yakim_peled1 Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 <p>Most hyperzooms suck but every once in a while comes <a href="http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/776-canon_18135_3556stmis">a pleasant surprise</a>.</p><p>Happy shooting,<br>Yakim. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DickArnold Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 <p>I have one paired with a t4i. I was gratified to read the review. It pretty much confirms I have found in actual use. This is a backup camera and lens for me and I like the idea of an all in one lens for certain uses when I don't want to carry a heavy bag. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_wilson Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 <p>I got one with my 7D for under $200 extra (so it was very cheap). I am not a big fan of the lens and don't use it. I gave it to one of my kids who shoots a Rebel and the IQ, AF speed and IQ of this lens certainly beats the kit lens. For the price it is a great buy but I find the IQ is average and the lens is too slow for me.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Ian Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 <p>Wow. So the 18-135/3.5-5.6 IS <strong>STM</strong>, receives the<strong> <em>same</em></strong> rating for optical quality as the 15-85,<em> and</em> the <em><strong>24-70/2.8 II L</strong>. </em>That is quite surprising!</p> <p>I'm sorry, but that's a bit hard for me to imagine - though that would represent a<em> considerable</em> improvement over the 'old' 18-135/3.5-5.6 IS. I obv. haven't shot with the 'new' 18-135, but I'm not sure whether to think that photozone.de is <em>really</em> full of utter crap, or that I should buy an 18-135 STM simply to give my old XTi some new life ;-)... I mean, if it's really<em> that</em> good...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_pierlot Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 <p>Marcus, photozone's optical quality ratings tend to be based on their expectations of what the lens should be able to do, rather than on its actual performance. Also, they place an inordinate amount of emphasis on wide open corner sharpness, which is rarely an issue for anyone. For example, if you're shooting portraits, corner sharpness is irrelevant, and if you're shooting landscapes, you'll be well stopped down.</p> <p>Nevertheless, I do find photozone's reviews to be useful for relative comparisons between lenses as regards resolution, bokeh, etc. I just don't take their overall scores too seriously.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_higdon Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 <p>Philip - are you sure you are referring to the STM version? Certainly a slow lens either way, but the way you describe its performance (and its price!), it sounds more like the non-STM version - and, if so, I'd agree.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert100 Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I have a question about the STM lenses re the features of the new "step motor" versus the current USMs, and now that someone obviously owns one and likes it, we have a source to ask. I have found info advising the STM18-135 mentioned here now has a non-rotating barrel, but I haven't been able to locate information anywhere advising if the new step-motor lenses allow full-time manual focus over-ride fine-tune-tweaking like the Ring-USM motors do, or whether you have to switch them in and out out of auto focus as is necessary with the micro-drive USM lenses to avoid damage ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 <blockquote> <p>I have one paired with a t4i.</p> </blockquote> <p>Dick, can you please comment on AF speed in video? TIA.</p> <blockquote> <p>if you're shooting portraits, corner sharpness is irrelevant</p> </blockquote> <p>That is only true only if you place your subject in the center of the frame. Personally, I rarely do it because I often find the composition boring. Hence, when I shoot portraits corner sharpness is a very important issue for me.</p> <p>Happy shooting,<br> Yakim.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_wilson Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Jeff it is the STM lens to my knowledge Canon has only made one version of this lens. The reason for the very low price is that I was buying a 7D and just wanted body only. The dealer offered me the body with this lens for only $190 more. My understanding was he got a better deal from Canon for selling the kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopoldstotch Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 <blockquote> <p>Jeff it is the STM lens to my knowledge Canon has only made one version of this lens</p> </blockquote> <p>There have been two versions of this lens. There's the <a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-18-135mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-Lens-Review.aspx">original</a> from 2009 (which used a micromotor), and there's the <a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-18-135mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-STM-Lens-Review.aspx">STM version</a> which was launched alongside the T4i in June. They're optically, mechanically, and aesthetically different, so if you bought your 7D more than 4 months ago, the lens you're talking about isn't the one from the OP.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_higdon Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 <p>Philip: I think it's likely you are referring to the original 18-135 as that is the one most commonly sold as a kit with the 7D and other SLRs. The 18-135STM has been sold, until recently, only as a kit with the 4ti. Now it is available alone. But the reviews have been really quite good - professional, amateur users and respected online reviews. None of these have been as kind to the non-STM version. And if you see the STM version for $200 or less - in a kit or otherwise - let us know. It's $549 at B&H.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DickArnold Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 <p>Sorry Yakim but I have not shot any video with the STM lens. Phillip the STM came out in July of this year with the T4i. It is not a miracle lens. It is slow. It works well in good light. It does not compare with my L lenses for speed but damn it is nice to stick on the T4i and leave everything else home. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_wilson Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Yes it will be I picked up the 7D when it was first launched and took the kit lens as it was cheap. I gave the lens to one of my kids and he finds it OK. I had not realized there was a second version - indeed I checked the Canon museum and they only have one version listed. Sorry for the confusion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 <blockquote> <p>Sorry Yakim but I have not shot any video with the STM lens.</p> </blockquote> <p>Well, what's stopping you?<br> :-)</p> <p>Happy shooting,<br> Yakim. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert100 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 just a note re Leopold's earlier comment in which he states the earlier, 2009, version of this lens has a micro motor. According to Canon's website and a review I just flipped to (as a result of a google search) and read written by a guy named Ken Rockwell who owns one, noth those sources state the 2009 version has a ring-USM. I've been trying to find out now,re the new STM lenses, whether these function as did the ring-usm in allowing full time manual focusing, or as do the micro-usm's which do not allow it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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