Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM

It’s a downsized delight with a lightweight build

Suitably matched to smaller APS-C format cameras such as the 1300D, 200D and 800D, this is the newer of Canon’s two EF-S wide-angle zooms. It goes as wide as the much older EF-S 10-22mm lens but, naturally, falls shorter at the long end of the zoom range.

It’s much smaller and lighter than any of the other lenses in this test, and much less expensive to buy; part of the weight loss is due to the mounting plate being plastic rather than metal. It also features Canon’s Stepping Motor autofocus system, which is pretty quick for stills yet offers smooth transitions when shooting video, and is virtually silent in operation. This is also Canon’s only APS-C format wide-angle lens to feature image stabilization.

As usual with Canon budget and mid-priced lenses, you need to buy the EW-73C hood separately, which costs around £25/$25. There’s no focus distance scale either. On the plus side, the zoom ring operates smoothly and, although small, the electric ‘fly by wire’ manual-focus ring enables precise adjustments.

Performance

The little Canon punches above its weight and delivers very similar levels of sharpness to its bigger 10-22mm sibling. Colour fringing is better controlled at the short end of the zoom range, although barrel distortion is a little more noticeable. The image stabilizer is definitely worth having, enabling consistently sharp results.