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

Compact, lightweight and affordable, it’s a smart choice for APS-C format Canon EOS DSLRS

If you’re trekking through harsh terrain in pursuit of landscape photo ops, the last thing you need is a bag of heavyweight camera kit. This compact ultra-wide zoom weighs just 240g, but still packs in some useful features. Unlike Canon’s older and heavier EF-S 10-22mm lens, it adds a 4-stop image stabilizer that can save more weight, avoiding the need to lug a tripod around with you.

AF is based on a stepping motor that gives quick performance for stills and smooth, near-silent transitions while shooting movies. As usual for this type of system, manual override and fully manual focusing are available via an electronically coupled focus ring. Also typical of ‘STM’ AF lenses, there’s no focus distance scale.

Build quality feels good for a light lens, although part of the weight-saving is due to the mounting plate being made from plastic, not metal. Even so, it should prove durable. Canon’s Super Spectra Coating is applied to reduce ghosting and flare. As with most low-budget and mid-range Canon lenses, the lens hood is sold separately, but is worth having. You’d need an EW-73C hood, at around £25/$25.

Performance

The Canon 10-18mm punches above its weight in terms of performance. The slick AF and effective stabilizer combine with good image quality. Sharpness across most of the frame is impressive, even when shooting at the widest available apertures, it also doesn’t drop off much at the extreme edges and corners.