Gary Wolstenholme reviews Canon's latest EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens.

Good sharpness throughout the zoom range; Lightweight; Fast focusing; Effective stabiliser; Close focusing

High CA levels; Plastic lens mount; A touch expensive when bought on its own

I purchased this lens to go with my Canon T4i as I wanted the best possible video performance and the flexibility of zoom lens. I had considered the 40mm STM lens but for the $ difference this lens is a much better value.

Full Time Manual Focus; Lightweight; Sharper Than Previous; Virtually Soundless Focus

Looks cheap

does what it says

This lens came with my 550D but does it not offer sharp and crispy pictures, it is good lens for Family pictures and it will somehow fill all the megapixels in your DSLR but results are just normal. Do not get trapped with this kit lens, buy a body and go for 50mm f1.8 instead.

The EF-S 18-55IS is the latest incarnation of Canon's general purpose "Kit Lens" for the Digital Rebel line of DSLRs. This time Canon has added a new Image Stabilization (IS) system to the lens, which they claim can add as much as 4 stops of extra stability when handholding the lens.

Flexible lens perfect for someone new to SLRs and only someone with an ego wouldn't use it when on holiday. It's light and won't be a burden around your neck. It's images lack a bit of punch but clarity and colour can always be enhance in post.

IS makes low shutter speeds easier to use; Quite sharp all round; Gets a reasonably shallow depth of field at 55mm at f/5.6; Cheap, compact and light; Common 58mm filter thread

Some lateral CA, manual focus ring is difficult to use; Not the most accurate autofocus results; I've noticed coma wide open in some shots; Colour rendering is a bit flat; Not exactly a solid design (should survive a slight knock, but not much more)

Handling and features This is the latest incarnation of Canon's 18-55mm image stabilised kit lens for EF-S compatible EOS cameras sporting their new STM stepping motor technology, which promises to provide smooth, silent autofocus, especially well-suited for shooting video.

I bought this lens for my new 70D because of video and found it quite acceptable and very good for the price. It works well on auto focus in video mode.

Cons

I bought this lens for my new 70D because of video and found it quite acceptable and very good for the price

Standard zoom kit lenses are often the first thing that new DSLR owners upgrade, as they typically aren't built to last, don't have many features and deliver at best average image quality.

The third version of Canon's image-stabilized 18–55mm APS-C-format kit zoom, the new EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM ($249, street) is the first with an STM focusing motor that complements the Movie Servo mode in newer Canon DSLRs.