Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Canon
85 Overall Score
vs
Meike 12mm F/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Manual Foucs Prime 12mm

Meike 12mm F/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Manual Foucs Prime 12mm

Meike
30 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

78 out of 100 high confidence 98 reviews

The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens is widely praised as a versatile all-in-one walk-around lens, offering a useful zoom range, silent and smooth autofocus, and effective image stabilization. Many users find it sharp enough for everyday use and a great value, especially when purchased as a kit lens. However, common criticisms include a variable aperture that limits low-light performance, noticeable distortion at the wide and telephoto ends, and a focus-by-wire manual ring that some find unresponsive or inconvenient. Build quality is described as decent for the price but not premium, and a few users report autofocus accuracy issues or stiff zoom rings.

Pros
  • Versatile 18-135mm zoom range
  • Silent and smooth STM autofocus
  • Effective image stabilization
  • Good image quality for a kit lens
  • Lightweight and compact design
Cons
  • Variable aperture limits low-light performance
  • Noticeable distortion at wide and telephoto ends
  • Focus-by-wire manual ring feels unresponsive
  • Mediocre build quality for the price
  • Autofocus accuracy issues reported by some
👍 Image quality 45
🤔 Autofocus performance 30
👎 Build quality 20
👍 Value for money 25
👍 Image stabilization 15
👍 Zoom range versatility 35

Meike 12mm F/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Manual Foucs Prime 12mm

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Budget
Canon
97
Meike
30
Portrait
Canon
89
Meike
55
Video Cinema
Canon
89
Meike
37
Street
Canon
80
Meike
45
Travel
Canon
76
Meike
18
Wildlife Sports
Canon
72
Meike
31
Landscape
Canon
72
Meike
18
Professional
Canon
70
Meike
33
Macro
Canon
69
Meike
16

Specifications

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USMMeike 12mm F/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Manual Foucs Prime 12mm
Optics
Typezoomwide-angle
Focal Length Min18 mm12 mm
Focal Length Max135 mm12 mm
Elements16—
Groups12—
Aspherical Elements1★—
ED Elements1★—
CoatingSuper Spectra Coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/2.8
Min Aperture3.5-5.6—
Constant✗—
Diaphragm Blades7★—
Build
MountCanon EF-SCanon EF-M
FormatAPS-C★—
Weather Sealed✗—
Weight0.52 kg0.40 kg★
Filter Thread67 mm—
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM★—
Stabilization✓★—
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance390 mm★—
Max Magnification0.28x★—

Pros & Cons

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

  • Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong af (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong optical (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)

Meike 12mm F/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Manual Foucs Prime 12mm

  • Strong aperture (84th percentile)84th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Below average social proof (12th percentile)12th %ile
  • Below average macro (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average optical (20th percentile)20th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Verdict

★ Winner: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Scores 85 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 9 of 22 specs.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports