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Canon EF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USM vs Canon EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

CanonEF 70–200mm f/4L IS II USMCanonEF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II
Overview
ReleasedJune 2018March 2011
Optics
Lens typeZoomZoom
Focal length70–200 mm18–55 mm
Maximum aperturef/4f/3.5–5.6
Minimum aperturef/32f/22–36
Optical construction20 elements in 15 groups11 elements in nine groups; retains the optical design of the original EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS
Special elementsOne fluorite and two UD elementsOne high-precision aspherical element
Aperture detail–Minimum f/22–36 with third-stop settings in Canon's EOS 1100D manual; the UK specification also lists f/38 at the long end with different aperture increments
CoatingsSuper Spectra coatings; fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements according to Canon's US launch announcement–
DiaphragmNine blades with a circular apertureSix blades with a circular aperture according to Canon Camera Museum
Angle of view–Horizontal 64°30′–23°20′; vertical 45°30′–15°40′; diagonal 74°20′–27°50′
Mount and compatibility
MountsCanon EFCanon EF-S
Image circleFull frameAPS-C
CompatibilityCanon EF mount full-frame and APS-C camerasCanon EF-S compatible APS-C cameras
Focus and stabilisation
AutofocusYesYes
Minimum focus distance1 m0.25 m
Maximum magnification0.27×0.34×
Optical stabilisationYesYes
Autofocus detailRing-type USM with full-time manual focus overrideMicromotor autofocus; no full-time manual override according to The Digital Picture and Focus Review
Focus distance detailMaximum 0.27× magnification at 200 mm; internal focusing according to Digital Camera WorldFront element rotates and extends during focusing; select MF before turning the narrow manual focus ring according to The Digital Picture and Ken Rockwell
Magnification detail–Maximum 0.34× at 55 mm; EF12 II gives 0.64–0.23× and EF25 II gives 1.00–0.51× according to Canon UK, with wide-angle incompatibility
Stabilisation detailFive-stop CIPA claim at 200 mm on an EOS-1D X Mark II; three modes including exposure-only stabilisation for tracking moving subjectsFour-stop launch claim based on a shutter speed of 1/(focal length × 1.6) seconds according to Canon Camera Museum; lens-shift stabilisation
Design
Dust and moisture resistantYes–
Filter diameter72 mm58 mm
Maximum diameter80 mm68.5 mm
Length176 mm70 mm
Weight780 g200 g
ControlsAF/MF, IS on/off and three IS mode switches; focus limiter excludes distances below 3 m according to Digital Camera World–
Zoom designInternal zooming maintains physical length according to Digital Camera World–
Weather resistanceDust- and moisture-resistant construction–
Dimensions detail80 mm maximum diameter × 176 mm length68.5 mm maximum diameter × 70 mm retracted length
Lens hood–EW-60C hood and LP814 case sold separately according to Canon's EOS 1100D manual
Weight detailApproximate 780 g maker figure; Digital Camera World specifies this excludes the optional tripod mount–
Tripod mountOptional A II (W II) tripod mounting ring according to Digital Camera World; the maker photograph shows this separately sold accessory–
In the boxLens, pouch, caps, hood and instruction manual according to Canon UK–
Release detailCanon Japan announced first sale on 28 June 2018; Canon Camera Museum gives June 2018 and the US launch announcement states late June. The day is the Japanese sale date, not a separately confirmed UK date.Canon Camera Museum records March 2011 introduction. This is retail-month precision; no separately confirmed UK first-sale day is published in these sources.

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