Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is STM Camera Lens

Product overview

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM: What to Know

Kit zooms have a poor reputation and this one does not deserve it. Three published specifications make the case. Optical Image Stabilizer rated for up to four equivalent stops of shake correction is a genuine capability, not a token: it is what makes f/3.5 to f/5.6 workable indoors on static subjects. The minimum focusing distance of 0.82 feet, 0.25 metres, applies across the full zoom range rather than only at the wide end, which is unusual and means you can get close at 55mm where close-focus is most useful. And manual focus adjustment is possible while the lens is still in autofocus mode, which saves switching a physical lever every time you want to nudge focus.

The video design is deliberate too. Canon pairs a six-group zoom system with a stepping motor to support EOS Movie Servo AF for smooth, quiet continuous autofocus during movie shooting. On a DSLR, where video autofocus is historically poor, that combination is the difference between usable and unusable footage.

This is an EF-S lens, which on a DSLR means APS-C bodies only, the Rebel line, the 90D and similar. Unlike the mirrorless RF-S system it cannot be mounted on a full-frame body at all. On APS-C the 18 to 55mm range frames like roughly 29 to 88mm, which is why it is the standard kit lens: wide enough for a room, long enough for a person.

What you give up is aperture and reach. F/5.6 at 55mm is dark, and 55mm is short. It is the lens that comes with the camera for a reason, and the honest upgrade path is to add the 50mm f/1.8 for low light rather than to replace this with another zoom.

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