Canon EF-S 18-55/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Review

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. That means if you could get sharp images at 1/60s without the IS, with it you should have a good chance of sharp images at shutter speeds of 1/4s.

The IS system in this lens (and the new Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS, $255 (review)) is new and uses lower-cost components than Canon's previous IS system. No doubt this has been done to lower the price of entry level equipment to IS lenses, since Sony, Pentax and Olympus are now offering entry level DSLRs with image stabilization built into the camera body, meaning IS lenses are not needed.

The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, $170, has obviously been designed down to a price as far as the mechanics of the lens are concerned. The lens mount is plastic and manual focus is achieved by directly rotating the front of the lens barrel via a thin knurled ring. The front of the lens obviously rotates during focusing, which is a disadvantage when using a polarizer since it has to be adjusted each time the lens is refocused.

The EF-S 18-55 is designed for use only with small (APS-C) sensor Canon cameras introduced after the Digital Rebel. It will not physically mount on cameras with larger sensors (EOS 5D, EOS 1D(s) series) and it will not mount on early APS-C DSLRs such as the EOS D30, D60 and 10D. It cannot be used with any Canon or 3rd party TC, nor can it be used with the original Canon extension tubes.

So how well does it work?

The answer is surprisingly well for a lens that adds only $100 or so to the price of a Digital Rebel XSi when purchased together with it as a kit. The range of 18mm to 55mm on an APS-C DSLR corresponds to the range of 29mm to 88mm on a full frame camera in terms of the angle of view. At 18mm (effective 29mm) the view is wide enough for landscape work, while at 55mm (effective 88mm) it is long enough to make the lens suitable for portraits (though the f/5.6 aperture is somewhat limiting). The EF-S 18-55IS is therefore quite useful as a "general purpose" lens for casual travel photography. It's small and light enough to not be a burden to carry around and with a lightweight Digital Rebel XSi body, it makes a very portable camera system.

The optical performance of the EF-S 18-55IS isn't as good as an expensive "L" series zoom or a set of fast prime lenses, but then it's not designed to be. It's designed as an inexpensive "starter" lens and it's quite capable of yielding excellent images, especially if it's not used wide open. There is some distortion (especially at 18mm) and some vignetting, but that's only to be expected and both can be corrected in Photoshop or other image editors.

The IS system worked well. Perhaps 4 stops of added stability is a little optimistic, but I managed to get a reasonable number of sharp images at 1/4s at 18mm and at 1/12s at 55mm, which corresponds to about 3 stops of stabilization. What IS does isn't guarantee you sharpness with the camera handheld, but to greatly increase the probability of getting sharp images. The best way to increase your chances even further when working at very slow shutter speeds is to take multiple shots because the more shots you take, the better the chance that at least one will be sharp! IS definitely works with this lens, and quite honestly I couldn't really tell that the IS system it uses is different (i.e. cheaper) than that used on more expensive lenses.

Contrast is good and flare is well controlled, showing that Canon has paid attention to using efficient anti-reflection coatings on the lens elements, which is especially important for lenses to be used with digital cameras. A lens hood (Canon part number EW-60C ) is available (for around $30), but is not supplied with the lens.

Overall, I'd certainly recommend getting this lens as part of the kit if you're buying a Rebel XSi. There's nothing else in the price range that can match it. The only reason not to buy it would be if you already have a lens like the EF-S 17-85/3.5-5.6IS, the EF 17-40/4L or the EF-S 17-55/2.8IS. Even if you already have the non-IS version of the 18-55 kit lens, it would be worth $100 to get the version with IS.

Alternatives

There are several alternative lenses, which cover a similar focal length range, but all are significantly more expensive. The Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM, $1060 (review), covers a very similar range of focal lengths, but is about 2 stops faster, is more solidly constructed and has a ring type USM motor with full-time manual focus. The Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, $450, covers a wider range of focal lengths and also has somewhat better construction, again with a ring USM motor and full time manual focus. There is also the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, $750 (review), which is a high-quality "L" series lens, though the focal length range is smaller and the lens does not have Image Stabilization. However, since it is an EF series lens rather than EF-S, it can also be used on any Canon EOS camera, including all film cameras and all DSLRs including full frame models.

Where to Buy

The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, $170, is available from amazon.com. It's normally in stock and overnight shipping is available.

More

Newcomers to the Canon line of DSLRs and lenses might like to take a look at an overview of the Canon EOS DSLR system.

Technical Specifications

Canon 18-55IS Example Images

Bob Atkins

Canon Digital Rebel XSi (review). The use of a small aperture gave enough depth of field to get both far and near flowers in focus.

Bob Atkins

Canon Digital Rebel XSi (review)

Bob Atkins

Canon Digital Rebel XSi (review). This photo taken directly into the sun, shows the flare resistance of the EF-S 18-55IS.

Photography