 Fantastic travel/ walk around lens. |
| Review Date: October 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: B. Stubblefield, GA United States |
I was more than a small apprehensive about purchasing this lens before many commanding reviews came out, but I'm really glad I did. I have an 18-55 kit, 70-300, 60mm f/2.8 Macro, and 50 prime (all fantastic beginner lenses, BTW) but I needed something I could stick on my camera and forget about when going out around town. As a young lady that likes small purses, this is a continuous domestic struggle- hang my awe-inspiring camera around my neck like an "I'm on a project and shouldn't be hit on" ribbon, or stuff it in a huge camera bag with my other lenses in a "I don't have kids but I might as well cause this looks like a diaper bag" fashion. I deflect male advances either way. It's just a matter of how light I travel when I do it. And if I can leave some highly-stealable stuff at home, I will.
How does it feel?
This seems to have the same feel as my 70-300. Not a plastic-y light touch like the 18-55, slightly rubber ridges and hefty, but not heavy, weight to it. I wouldn't use this lens to bludgeon enemies, but it doesn't feel as though it came out of a gum ball apparatus either.
What's the color like?
We compared this lens to the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (took like peas in a pod photos at same focal length, f-stop, settings, etc.) Both lenses were incredibly sharp at the sweet spots and still fantastic at the edges (when taken at F8) but the colors of the 18-135 were much less washed out. We certainly had the white balance settings locked for both photos, but the 18-135 just showed reds, purples, blues, greens, all colors were more full of life and right.
Now if you want your family photos to look like they came honest from a comic book with crazier-than-life color explosions, you'll have to look to post-dispensation for that. Weirdo. All I'm saying is that I won't have to change the color balance to cloudy to experience non-prison looking color in family portraits. Not anything kills the vibe of a party photo montage like grayish Alcatraz hues.
Yeah, but I can get this from an 17-85 or the new 15-85, right?
Excellent point, friend. But the extra focal length after 85mm is really worth it, especially when shooting things across a street or shooting semi-close flora and fauna. And if the 15-85 is way more expensive and the 17-85 is about the same price, why not go for the longer length? You could make the same argument for the 18-200, but I don't reckon that the compromised serration (and heavy 21 oz weight, vs the 16.1 oz of the 18-135) is worth the extra focal space. Also, you get the latest version of the image stabilization system with this one.
But there is no USM, and the 17-85 has USM. I MUST HAVE USM ON ALL MY LENSES!
Cool down there, buddy. Right, there is no USM on this lens. But having used both the 17-85 and 18-135, the latter is just as quick to autofocus. It may not have the USM, but you wouldn't notice a huge variation. The motor is super quick and doesn't autofocus hunt like my 70-300 USM tends to do. You can hear the motor, but it's not as loud as the Canon 70-300 USM motor. Image stabilization is also fantastic- there were plenty of pictures that have been saved with that feature, especially in low light/no flash situations.
Finally, I want to mention the "The Digital Picture" ISO 12233 Crops (google this; I can't provide a link). This test frightened the crud out of me, and is making a lot of people spew despise about this lens. It makes this lens look soft compared to some other lenses. When I ongoing shooting, I thought at first that there was a serration issue until I realized that my small brother had changed my ISO to 1600. Thanks, small bro! After that was fixed, all was as sharp as I could hope for. Having done my own serration tests, I realized that the ISO 12233 crops weren't telling the whole tale. I don't plot on sticking this sucker on a tripod and shooting tiny black and white lines with it all day (I have more fascinating subjects, and they are in color!) I've taken hundreds of pictures with this lens and just don't see any image feature or serration variation when compared to my other lenses. So chill, people.
In end, if you like the pictures your DSLR gives you, but despise the lens diaper-bag/bookbag look, this is a fantastic choice. It's not going to make you into a magical Ansel Adams photo spouting apparatus, but no gear will do that. This lens takes some pretty nice pictures when you stop nerve-racking about 100% crops and start enjoying life. Shoot and be pleased.
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Excellent multipurpose zoom lens for Canon T1i/500D.
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| Review Date: October 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Ivan Barakumba, Toronto ON |
Week after buying Canon T1i camera I went to Mt St Helens National Park and realized how much I need extra zoom. So I ordered the new Canon 18-135IS. My first impressions are very positive:
- The build feature is pretty decent.
- The lens is moderately light and feels pretty balanced on the T1i body.
- Front of the lens doesn't turn during auto focus which is a plus if you use a polarized filter.
- AF is quick and very right - it easily finds focus even in dark conditions.
- Image Stabilizer supports horizontal and vertical panning.
- I reckon serration is akin with the kit 18-55IS (looks like corners are a bit softer).
- Zoom range is perfect for vacation/open-air photography.
- There is no zoom creep (so far).
- Very smooth bokeh (background blurring)
Few cons:
- No zoom lock.
- Doesn't have USM/full-time manual focus - this is the feature I'd expect in the $500 lens.
- Distortions on the wide end (18-24mm)
- More CA than 18-55IS.
P.S. I've spent the last couple of weeks conception endless forum posts and reviews. Here are my notes about the similar/competing products:
1. Canon 55-250IS - My friend got this lens - it's sharp but some shots have terrible color saturation/contrast. He also told me that he needs to change lenses too often.
2. Canon 28-135 IS USM - sharp, has full-time manual focus, but the lens is quite huge and heavy for T1i and has a zoom creep. 28mm is too much for the wide shots on the x1.6 cameras.
3. Sigma 18-125 OS HSM - excellent zoom range/color/price, moderately sharp. I nearly bought this lens but then I noticed that nearly every review mentions the continuous background noise produced by the image stabilizer. Sometimes I use the camera for small videos so that was a deal surf for me.
4. Sigma 18-200 - excellent zoom range/color/price, but too heavy. Serration is very variable. Also not much extra zoom comparing to the 135mm.
By and large I reckon this lens is a excellent choice for nonpro photographers looking for a multipurpose zoom lens.
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An awe-inspiring reasonably priced lens that makes crisp images
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| Review Date: November 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Casp, TN |
I used to own a Sony 12x digital zoom and just stepped up to a Canon T1i. I liked my Sony since it was light weight, snapped fantastic pictures and offered me the flexibility of an ultra zoom. So, I was hoping to get the same range with a lens for my Canon T1i as well. I travel a lot and like taking close-up as well as landscape pictures with my subjects in the foreground. So, I did not want to be seen as a geek who keeps changing camera lenses often and kills the joy of posing for a photograph. Based on numerous reviews I read about the kit lens, it didn't seem like the ideal one to buy and it did not have the ideal zoom length as well. So, I just bought the Canon T1i body and plunged into wide research about the ideal lens that would offer the flexibility of a wide angle and an ultra zoom. The most recommended one seemed to be the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. Though, for a novice photographer, it seemed too much a price to pay. Then I stumbled upon this one and was quite skeptic that it had very few reviews. But, the review by Stubblefield gave me the confidence to try this one out as she seemed to have the same requirements as I did. It turns out that I made a really excellent choice in going for this lens.
I compared this with the kit lens(18-55mm) one of my acquaintances owned and it is only slightly heavier albeit with a larger diameter (67mm). But comparisons of shots taken with the 18-55mm and this one at ~30mm reveal how crisp and rich (with nice bokeh) the pictures are with the 18-135mm compared to the 18-55mm which made slightly softer pictures. At the telephoto end, the lens is pretty quick in focusing and there is no variation in image feature compared to the ones taken at 30mm zoom. I was at a concert just and was having fun snapping close up shots of the performers at 135mm and was amazed at the low light performance of this lens. I was shooting at ISO 1600 but still the images were sharp, had hardly noticeable noise and had exceptional fine points when cropped. Two thumbs up for the Image Stabilization! I am not sure if it was the Canon T1i or the lens that made those awe-inspiring pictures but the combination certainly works fantastic. One of my acquaintances shot those close-ups with his Canon 55-250mm IS lens and at 250mm he sure got close. But, the pictures came out shaky since we didn't have our tripods with us. Never mind though, when I cropped my shots taken at 135mm, I was able to get the exact pictures that he shot at 250mm lacking any shake or loss of image feature. So, I guess I wouldn't wish I had the 55-250mm.
There was some mention about this lens not having the USM. But I would not be worried with this at all as it does not seem to be any more noisier than the kit lens or the Canon 55-250mm IS lens. Over all, I would highly recommend this lens for novice photographers at least as you wouldn't often find yourself lacking for a wider angle or more zoom (reckon crop). An exceptional walk around lens at an exceptional price that produces exceptional images. The only other lens I would even deliberate buying is the Canon 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 to cover the ultra wide angle segment but that can come later though. If you are finding your feet with one of Canon XS/XSi/T1i, then please do yourself a favor and get this lens with the body. You will never find yourself searching for another lens in the near future.. |
Hits the sweet spot!!
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| Review Date: November 25, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Pierre Dalumpines, Superior Seattle, WA |
I wanted a versatile, cheap lens that could help me rediscover the magic of photography and also serve double-duty as an all-around lens with similar zoom coverage as a point-and-shoot.
The EF-S 18-135mm IS lens had just come out, but I was somewhat place off by the terrible technical review it got from photozone.de taking into account that it was deal for nearly $600. I kept looking. Though, I found it online for about half that, I chose to take a chance, and thus, here are my impressions...
Excellent:
- decent serration through much of the zoom and aperture range
- excellent color reproduction (I am a weirdo who pumps saturation to get "comic book" color as B. Stubblefield puts it)
- less chromatic aberration due to UD element (whatever)
- versatile zoom range of 18-135mm (equivalent to 29-216mm)
- for the price I got it, a fantastic value... at the price you see here, getting iffy but still excellent
- new generation IS for at least 2 stops of hand-holdability
- excellent balance and weight (1 lb), goes well with my 40D
- non-rotating front element (means small to me since I only have a UV filter)
- honestly tight tolerances (better than kit, not as excellent as "L", not that I've ever owned either)
- no zoom creep (will this change with a hood and filters?)
- decently quick focus motor, despite being non-USM (again, whatever)
- wide enough to get all in the picture (fix distortion in Canon DP Professional)
Terrible: (Instinctively, these are all fixable by costs more money on your lens)
- non-USM focus motor, no manual focus override (spend more money, get USM lens)
- some focus-hunting at wide angle especially low contrast or dim shots - spend more money, use infrared focus help from a 430EX or use a quick prime lens for your dim shots
- heavy barrel distortion at wide end, which you can fix with DxO ($$) or Canon DP Professional (free) - better fix is buy a right wide angle lens!
- vignetting at large apertures, which you can fix with peripheral illumination rectification in Canon DP Professional
- peripheral pliability at wide end and large apertures, which you can fix by costs $1200 and buying the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras - better fix is stopping down or using the more central parts of your frame for your subjects
- no space scale (unlike the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, which I looked at and was from the bottom of your heart taking into account)
- you're stuck with EF-S (no compatibility with Canon full frame bodies)
- priced about $80-100 more than what it is worth
I do not have the experience to discern minute differences in serration, color dependability, etc. that people seem to place so much of a premium on. MTF charts and pictures of lines and grids are fantastic, but honestly, I inquiry the real world utility of these things. Maybe that's my ignorance talking. To me, a picture looks excellent if it evokes the emotional response or thought process that the photographer proposed in any case of the technical aspects. Hey, let's take photos of brick walls to assess distortion! Let's spend hours on the internet looking at pictures of gray walls at uncommon apertures and focal lengths to see which lens has the least amount of vignetting! No, thanks.
This lens delivers what I need for a price I was very pleased with, and I will be using it to take lots and lots of pictures in the hopes of improving my abilities and and keep up family memories at the same time. If you have the photographic need to place high-detail complex subjects at the corners of your frame, or simply have the cash to blow on L-class lenses, then why are you even conception this? Who am I kidding, I crave L-class glass as much as the next guy! I just can't give explanation for the cost given my contemporary ability level (which is below "beginner" but above "t3h suck").
Are you are a beginner like me? Do you have a limited budget? Do you delight in being creative to extract the maximum performance from your gear to get around some weaknesses? If so, then buy this lens - chances are you'll be very pleased with it. I know I am. Delight in! |
Perfect walk around lens
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| Review Date: October 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Soumen Karmakar, Portland, OR |
Like many people i was debating whether to go for this lens or the canon 18-200 IS, or the Tamron 18-270 VR on my Canon DSLR. Let me clarify on this point.
At the outset this lens is cheaper (at this time) than the other, nearly 150$ variation at retail.
Secondly this lens weighs half at 1 lb than the canon 18-200 at 2 lbs. For canon 450d/xsi or 40/50D this is exceptional, as the lens is not too heavy for the body. I have no problems of stability and walking around, and it makes better shots.
Third, there isn't much benefit of 200 over 135 at the telephoto end. you can crop the pictures and for 10/12 mpixels it really doesn't make much a variation.
Lastly, i chose to go with the Canon lens vs Tamron or Sigma (really both the Tamron and Sigma are excellent lenses, the Tamron slightly better in some aspects, but it doesn't have a product in the 18-120 range with VR). The sigma 18-125 with OS is slightly heavier at 1.5 lbs.
I was skeptic of not having USM but it doesn't seem a deal surf to me. Focussing is quick and right, and like other review has no zoom creep (yet). There is also no zoom lock button, so i hope there is no lens creep.
Now the picture feature. I found it sharp for most cases, not tack sharp like primes, but compared to kit 18-55 lens very excellent serration. The edges seem a bit soft in low light, but center serration is very excellent. Out-of-doors or in excellent light, serration throughout. Colors are full of life and faithful, i wasn't dissapointed.
It is not a professional review, but if you just want an opinion i would highly recommend this lens as an exceptional lightweight walkaround lens, ideal for most situations with enough zoom, and sharp enough to make fantastic pictures.
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