Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Zoom Lens

There are many people and reviewers who compare this lens unfavorably with Canon's acclaimed L-Series lenses. I think those folks are way too picky - one can't expect a $200 lens to perform as well as a $1,000 lens. That's like comparing a little Honda Civic to perform as well as BMW M3. Not gonna happen, but for the price the Civic is an excellent little car. Likewise, this lens is a worthwhile investment towards getting excellent pictures. Pay no heed to the people who rate this lens poorly because it doesn't zoom as far (you should have bought a longer lens) or those who claim its build quality is not as solid (you should have spent a lot more money)

This wide-angle to slight telephoto lens (28.8-88mm equivalent focal length for an APS-C camera) has caused a slight commotion on the internet in the last few months. It's sort of the zoom counterpart of Canon's 50mm f1.8, in the perception that it's incredibly cheap but performs very well. On an optical level it has no obvious deficits apart from a a slight optical aberration at the wider settings. Physically it is small and light, and the image stabilization works admirably. As a package, at this price level, it's hard to resist if you want a cheap modest walkaround lens. The only obvious competition I can think of is the Sigma 18-50mm non-HSM version, which doesn't have image stabilization ,

This is the third edition of Canon's 18-55mm camera kit lens. The first two versions of the lens were frequently knocked on the internet for meager sharpness at the corners, chromatic aberrations, and general inferior build quality. I haven't used the older versions, although the image samples I have seen were not noteworthy. You can find these lenses going for a song on eBay, as they are not in high demand. In contrast, the 18-55mm IS has exceeded expectations

If you need a low light lens, this isn't it. If your primary objective is to take pictures in low light situation such as weddings and concerts, then get the 24-70mm IS f/2.8L USM instead.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. Canon's latest optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology provides up to 4-stop compensation for image blur caused by camera shake and slow shutter speeds. Photographers normally shooting handheld at 1/250 sec can switch on IS to obtain a similarly steady and blur-free result with a shutter speed of just 1/15 second. The inclusion of automatic panning detection makes it easier for photographers to track wildlife and other moving subjects. To ensure consistently accurate results at all zoom positions, the IS system within each lens has been optimized for that lens' specific focal length range. Since the IS system is based within the lens, the results are visible through the viewfinder when framing the image.

In response to demands of photographers, this standard zoom lens is designed with Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer technology while retaining the compactness and lightness of previous models. Its stabilization allows sharp hand-held shots at shutter speeds up to four stops slower than otherwise possible.

It consists of 11 elements in 9 groups and uses an Aspherical lens element to correct aberration for excellent image quality throughout the zoom range and a circular aperture for exquisite rendering of out-of-focus backgrounds.

Without a lot of size, weight or cost, this lens expands picture-taking possibilities any time slow shutter speeds are needed.

The standard zoom lens is designed with Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer technology while retaining the compactness and lightness of previous models. Its stabilization allows sharp hand-held shots at shutter speeds up to four stops slower than otherwise possible It consists of 11 elements in 9 groups and uses an Aspherical lens element to correct aberration for excellent image quality throughout the zoom range and a circular aperture for exquisite rendering of out-of-focus backgrounds

• Front & Rear Lens Caps

Not a professional photographer, June 15, 2009

By mom to 3 boys (usa)

I know nothing about ISO, shutter speeds, Ring lag etc...I'm so not a professional Photographer far from it. I just set my Canon Rebel to Auto and push the button.

But what I do know is I have a canon 55mm-250mm lens (which cost way More then the canon 18mm-55mm lens) and the 250mm is better at getting far far away shots. But not so great on up close birthday pictures and fast action baseball shots. Were the 18mm-55mm is!!

I use my 18mm-55mm almost all the time. I only pull the 250mm lens out when I have to shot something really far away which isn't often. I like that the 18mm-55mm is smaller and auto focus is faster compare to the 250mm lens.

When I download my 18-55mm lens pics of my son's baseball game to his team web page and get emails asking me "who was the photographer that took those great pictures??" me a photographer!! That is all that needs to be said about this lens!!

I don't think it feels cheap and I don't care if ISO are slow, etc.. that other reviews complain about. With my 18-55mm lens I get a prefect picture every time, I have never been Disappointed (with my 250mm I have been).

I wonder if maybe some of the people who have trouble with this lens is because you need to leave the ISO and speed alone and just let the camera do all the work; try auto once and awhile. Because I have no problems with getting prefect pictures every time I use auto setting with this lens.

By CT (Texas, USA)

This is a great lens. I use it for pretty much everything other than birds (I use a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras for that). The only time I had trouble with it was at an aquarium, where the low light meant slow shutter speeds (moving fish + slow shutter speeds = blurry fish). For things that aren't moving much, in low light I think this lens is better than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens. I find that f/3.5-f/5.6 with image stabilization is usually superior to f/1.8 without it.

The zoom range (18mm-55mm) is very practical. 18mm is wide enough for landscapes or crowds at concerts, and 55mm is usually long enough.

Although the specifications look similar to the non-IS version that comes with the Rebel XT/XTi, this lens is quite a bit better..

I've also done a lot of macro photography by mounting this lens to the camera body backwards (with an adapter I bought for <$15 from another site) and the results are impressive. It's difficult to use since that isn't the intended use, but the pictures are incredible (when your field of view is 1/4th of an inch wide, you can see the individual eyes of a fly, or the hairs on a small spider's leg).