I have previously written about 35mm being a natural focal length on a crop-sensor Canon DSLR body, as it provides a focal length that's quite close to 50mm on a full-frame DSLR body.
Because I don't find the 50mm focal length of the Canon 50mm f/1.8 to be very natural on my 50D body, I bought a Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens, and have been really enjoying it so far.



Here are some photos of the Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens.

side view

front view

Specifications of the EF 35mm f/2 lens are as follows:

focal length	35mm
mount	Canon EF
maximum aperture	f/2
minimum aperture	f/22
minimum focus	25 cm
weight	210 grams
dimensions	68mm x 43mm (width x length)
filter size	52 mm
aperture blades	5
optics	7 elements in 5 groups

The EF 35mm f/2 lens was first released back in 1990. Looking up the date code on my (second-hand) lens indicates it was manufactured in September 2008, in Utsunomiya, Japan, so my copy is less than two years old.



The Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens is very similar in size and weight to its sibling, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens (read my review of the 50mm f/1.8).

Canon EF 35mm f/2 and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lenses

There are a number of differences between these lenses that are immediately obvious. The 35mm f/2 lens has a metal mount, while the 50mm f/1.8 has a plastic mount. The focus ring on the 35mm lens is larger and easier to use, and the 35mm lens feels more solid than the cheap plasticy feel of the 50mm f/1.8 lens.

It doesn't have full-time focus, so you need to toggle the focus mode switch from AUTO to MANUAL in order to be able to use manual focus. Interestingly, the focus ring is dis-engaged when the focus mode switch is set to AUTO, and ensures you cannot try to manually focus the lens in AUTO mode. (The 50mm f/1.8 focus ring remains engaged when in AUTO focus mode, and you can forcefully rotate the focus ring, but doing so can damage the focus mechanism.)
This can be somewhat annoying when you want to retract the lens before putting it into your camera bag, as you need to switch to manual focus, rotate the focus ring to retract the lens, and then switch back to auto focus.

Auto focus on this lens is quite fast and accurate, but is somewhat noisy, but that can be expected with a cheap(ish) lens such as this.

The front of lens does not rotate, but extends when focussing, which is useful if you want to use a circular polarising filter on the lens.



As previously discussed, I find the focal length of the 35mm f/2 lens on a 1.6x crop body to be provide a more natural field-of-view than a 50mm lens.

Since receiving my 35mm f/2 lens, it's been the most-used lens on my camera, and I haven't used my 50mm lens at all.



The 35mm f/2 lens provides great results, with good contrast and colours, and is quite sharp when stopped down a little.

The 5 aperture blades of the 35mm f/2 lens result in somewhat harsh bokeh in the out-of-focus areas of photos when the aperture is stopped down, but it is no worse than the 50mm f/1.8 bokeh.

5 aperture blades of the 35mm f/2 lens (lens has been stopped down to f/8)

More expensive prime lenses typically have more aperture blades, resulting in smoother, more round bokeh. In comparison to the 5 aperture blades in the 35mm f/2 lens, the much more expensive Canon 35mm f/1.4L lens has 8 aperture blades.

Due to its small size, the 35mm f/2 lens fits comfortably into a stubby holder for transport.



The build quality is reasonable, and is probably a little better than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens, and the metal mount of the 35mm f/2 lens is definitely better than the plastic mount found on the 50mm f/1.8 lens.
I have been very happy with the images taken with the 35mm f/2 lens, and love the focal length on a crop body.

While the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens is great value for money (at approx USD$100), the more expensive Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens is good value for money, particularly if you can find a copy second-hand for a good price. However, I definitely prefer the 35mm lens to the 50mm lens because it's a more natural focal length on a crop body.



The Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens retails new for about AUD$440 or USD$299.

A (much) more expensive variant of the 35mm lens is also available, namely the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM lens, which retails for AUD$1970 or USD$1350.



Here are some sample photos taken with the Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens (all photos were taken with the 35mm f/2 lens on a Canon 50D DSLR body):

a splash of yellow

35mm f/2 @35mm, 1/200 sec, f/4.5, ISO100

autumn leaf carpet

35mm f/2 @35mm, 1/200 sec, f/5, ISO100

Cappuccino

35mm f/2 @35mm, 1/160 sec, f/2, ISO100

lonely flower in the city 35mm f/2 @35mm, 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO100

solitude 35mm f/2 @35mm, 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO100