Last Updated on May 8, 2021
If you are looking for a flexible wide angle zoom lens to broaden your photography reach then you have likely heard about the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens. It is a widely popular pick for night photographers, landscape and many types of photography.
Today we will give you the complete rundown so you know whether this is the lens worth investing in.
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens Specs
So first let’s go over the specifications for this lens. It is an EF-S Mount Lens APS-C format with a 35mm equivalent 16-28.88mm. It offers an aperture range of f/4.5 to f/29. It has an aspherical element and a UD element.
It offers Canon’s respected STM stepping autofocus motor with optical image stabilization. You also get super spectra coating.
Overall this is an extremely well constructed lens ready to be an everyday use workhorse.
Who is it for?
This highly flexible lens is well suited for night and low light situations as well as an all purpose lens option. The aperture range will be able to produce some stunning images for large prints without resorting to f/2.8 or f/4 for optimal depth of field performance.
This lens is also the ideal choice for those who value fast autofocus and a high motor-driven aperture. The IS is also very helpful in shooting in low light situations where using the flash is not possible.
Why we love it
This lens is fast and bright with a nice bokeh and excellent color. The pricing is also very good for the quality and performance you receive.
The build quality is superb, it feels solid in the hand and will not feel cheap to use.
Overall this is a great lens for many types of photography from nature to architecture, portraits, night or low light photography. The image stabilization is highly appreciated when shooting in low light conditions where vibration can cause blur or loss of sharpness.
What can be improved
This lens does not leave much to be desired. It is lightweight and relatively small which is excellent. It also focuses very fast for a wide angle lens at around 0.20 seconds for accurate results.
The zoom ring has an odd feel but this is something that can be overlooked. It is not too stiff, not too loose, it just feels different than most of the other lenses in the Canon line up.
It would be nice to have IS in video mode but overall this lens does a great job with stabilizing video recording as well as it does in still photography.
How it performed in our tests
The sharpness of this lens is excellent. There was little chromatic aberration, almost no distortion and minimal to no vignetting. You can further improve your image quality with correct exposure and post processing skills using Adobe Photoshop or Elements with their latest updates for best results when shooting raw images.
Bottom Line
The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is a popular pick for enthusiasts and professional photographers alike. It is fast, bright and well built with many great features.
There are few other options in this price range that come close to offering the same performance or better at such a great price point.