Canon EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM vs Canon EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II

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EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM compared with EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II

	CanonEF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM	CanonEF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II
Overview
Released
Released	June 2012	March 2011
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	18–135 mm	18–55 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/3.5–5.6	f/3.5–5.6
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22–36	f/22–36
Optical construction
Optical construction	16 elements in 12 groups with a six-group zoom design	11 elements in nine groups; retains the optical design of the original EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS
Special elements
Special elements	One UD and one high-precision aspherical element	One high-precision aspherical element
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Minimum f/22–36 with one-third-stop increments; Canon UK's table lists f/22–38 with f/36 qualified for one-third stops	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
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Seven blades with a circular aperture	Six blades with a circular aperture according to Canon Camera Museum
Angle of view
Angle of view	Horizontal 64°30′–9°30′; vertical 45°30′–6°20′; diagonal 74°20′–11°30′	Horizontal 64°30′–23°20′; vertical 45°30′–15°40′; diagonal 74°20′–27°50′
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon EF-S	Canon EF-S
Image circle
Image circle	APS-C	APS-C
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EF-S mount APS-C cameras	Canon EF-S compatible APS-C cameras
Image circle detail
Image circle detail	Canon quotes a full-frame angle-of-view equivalent of 29–216 mm	–
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.39 m	0.25 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.28×	0.34×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	STM; manual override after autofocus without changing focus mode	Micromotor autofocus; no full-time manual override according to The Digital Picture and Focus Review
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Electronic manual focus; adjustments in single autofocus mode after focus locks; non-rotating front filter thread (ePHOTOzine)	Front 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
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 detail
Stabilisation detail	Four-stop optical Image Stabilizer claim for still photographs	Four-stop launch claim based on a shutter speed of 1/(focal length × 1.6) seconds according to Canon Camera Museum; lens-shift stabilisation
Video features
Video features	Dynamic IS for video; smooth Movie Servo AF on compatible cameras, including EOS 650D	–
Design
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	67 mm	58 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	76.6 mm	68.5 mm
Length
Length	96 mm	70 mm
Weight
Weight	480 g	200 g (better)
Controls
Controls	Focus and zoom rings; zoom lock lever	–
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	76.6 mm maximum diameter × 96 mm length in the retracted state	68.5 mm maximum diameter × 70 mm retracted length
Lens hood
Lens hood	Optional EW-73B; LP1116 pouch available separately	EW-60C hood and LP814 case sold separately according to Canon's EOS 1100D manual
Release detail
Release detail	Marketed in June 2012 according to Canon Camera Museum	Canon Camera Museum records March 2011 introduction. This is retail-month precision; no separately confirmed UK first-sale day is published in these sources.