Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM vs Canon EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM

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EF 50mm f/1.8 STM compared with EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM

	CanonEF 50mm f/1.8 STM	CanonEF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM
Overview
Released
Released	May 2015	March 2016
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	50 mm	18–135 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/1.8	f/3.5–5.6
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/22–36
Optical construction
Optical construction	Six elements in five groups	16 elements in 12 groups
Special elements
Special elements	–	One UD and one aspherical element
Coatings
Coatings	Lens coating optimised for digital cameras to reduce ghosting and flare	Super Spectra coatings
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Minimum f/22 with one-third-stop camera aperture increments	Minimum f/22–36 with one-third-stop increments; f/22–38 with half-stop increments
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Seven blades with a circular aperture	Seven blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	Full-frame horizontal 40°; vertical 27°; diagonal 46°	–
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF-S
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	APS-C
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF cameras, including full-frame and APS-C DSLRs	Canon EF-S mount APS-C cameras
Adaptor support
Adaptor support	Canon UK supports EOS M cameras with an EF-EOS M mount adaptor	Canon UK supports EOS M cameras with an EF-EOS M mount adaptor
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.35 m	0.39 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.21×	0.28×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	–	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Gear-type stepping motor; manual override after autofocus with the camera set to One-Shot AF	Nano USM; Canon claims up to 4.3× the STM predecessor's focus-lens driving speed when focusing from minimum distance to infinity at 135 mm through the viewfinder
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Electronic focus ring requires camera power; no distance scale (Digital Camera World)	Electronic manual focusing requires an awake camera; manual override in One-Shot AF requires a half-pressed shutter and enabled electronic manual focusing (The Digital Picture)
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	EF12 II extension tube gives 0.45–0.24×; EF25 II gives 0.74–0.53×	Maximum 0.28× at 135 mm
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	–	Four-stop optical Image Stabilizer with automatic panning detection
Video features
Video features	–	Optional PZ-E1 power zoom adaptor attaches beneath the lens (The Digital Picture)
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	No
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	49 mm	67 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	69.2 mm	77.4 mm
Length
Length	39.3 mm	96 mm
Weight
Weight	160 g (better)	515 g
Controls
Controls	–	Focus and zoom rings; AF/MF, stabiliser and zoom-lock switches (The Digital Picture)
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Extends towards longer focal lengths; zoom lock retains the retracted position (The Digital Picture)
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	–	No full weather sealing or mount gasket (The Digital Picture)
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	69.2 mm maximum diameter × 39.3 mm length in the retracted state	77.4 mm maximum diameter × 96 mm length according to Canon Camera Museum
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 160 g according to Canon UK specifications and Camera Museum; the UK store dimension panel instead lists 159 g	–
Lens hood
Lens hood	Optional ES-68	Optional EW-73D; optional LP1116 pouch (The Digital Picture)
In the box
In the box	Lens, E-49 front cap, Lens Dust Cap E and user manual	Lens, E-67 II front cap, Lens Dust Cap E and user manual
Release detail
Release detail	Marketed in May 2015 according to Canon Camera Museum	Marketed in March 2016 according to Canon Camera Museum