Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens Review
If you are looking for a wide-angle lens for your Canon APS-C DSLR camera, you might be interested in the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens. This lens is designed to provide an ultra-wide angle of view, equivalent to 16-29mm on a full-frame camera, making it ideal for landscape, architecture, interior and other photography that requires a large field of view. In this article, we will review the features, benefits, performance and drawbacks of this lens, and compare it with some similar products on the market.
Features and Benefits
The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens has several features and benefits that make it a great choice for wide-angle photography. Some of them are:
– It is very compact and lightweight, measuring only 2.8 by 2.9 inches and weighing 8.5 ounces, making it easy to carry around and use.
– It has a 4-group optical zoom system that includes a large-diameter element, an aspherical lens element, a UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) lens element and enhanced lens coatings for high-contrast, high-resolution images with minimal glare and aberration.
– It has a circular, 7-blade aperture that helps create a smooth and natural background blur (bokeh) for your subjects.
– It has an optical image stabilizer (IS) system that provides up to four stops of shake correction, enabling you to shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds without blur.
– It has a stepping motor (STM) and a refined focus mechanism that support the Canon EOS Movie Servo AF function, which allows for smooth and quiet continuous autofocus during video recording, as well as when shooting photos.
– It has a rear focusing system, plus a high-speed CPU and improved AF algorithm for fast and accurate autofocus.
– It has an electronically coupled focus ring that enables manual override of autofocus at any time.
– It has two control switches, one to toggle between manual and autofocus and another to enable or disable the IS system.
– It has a 67mm filter thread that supports various filters and accessories.
Performance and Drawbacks
The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens delivers excellent performance in terms of image quality, autofocus and stabilization. However, it also has some drawbacks that you should be aware of before buying it. Some of them are:
– It has a plastic lens mount instead of a metal one, which may affect its durability and compatibility with some third-party accessories.
– It does not come with a lens hood included, which you need to buy separately if you want to prevent stray light and reflections from affecting your images. The optional EW-73C lens hood costs around $25.
– It has a narrow aperture range of f/4.5-5.6, which limits its low-light performance and depth of field control compared to wider aperture lenses.
– It has noticeable barrel distortion at the short end of the zoom range (10mm), which causes straight lines to appear curved towards the edges of the frame. This can be corrected in post-processing or by using lens correction profiles in your camera or software.
– It has some chromatic aberration (color fringing) at the edges of the frame, especially at wide apertures and focal lengths. This can also be corrected in post-processing or by using lens correction profiles.
Comparison with Similar Products
The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is not the only wide-angle zoom lens available for Canon APS-C DSLR cameras. There are other options from Canon and third-party manufacturers that offer different features, performance and prices. Here is a comparison table of some of the most popular ones:
| Lens | Focal Length | Aperture Range | Image Stabilization | Autofocus Motor | Filter Thread | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM | 10-18mm (16-29mm equivalent) | f/4.5-5.6 | Yes | STM | 67mm | 8.5 oz (240 g) | $299 |
| Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM | 10-22mm (16-35mm equivalent) | f/3.5-4.5 | No | USM | 77mm | 13.6 oz (385 g) | $649 |
| Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM | 10-20mm (16-32mm equivalent) | f/3.5 | No | HSM | 82mm | 18.3 oz (520 g) | $449 |
| Tokina AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX | 11-20mm (17.6-32mm equivalent) | f/2.8 | No | SD-M | 82mm | 19.8 oz (560 g) | $499 |
As you can see, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is the smallest, lightest and cheapest of the bunch, but also has the narrowest aperture range and the lowest maximum magnification ratio (0.15x). It is the only one that has image stabilization and an STM focus motor, which are useful for video recording. The Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM has a slightly longer zoom range and a wider aperture range, but lacks image stabilization and has a louder and slower USM focus motor. The Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM has a constant f/3.5 aperture throughout the zoom range, but also lacks image stabilization and has a larger and heavier build. The Tokina AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX has the widest aperture of f/2.8, but also lacks image stabilization and has a shorter zoom range and a larger and heavier build.
Representative Product Reviews
Here are some representative product reviews from verified buyers of the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens on Amazon:
> I love this lens! I bought it for landscape photography and it does not disappoint. It is very sharp, even at the corners, and has very little distortion or chromatic aberration. The image stabilization works very well and allows me to shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds without blur. The autofocus is fast and silent, and the manual focus ring is smooth and precise. The lens is very compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around and use. The only downside is that it does not come with a lens hood, which I had to buy separately, but that is a minor issue. Overall, I am very happy with this lens and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wide-angle lens for their Canon APS-C camera.
> This is a great wide-angle lens for the price. It is very easy to use and produces great images with vivid colors and contrast. The image quality is comparable to some of the more expensive lenses in this category. The image stabilization is a nice feature that helps with handheld shots in low light situations. The autofocus is smooth and quiet, which is great for video recording. The lens is also very light and small, which makes it convenient to travel with. The only thing I don’t like about this lens is that it has a plastic mount instead of a metal one, which makes me worry about its durability and compatibility with some accessories. Other than that, this is a fantastic lens that I would recommend to anyone who wants to explore wide-angle photography.
> This lens is amazing for the money. It is very sharp across the frame, even at wide apertures and focal lengths. It has minimal distortion and chromatic aberration, which can be easily corrected in post-processing or by using lens correction profiles in your camera or software. It has an optical image stabilizer that works very well and enables you to shoot at slower shutter speeds without blur. It has a stepping motor that focuses quickly and quietly, and supports the Canon EOS Movie Servo AF function for smooth and silent continuous autofocus during video recording. It has a rear focusing system that does not rotate the front element or change the length of the lens during focusing, which makes it easier to use filters and accessories. It has a compact and lightweight design that makes it comfortable to hold and use.
Conclusion
The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is an excellent choice for wide-angle photography with your Canon APS-C DSLR camera. It offers great image quality, fast and quiet autofocus, effective image stabilization, compact and lightweight design, and an affordable price tag. It has some drawbacks, such as a narrow aperture range, a plastic lens mount, no lens hood included, some barrel distortion at 10mm, and some chromatic aberration at the edges of the frame, but these are minor issues that can be easily overcome or ignored in most situations.
If you are interested in buying this lens, you can click on this link to order it from Amazon with free shipping and returns.
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