper, however, which can make it the better-value option.
• The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN is another excellent lens, particularly for portraits. It is very well built and delivers very good image quality at f/1.4, becoming outstanding across the frame by f/2. Its bokeh is highly regarded, making it easy to blur the background and isolate the subject. Some vignetting and distortion are present, but both can be corrected easily in post-processing.

These three lenses are also available for Sony E-mount and Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Laowa offers three particularly interesting manual-focus lenses for the Canon EF-M mount:

• The Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye is a highly specialized lens. Its extremely wide 210° field of view allows it to photograph slightly behind the camera. Reviews suggest that image quality is quite good, particularly when the aperture is stopped down by one or two stops. Chromatic aberration can be visible near the edges of the frame. Its very short 8cm minimum focusing distance makes it possible to create highly original compositions by placing the lens extremely close to the subject.
• The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D is a well-regarded ultra-wide-angle lens. Build quality is considered excellent, and it provides one of the widest rectilinear fields of view available for the Canon EF-M mount. Image quality is good at maximum aperture, although the edges and corners are softer. Stopping down to f/4 improves performance across the frame. Vignetting is very strong at f/2.8, reaching approximately four stops, but distortion is remarkably low.
• Finally, the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2× Ultra Macro APO is an outstanding manual-focus macro lens. Everything I have read about it has been extremely positive. Build quality is excellent and image quality is exceptional, even at maximum aperture, although the corners are slightly weaker. There is no direct native equivalent for the EF-M mount, and its price remains very reasonable for a lens of this quality. For anyone interested in serious macro photography, this is the model I would recommend without hesitation.

The TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 should not be confused with the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2. This inexpensive Chinese manual-focus prime is suitable for portraits, street photography and close-up details.

As expected at this price, it has several optical weaknesses, including strong vignetting at maximum aperture, noticeable coma and some flare and ghosting. Centre sharpness is acceptable at f/1.4, but the edges and corners are very soft. Stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 improves the centre, although the corners remain relatively weak. I would therefore not recommend it primarily for landscape or architectural photography.

Its bokeh is reported to be smooth and attractive, however, and the bright f/1.4 aperture makes it possible to isolate details effectively. For photographers on a limited budget, it remains a worthwhile manual-focus lens at less than $100.

I recently added the three Viltrox f/1.4 primes to this page. All three are well suited to low-light photography and can produce attractive background blur thanks to their wide maximum aperture.

• The Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 M appears to be a very good lens for the price. Centre performance is respectable at f/1.4, although the edges and corners are considerably softer. Sharpness improves throughout the frame by f/2.8, with peak performance around f/4 to f/5.6. Vignetting, distortion and chromatic aberration are well controlled. Build quality is also considered good, and the lens includes a metal petal-shaped hood. At around €350, it offers very good value.
• The Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 M performs in a very similar way. It offers good build quality and reliable autofocus, with good centre sharpness at maximum aperture but softer edges and corners. Sharpness and contrast improve noticeably by f/2.8. Since it generally costs around half as much as the Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM, it is a particularly attractive alternative.
• The Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.4 M is primarily designed for portrait photography. Once again, the reviews are positive and it offers strong value for money. Canon does not offer a direct equivalent in the EF-M range, so its main competitor is the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary.