Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM EF-S Review Round-Up
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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLRs
SLR Gear:
As an entry-level “kit” lens, cost of manufacture was almost certainly a key design parameter for the Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, but it nonetheless manages to do pretty well optically, particularly when stopped down a little. That said though, performance wide open is indeed a little rough, until you get toward the telephoto end of its range. This is a lens that likes to be stopped down for best performance, the “sweet spot” coming at about f/8 at 18mm, f/8-11 at 27mm, and f/11 from 35-55mm. This lens is better than you’d normally expect for such an inexpensive design, but our lab tests have led us to realize that it’s not quite as good as we’d previously thought: If you use it more toward the tele end of its range, and stop down a little from wide open, it’s impressive indeed. Wide open, and particularly at wide angle though, it didn’t perform as well as we’d have anticipated, based on our prior impressions. All in all, a good “starter” lens, but one that you’ll almost certainly end up replacing after your budget has absorbed the initial shock of buying the camera in the first place. READ FULL REVIEW