Canon Cameras US 1276C002 All-Round Lens EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 is USM (Black)

I am now officially spoiled... Canon's new nanoUSM technology is a total marvel and they need to start advertising their lenses accordingly so we know which is USM and which is nanoUSM because I only want to use nanoUSM now that this lens has spoiled me. Now I'm not a mechanical engineer or anything but I want to try to explain the differences the best I can so you can understand what makes the focusing technology in this lens so great compared to even other high quality Canon lenses.The lowest quality auto-focusing system would be found in like the cheapy kit lenses, like the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens. In that, it's a basic motor and gear. The end result is an auto-focus that is both noisy and slow. Being slow is negative for obvious reasons, being noisy is both annoying and if used while shooting a movie can drown out the audio of the subject of your video.The next step up (no pun intended) is the STM otherwise known as a stepping motor. With this, the focusing is still slow, but this time it's very quiet. These lenses were designed to allow for auto-focusing during videos without the sound being distracting during the video. But the problem is that it's still slow.A step up from there is the USM otherwise known as the ultrasonic motor. Now here's the confusing thing, there is now 3 types of focusing mechanisms that are all labeled with "USM." This is why I said I wish Canon would advertise their lenses accordingly to the type since not all USM lenses are created equally. Before there was the Micro type and the Ring type. The desired one then was the Ring type. But basically the advantages of USM lenses is that they focused very quickly, and more quietly than the cheap motor one but still a little more noisy than the STM (in videos you'd hear like a chirping sound) but since it's fast and the focusing occurs quickly it shouldn't distract that much. The difference between the Micro-USM and Ring-USM is the Ring allows for full-time manual focusing even while you're in auto focus mode. SOME Micro-USM allowed for it but not all.But now there's a third type, and this is the newest one, one I think, and wish, Canon will make all of their new USM lenses with this technology. They call it "nanoUSM." Basically nanoUSM combines the advantage of the STM lenses of being quiet, with the advantages of the Ring-USM lenses of being very quick to focus and allowing for full-time manual focus. Basically it's the best of all worlds, lol.Now that we got that out of the way, this EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 Image Stabilization USM Lens is the third type, the best type, the nanoUSM. So far I'm in love with the focusing mechanism and the lens itself is a very well-built lens. The optical lens doesn't rotate with focusing or zooming like the cheap ones do, so you can attach a lens hood or a polarizing filter without needing to constantly adjust it as the camera changes focus or zoom. But that's expected from anything but the cheapy kit lenses. Just figure I mention it, not claiming this to be some revolutionary feature or anything.The image quality has been really great so far. I don't notice any obvious signs of vignetting or chromatic aberration with this lens. Not saying it doesn't have it, my "tests" haven't really been scientific, I'm just looking at the photos I happen to have taken with the lens and looking at them at 100% especially around the edges of the photos and so far not really noticing anything.Zooming with the lens is a LITTLE on the rough side compared to the 70-300mm IS II USM lens, not sure if it's like that with all of them or just with mine, but it's not a big deal to be honest, I only mention it to make this review as detailed as I can to help with people's purchase decision. While using it you likely wouldn't really notice it and it doesn't keep me from getting to the focal lengths I need to quickly and precisely.Overall this is a typical high quality Canon lens with the amazing new nanoUSM focusing technology. I see some cameras like the T7i and T6i come in kits that come with the STM version lens with the same focal range, I highly recommend for you guys who want this range, to skip that kit and buy just the body and then get this version lens separately. It'll definitely end up costing more, unless you find someone selling their's brand new at used prices (like I did), then it might end up being the same cost to you in the end (shout-out to seller linhphoto, the lenses he's selling is off a kit from a higher-end camera, and is listed as used but is as far as I can tell after buying two from him, brand new).

After years of using a Sigma 18-250 superzoom, I got tired of the very noticeable distortion at both ends of that range. I still wanted a multipurpose zoom lens for traveling with, so I settled on this one. It solved all of my issues with the Sigma lens, and while this Canon lens is not perfect, it's pretty close. Very little distortion, extremely sharp, and the focus is silent and instantaneous making it great for video work as well.It's the only lens I need for traveling with!By the way, if you're using this lens on an older body, don't forget to use the EOS Lens Registration Tool (free from Canon's website) to add the lens profile to your body.

Canon’s premier kit lens for their APS-C “crop” sensor cameras, the 18-135mm USM is a fan favorite for a lot of good reasons. It falls into the class of the “standard zoom”, having a fairly wide angle of view and an overall useful range of zoom. The standard zoom is almost always the most important lens to a photographer (or at least the most commonly used), and this one has a lot of advantages, but also some drawbacks, all of which will be covered in the review.Pros, so many!1. Versatile – A wide zoom range makes this lens useful for many situations. Landscapes, nature, sports, portraits, products, or just general use; it does a lot of work for one lens. It can cut down on lens changes or the number of lenses you will need to carry, due to that versatility. This alone makes it an attractive lens. Keep in mind that even though this is a “crop only” lens, the 1.6x crop factor still applies, making this effectively a 29-216mm lens. (It’s actually a little more complicated than this, but I want to keep it simple.) Just know that any lens you use on a crop sensor body needs to have crop factor applied, even if it is a “crop only” lens.2. Good IQ –Sharp in the center, loses some clarity in the corners, possibly the best “kit” lens Canon has made yet for APS-C cameras. As with all “do it all” lenses, the IQ is not as sharp as it would be on a more specific lens like a 70-200mm or a 24mm, but it’s still good. The convenience of the zoom range combined with the good IQ makes this a winner for just about anyone with a crop camera. I also found it to be an overall better lens than the 18-55mm that usually comes with Canon crop sensor cameras. There is an older STM model too, and I will discuss that one in the comparisons/suggestions.3. NanoUSM – This was the first lens to feature this fantastic new focusing system. It’s great for both sport/action shooting as well as video, offering snappy fast subject acquisition in stills mode and quiet and smooth focus in video mode. Putting it to the test, it delivered on all fronts. I wish they would use it in more of their lenses; currently only a few lenses use nanoUSM.4. Image Stabilization, 4 stops – This is useful for when you are in low light situations, as it allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds than normal. At 135mm, as per the reciprocal rule, you would need to shoot roughly 1/200 sec to avoid shake, possibly faster if you are not a very stable shooter. With 4 stops of IS, you can shoot as slow as 1/15 sec and still get a sharp photo at 135mm. At 18mm, as slow as .5 sec. That is a HUGE advantage over lenses that do not have IS, as it offers the potential to add as much as 16x the amount of light to a photo. It also works for video, giving you stabilized footage when shooting handheld. Note – IS does nothing to “freeze” a moving subject, you have to use a fast shutter speed to accomplish that. This is a common misconception I see from people that are still learning. It is only helpful for slow or stationary subjects when using a slow shutter speed.5. Other stuff – Zoom lock for storage. Compatible with the PZ-E1 power zoom. Zoom and focus rings are smooth and easy to turn. 7 blade aperture creates 14 point starburst (awesome). Metal lens mount. Full time manual focus.Cons. Most this info is for your information and not worth a star off. If I remove a star for any reason I will explain why. Otherwise, it is up to the user to know what they are getting and how to use it.1. Price – Usually, I would list price as a “pro” for a lens like this. Full retail price of this lens is 600 USD, and while I do think that is a fair price it’s just too easy to get it for less than that elsewhere. Here are some of the ways you can save some money on this lens. You can bundle it with a new camera for 400 USD (usually the mid-range models or the 7D, usually not Rebels). Used, they are easily found for 300-350 USD, and you can find the bulk packaging “white box” versions for 400 or less. “White box” lenses are bundled with a new camera, but sometimes are made available separately by sellers; in most cases they are not even used, but you may or may not get a warranty. Refurbished they are around 350-400 (sometimes called renewed). These are all good ways to get this lens for less than the full retail price, making it an even better value. In these scenarios though, most of them do not include a warranty, so be aware of that. Bundling with a new camera or getting the full retail version is the only sure way to get a warranty. So if that matters to you, then that is how you do it. Even at 600 USD this lens does so much more than its price point, and compares well against lenses that are more expensive. It’s a good value even at that price, but I just can’t in good faith call that a pro when I see how often these are found for hundreds less.2. Limited variable aperture – The bane of lenses like this, and also confusing to those that are still learning the game. What this means is that as you zoom in you lose light. So from 75-135mm (F5.6) you have roughly half as much light as you would have from 18-35mm (F3.5/F4). I’ll spare the science lesson here and just point out that this is common to zoom lenses, especially in this price range. Some zooms have a “constant aperture”, which maintains the same f-stop no matter what focal length you use. This makes those lenses harder to design, and as a result causes them to be larger and more expensive, and they usually do not have a wide zoom range either. I mention this so those who are not aware how this works can understand it. As long as you know how exposure works, you should be able to work around it. It is only meaningful when trying to shoot at the widest aperture settings; at F5.6 or smaller there is no change when zooming in or out. Not worth a star off, since it’s a listed feature and is common to this class of lens.3. Plastic design – Not that this is a bad thing, but the majority of this lens is plastic (polycarbonate, which is nearly unbreakable, so it shouldn’t be a problem for normal use). This is done to reduce cost as well as lower the weight. In spite of this, the lens is still fairly heavy, much more so than an 18-55mm or 55-250mm lens. But it’s not so heavy that it’s a problem. Still feels solid in spite of the plastic design.4. Focus by wire – This means there is no mechanical connection from the focus ring to the focusing gears. Instead, as you turn the focus ring an electronic signal moves the focus in “steps”. This is not as precise as mechanical focus, but it is not unusable either. I personally don’t care for it myself, and I don’t know even one shooter that prefers it over mechanical focus. I don’t do manual focus with this lens so it has never mattered to me, but if you do want to do manual focus you might not like it. Also, there is no focus window to assist in setting manual focus; the majority of lenses that use focus by wire lack this feature. The only lens I know that has one is the EF 70-300mm IS II, which has a digital one. I feel like they could have included the same on the 18-135mm. In fairness, it predates the 70-300mm, so maybe they hadn’t thought of it yet. I hope to see it more on future models that have focus by wire.5. Crop only – Not really a con, I just want to get this info out there. The most common question I answer is “does this work with my camera?” This lens works on all Rebel models, all mid-range models from the 20D to the 90D, and the 7D. It does not work on the 6D, 5D, or 1D; sorry full frame users (for those cameras I would say look into a 24-105mm). It can be used on any of the mirrorless models provided you have the adapter that allows EF and EF-S lenses. In the case of mirrorless the full frame models can adapt this lens, but it puts the camera into crop mode.6. Other stuff – 67mm filter thread, which means expensive filters if you are into that. 67mm is not uncommon, so you might be able share with other lenses. Does not come with the lens hood; a lens this expensive should come with a hood. Strong vignette when shooting wide open, easily corrected with software. Lens extends as you zoom, common on lenses like this, even the expensive ones. Not sealed against moisture or dust. Shouldn’t be an issue, since most cameras it is meant for are also not sealed.Again, this is FYI; these cons are either part of the listed specs or are common to this class of lens.ConclusionsThis is possibly the most well-rounded kit lens you can get for any kind of APS-C “crop” Canon. The versatile zoom range combined with good IQ makes it a good value. Add in IS and nanoUSM and this lens is tough to beat for overall usefulness. I like that I can carry it to just about any situation that doesn’t require a longer reach or a faster max aperture and find a way to get a lot of photos in various situations. The variable aperture only seems to become an issue for indoor use, and even then only if shooting subjects that are moving fast, like sports. If you don’t have to shoot indoor sports very often then I would think you would be fine to just boost your ISO to get those faster shutter speeds. If you will be doing that frequently, I suggest something with an aperture of F2.8 or faster. Otherwise, the IS will likely be fine to counter low light situations where you will either have still subjects or ones not moving very fast, like at a family gathering, a museum, or similar situations. I didn’t really find a reason to take a star off this lens, as it does everything I would expect in a lens at this price. Five stars.Other suggestions – I have a couple lenses here I would like to compare to the 18-135mm. Some are direct comparisons; some are suggestions for more specific situations.1. EF-S 15-85mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM – This is an interesting lens. It offers high end L class optics in a more “affordable” package (L lenses can cost 1000-2000 USD, or more). I feel like for what it cost, you are better off with the 18-135mm. The 15-85mm does have better overall image quality and contrast, but not by so much that I would give up that additional reach. It has a wider angle of view (15mm vs 18mm), but I doubt it will be enough to be critical the majority of the time, even indoors. The 15-85mm is also a good lens though, so if you go that route it’s not like you are getting a bad lens. I just feel for the 800 USD that it typically cost new it does not offer enough over the 18-135mm. That is a 200-400 USD difference, depending on how much you pay for the 18-135mm. Granted, you can find the 15-85mm used for under 400, so keep that in mind too. I personally would take the 18-135mm every time.2. EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM – I know this seems like I am suggesting the same lens, but I assure you I am not. This is the older model that uses STM focus. It is much cheaper; “white box” copies sell for about 300, and used copies I have seen as low as 150. Honestly, it’s still a decent lens. IQ is close to the nanoUSM model. Focus is the slower STM, so it’s not as snappy fast as nanoUSM, but isn’t so slow it’s useless, and is still quiet for video. If you are pressed for money but still want versatility, this is not a bad option if you can find one under 200 USD. Otherwise, I would say to save a little longer and look for a good deal on a used or “white box” nanoUSM model. Note – There are actually three versions of the 18-135mm, and each is identified by their focus motor. The oldest model does not list the focus on the lens anywhere, the STM model says STM on the front of the lens, and the newest version says “nanoUSM” on the side of the lens. I don’t recommend the oldest version, as the focus is noisy, slow, and not as accurate as either of the other models. The STM version is just all around better and can be found usually for about the same price as the original, if not within 50 USD. If you need to be frugal, you can probably make the older model work, but I would at least opt for the STM version if you can’t quite justify the nanoUSM model.3. EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM – I am suggesting this for one reason; the constant F2.8 aperture. If you will be indoors and shooting sports or action often, then you will benefit more from the fast aperture of this lens than the reach of the 18-135mm. This is the best you can get for a Canon APS-C camera in the standard class with a constant F2.8 aperture. Price is normally 830 USD, but frequently keeps getting discounted to 550 USD on an instant rebate. That makes it cheaper than the 18-135mm sells for new, and used copies of the 17-55mm are around 400 USD or less. So for about the same money, you gain a fast zoom in the standard class. Ask any photographer and they will tell you that the standard zoom is their workhorse lens; the one that stays mounted on their camera more than any other. My 17-55mm practically lives on my 80D. Granted, there are drawbacks. The 55mm max range makes it less versatile, and the IS is not as good as the 18-135mm (3 stops vs 4 stops). But, the faster aperture makes up for that in cases where you can shoot at F2.8. The F2.8 aperture can be as much as 2 stops faster than the 18-135mm; that is as much 4x the light, allowing for faster shutter speeds in any given scenario, at lower ISO settings (the main draw of the faster aperture). It’s not really apples to apples here, since the reason you would get this lens is different from why you would get the 18-135mm. I would say if at least 30-50% of your shots will be indoors and action based (fast moving subjects), then the 17-55mm is where it is at. If you only shoot action sometimes, and mostly need the versatility, the 18-135mm is a better choice.4. Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM – Same comparison as the Canon 17-55mm F2.8, only this lens is much cheaper. Price ranges from 300-350 USD new, and used I’ve seen them as low as 200, but usually 250. IQ is just about as good as the Canon; I think it’s splitting hairs in most situations. The Canon model has better overall focusing, in that it is more reliable (hits focus more often, doesn’t seek in poor light). I mention this lens only because if you really want an F2.8 zoom but can’t afford the Canon, the Sigma lens is known to work pretty well for its price. I prefer the Canon for the more reliable AF, but I have seen people use the Sigma with success too. Tamron also makes a version, but only the non-stabilized version has acceptable IQ (the VC model has soft focus and is overpriced for what it does). So the Sigma wins since it has OS with good quality IQ.5. Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD – Another interesting lens. For around 550-650 USD new, you can have a lens that can do it all. 18mm wide to 400mm long covers a lot with one lens. Kind of hard to believe, right? Well, thing is, “super-zooms” like this have some notable IQ issues. They just are not sharp when compared to even cheap lenses, and the 18-135mm beats it at all relevant lengths and apertures (obviously it can’t match the zoom range, but within the same ranges the Canon is clearly the superior lens). It’s not even close in side by side comparisons; the 18-400mm just does not produce high quality images. But, and this is a big but, not everyone has the same needs or budget. For about what the 18-135mm retails for new, you can have one lens to rule them all. And some people prefer that added benefit over the IQ they gain from more expensive, multiple lens setups. For scale, the Tamron can replace as many as three lenses; 18-135mm, 55-250mm, and 400mm, just to suggest one setup. All together that setup can cost as much as 2000 USD or more, depending on the specific lenses selected. I personally don’t like super-zooms as I do not appreciate the trade off in IQ. But for those wondering why you would choose the 18-135mm over it, answer these questions - How much do you want to invest in lenses? How much does overall IQ mean to you? To most people IQ means lot, but then the price of lenses starts to add up. For some that makes it a different story. And in all honesty I have seen some pretty good images people have taken with the 18-400mm, at least good enough for it to be worth it for them. Me, I’ll take the higher IQ from a multiple lens kit. After all, what would be the point of an interchangeable lens camera if I only ever put one lens on it? It’s up to you if the trade off in IQ is worth the convenience of not having to change lenses and to only have to buy and carry one lens.6. A note on full frame standard zooms – This would be the 24-70mm and 24-105mm lenses. While some like these because “they can also be used on a full frame”, I have to say that I really don’t like them on a crop camera. Mostly because 24mm after crop is 38mm effective, and that is not wide enough to serve as your standard zoom. In outdoor settings it probably is fine, but indoors the wide angle will not work in too many scenarios. I feel like the “advantage” of potential full frame use is a silly argument. You will be crippling what likely will be your go to lens for a camera that you don’t currently own (and might never) over top of the one that you do currently own. I have both crop and full frame cameras, and I never bother to use my 24-70mm on my crop bodies, preferring instead to stick to my 18-135mm or my 17-55mm, depending on the situation. The wide angle is the more critical end of the standard zoom, and 24mm just can’t fill that role on a crop body.Keep in mind this is not a review of these other lenses, but rather a commentary on why or why not you might choose one of them over the 18-135mm. There are a lot of options out there in the standard zoom class, and I want people to be able to make the best choice for their money. Not everyone has the same needs or budget, and that is what I am trying to stress here. For the money, it is hard to beat the 18-135mm as your standard zoom/go to lens.That’s all I got! All that is left is to check out the sample images. If you found this helpful then please remember to hit the helpful button, and thank you for reading my review!

The best lense for anyone who loves Canon cameras and their lenses. My Canon D-90 is my favorite camera. I bought the EF-S 18-135mm lense because it is the best all around lens you can use under all kinds of circumstances. It photographs beautifully! The image stabilization will help you be a better photographer.The lense for beautiful picture quality!

As a good practical useful lens my expectations were well met. Against many higher priced, advantaged performance alternatives, this is a great alternative. I will use this lens, my expectations will be more than met, and I would recommend it to others.