Canon Ef-s 18-55mm F/4-56 Is Stm Lens Review

In summary

The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.v-5.6 IS STM Lens is a useful starter lens for digicam upgraders looking for improved prototype quality. Since it covers a range of focal lengths that will accommodate subjects as various as landscapes and portraits, it will arrange newcomers to DSLR photography.

Its lite weight will as well suit travellers, while silent operation will brand this lens very useful for photographers who tape video.

Total review

Canon's new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens is offered equally a cheaper culling to the EF-South 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens which was developed to match the EOS 650D. More compact, lighter and cheaper than the 18-135mm lens, it also features the STM (stepping-motor) AF system, which supports Catechism'southward EOS Flick Servo AF feature for smoothen and tranquillity continuous autofocusing in Live View manner for pic recording.

Similar its 'sibling' the xviii-55mm lens can only exist used with Catechism'due south DLSR cameras that have 'APS-C sized' sensors.  Purchased with a camera body, information technology represents good value for coin and provides a worthwhile foundation for a more comprehensive kit that will grow as the photographer's requirements expand.

It's also a useful starter lens for digicam upgraders looking for improved image quality. Since it covers a range of focal lengths that will suit subjects as diverse as landscapes and portraits, it will suit newcomers to DSLR photography. Its light weight will also suit travellers, while silent operation will make this lens very useful for photographers who record video.

This feature is enabled by the use of a six-group zoom system plus a stepping motor focusing mechanism. A high-speed CPU and optimised AF algorithm provide fast autofocusing for shooting stills, while the Optical Epitome Stabiliser organization claims the equivalent of four stops of compensation.

The stabiliser can exist left on when the photographic camera is tripod-mounted, although it uses battery power. When the camera is set to 1 Shot AF mode, full-fourth dimension manual focusing is available. You only one-half-press the shutter push and turn the focusing ring until the paradigm appears precipitous.

Its optical design is slightly simpler, with 13 elements in eleven groups. One aspherical lens element is included and optimised lens coatings minimise ghosting and flare and ensure colours aren't compromised.

The lens is supplied with front and rear caps plus a printed multi-lingual instruction transmission. The lens hood (EW-63C) is sold separately.

Build and Ergonomics

Build quality is  much as you would expect from a basic kit lens. Dissimilar the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, this lens has a polycarbonate mounting plate, which fitted deeply to both the EOS 700D and EOS 100D cameras nosotros used for our tests.

Near of the barrel is also made from blackness polycarbonate and the matte terminate looks smart with both cameras. This lens is at its shortest at the 35mm focal length, with the inner butt extending by approximately ten mm at the 18mm and 55mm ends of the zoom range. Nosotros noticed a slight rotation of the front chemical element as the focal length was inverse, simply it would non exist enough to affect employ of bending-critical attachments similar polarisers and graduated filters.

The focusing ring is an eight mm broad ring just behind the leading edge of the outer barrel. It has a finely-ridged rubber coating that provides a secure grip.  The ring turns through 360 degrees in both manual and AF modes. No distance scale is provided.

The zoom ring is merely behind the focusing ring. It's 46 mm wide and carries a 33 mm wide, thickly ridged rubber collar. The abaft edge of this ring is engraved with focal length markings for 18mm, 24mm, 35mm and 55mm positions. Every bit the focal length is adjusted, the maximum and minimum apertures change accordingly, every bit shown in the table beneath:

Focal length	Max. aperture	Min. aperture
18mm	f/3.v	f/22
24mm	f/4.0	f/25
35mm	f/4.v	f/29
55mm	f/five.vi	f/36

Ii slider switches are located on the left hand side of the 18 mm wide section of the butt behind these engravings. The top 1 selects betwixt AF/MF and the lower ane switches the stabiliser on and off.

All operations of this lens, from the focus lens drive used during zooming, to focus ring move detection and control/drive, are operated electronically. The lens draws power from the camera body.   When it's not operated for a certain time, the Auto Power Off setting switches it off. Afterward deactivation, it can require upward to i second to power-up once again.

Performance

Overall performance was similar to the EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM'due south on the two cameras we used for our tests. Our test results and comments are based on ii samples of the lens, provided with the  EOS 700D  and  EOS 100D  cameras we reviewed at the same fourth dimension.

Focusing was smooth and generally fast in bright conditions with both cameras  but slowed in low light levels, both with the viewfinder and, to a much greater degree, in alive view mode. Touch AF was constructive with this lens on both cameras, provided there was sufficient light.

With low-contrast subjects and around dusk, the cameras struggled to detect focus even in this style and many shots were missed in our tests. The STM focusing motor ensured few (if any) operational noises were recorded on flick soundtracks.

The stabilisation system was as effective equally the 18-135mm'southward and produced a higher percentage of precipitous images at slow shutter speeds with both cameras. This is undoubtedly due to the shorter zoom range, which magnifies jitter less at 55mm than 135mm.

Images showed the review lenses came close to coming together expectations for the eighteen-megapixel sensors in both cameras. The highest resolution was recorded at the 55mm focal length, with all focal length settings producing their best results a couple of stops down from maximum aperture.

Edge and corner softening were relatively pocket-sized and diffraction reduced resolution from almost f/8 throughout the focal length range.

Lateral chromatic aberration was generally in the 'depression' band, dipping into the 'negligible' band in the middle apertures for the 50mm and 85mm focal lengths. We found no evidence of coloured fringing in test shots.

Barrel distortion was obvious in shots taken with the 18mm focal length merely became relatively insignificant thereafter. Vignetting (border and corner darkening) could be seen in open up-aperture shots at all focal length settings. Ane or ii stops down from the maximum aperture this problem was fully resolved.

Backlit subjects were handled very well, with very little loss of dissimilarity due to veiling flare. Bokeh was also quite attractive in close-upwardly shots at maximum aperture "" although not outstandingly beautiful.

SPECS

• Picture angle: 74 degrees xx minutes to 27 degrees l minutes
• Minimum aperture: f/36
• Lens structure: xiii elements in 11 groups (including   aspherical lens element)
• Lens mounts: Canon EF-S
• Diaphragm Blades: seven (circular aperture)
• Focus drive: Stepping motor
• Stabilisation: Yes, four f-stops claimed
• Minimum focus: 25 cm
• Maximum magnification: 0.36x
• Filter size:   58 mm
• Dimensions (Diameter x L): 69.0 x 75.ii mm
• Weight:  Approx. 205 grams

Rating

RRP: north/a; ASP: AU$tbc; MSRP Usa$249.99

• Build: 8.3
• Handling: 8.5
• Paradigm quality: 8.5
• Versatility: 8.5

Buy

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Source: https://www.photoreview.com.au/reviews/dslr-lenses/dslr-lenses-aps-c/canon-ef-s-18-55mm-f35-56-is-stm-lens/

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