Canon EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS vs Canon EF-S 18–55mm f/4–5.6 IS STM

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EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS compared with EF-S 18–55mm f/4–5.6 IS STM

	CanonEF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS	CanonEF-S 18–55mm f/4–5.6 IS STM
Overview
Released
Released	October 2009	April 2017
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/4–5.6
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22–36	f/22–32
Optical construction
Optical construction	16 elements in 12 groups	12 elements in ten groups
Special elements
Special elements	UD and glass-moulded aspherical elements	Aspherical lens element
Coatings
Coatings	–	Super Spectra coatings
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Six blades with a circular aperture	Seven blades with a circular aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	–	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-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; 29–88 mm equivalent field of view
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	–	Canon extenders cannot be used
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	0.45 m	0.25 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.21×	0.25×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	DC micromotor; no full-time manual focus; switch to MF before turning the focus ring (Bob Atkins)	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	Internal focusing; front filter thread does not rotate during focusing or zooming (Bob Atkins and ePHOTOzine)	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	–	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	Approximately four-stop optical Image Stabilizer claim	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	67 mm	58 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	75.4 mm	66.5 mm
Length
Length	101 mm	61.8 mm
Weight
Weight	455 g	215 g (better)
Zoom design
Zoom design	Barrel extends when zoomed towards 135 mm (Bob Atkins)	Barrel extends when zoomed to 55 mm according to The Digital Picture
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	75.4 mm maximum diameter × 101 mm length	66.5 mm maximum diameter × 61.8 mm retracted length; dimensions and 215 g weight are lens only, excluding caps
Lens hood
Lens hood	Optional EW-73B; hood and case not supplied (Bob Atkins)	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	Lens caps and instructions (ePHOTOzine)	–
Release detail
Release detail	Marketed in October 2009 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.