Canon has quite a wealth of ultra-wide angle lenses - the current range includes no less than 3 zoom lenses and a whole bunch of primes. However, it seems as if Canon also wants to compete in the budget arena. They have just thrown the Canon EF-S 10-18m f/4.5-5.6 IS STM into the game.

Inexpensive general purpose and telephoto EF-S zoom lenses have been in the Canon lineup for a long time, but absent was a lens that has great value in a budget APS-C/1.6x format DSLR kit: an inexpensive ultra-wide angle EF-S zoom lens.

This is the not often used lens that augments my 10 - 200mm travel lens. I could not justify spending nearly double or more for a wide angle lens that may be marginally better, but weighs in at double or more.

Compact; Good Zoom Range; Image Stabilization; Light Weight; Low Price

No Comp Update; Thick Filter Vignette

This compact ultra-wide angle lens for Canon APS-C format digital SLRs features Canon's latest stepping focusing motor technology, which promises, smoother, quieter autofocus performance, which is especially suited to recording video.

Excellent sharpness; Lightweight; Compact; Fast focusing; Image stabilisation; Very good value for money

No hood included as standard

Specification This compact ultra-wide angle lens for Canon APS-C format digital SLRs features Canon's latest stepping focusing motor technology, which promises, smoother, quieter autofocus performance, which is especially suited to recording video.

With various other options from other manufactures, as well as another entry from Canon, APS-C shooters are certainly not without options for ultra wide-angle zoom lenses. The latest entry into this the category -- the Canon EF-S 10-18mm ƒ/4.5-5.6 IS STM -- is the best bang for you buck for this...

The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM ($299.99) may feel like a budget lens thanks to plastic construction (including its lens mount), but its feature set and the images it captures tell a different story.

Sharp throughout range; Affordably priced; Ultra-wide angle field of view; Optically stabilized; STM focus motor

Plastic lens mount; Lots of barrel distortion at 10mm; Some color fringing; Lens hood not included; Narrow aperture

The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM ($299.99) may feel like a budget lens thanks to plastic construction (including its lens mount), but its feature set and the images it captures tell a different story. The lens, compatible with APS-C Canon cameras, features an STM focus motor for smooth video autofocus with select bodies, and image stabilization to steady handheld video. There's some barrel distortion at the wide end, and we wish the lens was a bit more sturdily built, but given its price tag and the general quality of photos it's an easy lens to recommend for wide-angle Canon photographers and videographers. The 10-18mm is very compact, especially when you consider just how wide of a field of view it covers. It measures in at 2.8 by 2.9 inches (HD), weighs 8.5 ounces, and supports 67mm front filters. Its field of view is roughly equivalent to a 16-29mm zoom on a full-frame camera, and while the 1.8x zoom ratio sounds modest, the change in angle of view is substantial when z...

The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is an affordable ultra-wide lens that includes images stabilization and an STM focus motor, both useful for video.

Sharp throughout range; Affordably priced; Ultra-wide angle field of view; Optically stabilized; STM focus motor

Plastic lens mount; Lots of barrel distortion at 10mm; Some color fringing; Lens hood not included; Narrow aperture

It's inexpensive, lightweight and ultra-wide, so is the new 10-18mm zoom a must-have lens for Canon APS-C camera owners? Jon Devo finds out

For many years – ten, to be precise – Canon has satisfied the ultra-wideangle needs of APS-C users with the classic EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens. After seeing the popularity of this lens take off on cameras such as the EOS 300D, 350D, 20D and 30D, rival manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron...