Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM : Specifications and Opinions

Reviews

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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Peppe Cancellieri

sent on 23 Gennaio 2026

Pros: Construction, fairly compact, sharp enough

Cons: Lens hood

Opinion: I have resurrected this very old lens which is worth much more than the 160 euros I paid for it. The shots at 20mm are quite different from those of a 24mm and for this reason I wanted to put it back in the kit, there are not many 20mm around and certainly none at that price. I'm very satisfied with it for that vaguely vintage air but also for the colors, sharpness, AF and also quite bright. In short, everything is fine except for the "usual" lens hood that is not there and an original one costs almost more than the lens, an inexplicable issue at Canon. I have a compatible one but it doesn't mount well so you can see flaps in the frame and you can't use it, I'll try with a universal screw one or I'll do without it. Rating about 9

DiegoD

sent on 20 Marzo 2020

Pros: Compact - AF fast - blurry

Cons: Tropicalization

Opinion: If this project has not been updated or changed there are 2 reasons: the first is the fact that the lens does more than excellently its duty as it is, the second is that although it is not perfect, it represents a bright fixed at ridiculous costs (for the focal FF) usable in all excluding architecture. It may not be monstrous at the corners, but it certainly has a pleasant yield and blurry one. if I had to give a definition I'd say it's a Canon. And by that I mean that it's a lens whose photos stand out, have character and personality, are not sharp at the edges and do not even have any distortion, but the outcome is pleasant. It generates poetry and atmosphere as long as you devote time to it. Beautiful focal on aps-c

Giuseppe Patruno

sent on 26 Novembre 2019

Pros: Brightness, accuracy and AF speed, sharpness already from f2.8, blurred, minimum focus distance, general yield, flare resistance, little distortion, cost

Cons: Optics a little forgotten and very underestimated, it could have become perfect if it had been F2, good but discreet flare resistance compared to other optics such as the 17-40

Opinion: Recently purchased and impressed me immediately... a lens that in my opinion can satisfy many genres, from landscapes to the street, up to portraits and ceremonial works... its speed and precision, even on machine bodies with not fast and recent focus make it suitable for "fast" and silent situations.... a blurry then gorgeous for such a wide focal, sharp already slightly at 2.8, closed at 3.2 or 3.5 already makes much more... to very closed diaphragms it retains well its resistance to flare, which really amazed me, overall then has a pasty and delicate yield, it is not an L series of course but by its standards you can work very well professionally, for less than 350 euros I highly recommend it to everyone !

Sandrofoto

sent on 23 Luglio 2019

Pros: Construction, sharpness from f4, to 2.8 good, very low distortion, soft color yield, vintage colors

Cons: Vignette, backlight in critical situations

Opinion: I say that I use it on 6D, I honestly found it very good, on the web the vast majority talk about it very badly, I do not understand what parameters of observation are made. Natural colors not contrasted, shadows not closed, low distortion, excellent sharpness from f4, by necessity you can safely use even at 2.8, in short for me it is a very good lens so I completely disassociate myself from the negative comments of others. The construction, although not an L-series, is dignified and robust. On the other hand, the vignette is elevated to the most open diaphragms but it is corrected in a quiet click, and the backlight but only in really critical situations, sun in the frame. I recommend it, low price especially in the used and excellent quality in general.

Mauro57

sent on 16 Novembre 2017

Pros: construction, chromatic rendering, distortion

Cons: slight loss of sharpness and vignetting at the extreme corners only with full frame

Opinion: Great focal length of 20mm, it allows a little bit of detail to frame virtually everything without distortion, this particular that I use for a long time returns a chromatic tonality in the wonderful interior, good focus with center point on both 5D old and 6D, excellent sharpness in the middle and discreet on the edges, it only smacks a slight vignetting and sharpening but only in the extreme corners with full frame.

Giuliano V.

sent on 22 Giugno 2015

Pros: 20 mm! Superb corner on both formats! Auto focus Usm fast and interior, color rendering, controlled distortion, light, resistance to flare, sharpness and brightness!

Cons: I have not noticed ...

Opinion: Amazing corner of FF, a real wide angle with controlled distortion that becomes a 35mm equivalent on APS-c. Excellent auto focus, construction and optical quality without compromise, all metal, with internal af, lightweight and portable, in my opinion very clear as well as light, excellent color rendering! rnL'unico against the yield seems to be poor at the edges, but on 5D old I frankly have not noticed, let alone with the crop of aps-c ... perhaps it is less suitable for sensors more recent and demanding being a project a bit dated. However, a good goal, in its own unique way to the strong identity that has both formats, if you are familiar with fixed lenses inevitable and better the old 24 in all, with quality and yield more than good, considering the price!

Adi

sent on 02 Agosto 2012

Pros: EF attack, the only Canon EF lens with a focal length of 20 mm, ring-type USM motor with full time manual, autofocus internal front element fixed and constant barrel length, weight, focus, good grip, quality of materials, light .

Cons: Project that started in June 1992, so a little dated.

Opinion: On a body equipped with a sensor APS-C in my case the Canon 50D, the angle of field becomes equivalent to that of a 32mm lens and the poor quality at the edges is not known. Still classified as wide-angle performance are considered good in absolute value. I can say a perspective d `always have on hand for both the light and for the quality. I highly recommend it for the affordable price, but also for the satisfaction of that in writing with light.

Fabio1951

sent on 11 Febbraio 2012

Pros: careful construction

Cons: sharpness at the edges insufficient

Opinion: I had this view for many years, but then I was forced to sell it, I consider not up to the equivalent from other manufacturers. Especially at the edges with FF sensors need to despair and I think it can only be used with APS-C, which is close to a 33mm, but always excluding photographic genres in which the yield of the angles is important, in my opinion, with the sensor 1.5x in the report can say, however, his. I have replaced with the Distagon 21mm Zeiss and I was really open to another world. This view, in my opinion superb, as well as with FF prevails however also coll'APS-C.

Golfinho203

sent on 19 Ottobre 2011

Pros: Construction, color, distortion, internal focusing

Cons: Poor quality at the edges

Opinion: I have this view for a long time, now replaced by the Canon EF 24-105 L. He never got to the lack of correction of the edges. Of course, the project is affected by the pre-digital design. Indestructible and with a wide viewing angle. The quality of the materials is high and the presence of plastic material is somewhat limited. The focus is internal, and the front lens does not rotate. You must use the polarizers very thin to avoid including the edges of the filter in the picture.

Federicoz

sent on 03 Ottobre 2011

Pros: Optical quality

Cons: old design and quality at the edges

Opinion: I had this perspective, being able to create a very beautiful, but the big drawback is the resolution at the corners, can not satisfy the sensors are too large to px. With what it costs hard to find perspective as bright and wide, for use indoors! On aps-c can be used as a fixed lens, even for street photography. The lens construction is good, with smooth focus and excellent assembly