Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM vs Canon EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM

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EF 50mm f/1.8 STM compared with EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM

	CanonEF 50mm f/1.8 STM	CanonEF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM
Overview
Released
Released	May 2015	June 2018
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	50 mm	70–200 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/1.8	f/4
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/32
Optical construction
Optical construction	Six elements in five groups	20 elements in 15 groups
Special elements
Special elements	–	One fluorite and two UD elements
Coatings
Coatings	Lens coating optimised for digital cameras to reduce ghosting and flare	Super Spectra coatings; fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements according to Canon's US launch announcement
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Minimum f/22 with one-third-stop camera aperture increments	–
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Seven blades with a circular aperture	Nine blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	Full-frame horizontal 40°; vertical 27°; diagonal 46°	–
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF cameras, including full-frame and APS-C DSLRs	Canon EF mount full-frame and APS-C cameras
Adaptor support
Adaptor support	Canon UK supports EOS M cameras with an EF-EOS M mount adaptor	–
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.35 m	1 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.21×	0.27×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	–	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Gear-type stepping motor; manual override after autofocus with the camera set to One-Shot AF	Ring-type USM with full-time manual focus override
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Electronic focus ring requires camera power; no distance scale (Digital Camera World)	Maximum 0.27× magnification at 200 mm; internal focusing according to Digital Camera World
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	–	Five-stop CIPA claim at 200 mm on an EOS-1D X Mark II; three modes including exposure-only stabilisation for tracking moving subjects
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	EF12 II extension tube gives 0.45–0.24×; EF25 II gives 0.74–0.53×	–
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	49 mm	72 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	69.2 mm	80 mm
Length
Length	39.3 mm	176 mm
Weight
Weight	160 g (better)	780 g
Controls
Controls	–	AF/MF, IS on/off and three IS mode switches; focus limiter excludes distances below 3 m according to Digital Camera World
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal zooming maintains physical length according to Digital Camera World
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	–	Dust- and moisture-resistant construction
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	69.2 mm maximum diameter × 39.3 mm length in the retracted state	80 mm maximum diameter × 176 mm length
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 160 g according to Canon UK specifications and Camera Museum; the UK store dimension panel instead lists 159 g	Approximate 780 g maker figure; Digital Camera World specifies this excludes the optional tripod mount
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	–	Optional A II (W II) tripod mounting ring according to Digital Camera World; the maker photograph shows this separately sold accessory
Lens hood
Lens hood	Optional ES-68	–
In the box
In the box	Lens, E-49 front cap, Lens Dust Cap E and user manual	Lens, pouch, caps, hood and instruction manual according to Canon UK
Release detail
Release detail	Marketed in May 2015 according to Canon Camera Museum	Canon Japan announced first sale on 28 June 2018; Canon Camera Museum gives June 2018 and the US launch announcement states late June. The day is the Japanese sale date, not a separately confirmed UK date.