Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II vs Canon EF-S 18–55mm f/4–5.6 IS STM

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EF 50mm f/1.8 II compared with EF-S 18–55mm f/4–5.6 IS STM

	CanonEF 50mm f/1.8 II	CanonEF-S 18–55mm f/4–5.6 IS STM
Overview
Released
Released	December 1990	April 2017
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	50 mm	18–55 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/1.8	f/4–5.6
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/22–32
Optical construction
Optical construction	Six elements in five groups; Gaussian optical design	12 elements in ten groups
Special elements
Special elements	–	Aspherical lens element
Coatings
Coatings	–	Super Spectra coatings
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Five blades	Seven blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	Full-frame diagonal 46°; vertical 27°; horizontal 40°	Horizontal 64°30′–23°20′; vertical 45°30′–15°40′; diagonal 74°20′–27°50′ according to the exact Canon manual
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF-S
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	APS-C
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF mount for full-frame, APS-H and APS-C cameras (DPReview)	Canon EF-S compatible APS-C cameras; 29–88 mm equivalent field of view
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	–	Canon extenders cannot be used
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.45 m	0.25 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.15×	0.25×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	No	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	DC micromotor autofocus (DPReview)	Lead-screw STM; electronic manual adjustment after One-Shot autofocus while the shutter button remains half pressed, subject to camera settings
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Switch to MF before turning the focusing ring; do not touch rotating parts during autofocus	Manual focusing is unavailable with the camera off or lens asleep; internal focusing with a non-rotating front element according to both reviews
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	0.15×; 240 × 160 mm field of view at 0.45 m according to Canon	Maximum 0.25× at 55 mm; EF12 II gives 0.82–0.66× at 18 mm and 0.55–0.23× at 55 mm; EF25 II is incompatible at 18 mm and gives 0.91–0.51× at 55 mm
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	No optical image stabilisation (DPReview)	Four-stop CIPA claim at 55 mm using an EOS 7D Mark II; automatic panning compensation; Canon recommends switching IS off on a tripod to conserve power
Design
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	52 mm	58 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	68.2 mm	66.5 mm
Length
Length	41 mm	61.8 mm
Weight
Weight	130 g (better)	215 g
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Barrel extends when zoomed to 55 mm according to The Digital Picture
Controls
Controls	AF/MF switch and focusing ring; no distance scale (The-Digital-Picture)	–
Filter detail
Filter detail	One 52 mm front filter; with the optional hood, mount the filter on the hood adaptor	–
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	Length measured from the mount surface to the front of the lens, excluding caps	66.5 mm maximum diameter × 61.8 mm retracted length; dimensions and 215 g weight are lens only, excluding caps
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 130 g lens only	–
Lens hood
Lens hood	Optional ES-62, requiring its supplied screw-in hood adaptor; reversible for storage	EW-63C sold separately; exact manual and Canon Japan list LP1014 optional case, while the UK overview lists LP1016
In the box
In the box	Front and rear caps according to DPReview; accessories may vary by region	–
Release detail
Release detail	Marketed in December 1990 according to Canon Camera Museum	Canon Japan's exact support specification gives first sale on 7 April 2017; Camera Museum gives April. The day is the Japanese release, not a separately confirmed UK day.