Finally found my travel and all-round zoom lens

I have long been looking for a travel Allround Zoom, which meets my requirements. After unfortunately disappointing findings with a Sigma 18-125mm (even without OS and HSM), a Canon EF 28-135 IS USM (in combination with a SWW lens) and a Canon EF-S 17-85 IS USM I have it in the EF-S 18-135 IS STM finally found.

The Canon EF-S 18-135 IS USM is an excellent workmanship. Nothing is loose, the zoom and focus ring runs smoothly and precisely. The plastic used leaves a high quality, durable impression. The bayonet is made of metal.

The lens has a silent STM focusing motor (stepper motor technology). This causes rapid and totally silent focusing what the video function of modern DSLR benefit. Since I was still in my old but good EOS 30D (without video function) using this lens, I still am about the silent, precise and very fast focusing performance of the lens. While holding the trigger button can be refocused manually. The front lens is rigid and supports the use of a polarizing filter. In addition to the new AF-S 18-135 IS EF STM can not draw attention to themselves with a Zoomlockschalter and a lens cap with inside handle. Both long-awaited achievements in lens program from Canon. A distance scale does not exist. A useful lens hood provides Canon with unfortunately still not. The image stabilizer compensates for camera shake up to four stops.

And now a few words about optical power. The lens has wide angle and at maximum aperture visible to the eye significant barrel distortion and vignetting (vignetting) on. Edge blurring and chromatic aberrations, I could not tell. The distortion and vignetting can be corrected by DPP (Canon Digital Photo Professional) via push of a button, as the lens data is stored in this software and recorded by the camera in the EXIF ​​data. This works very well and quickly. An edge sharpness drop I could not determine when looking at my pictures in all aperture and focal length ranges.

In the middle focal length range distortions are very pronounced fall in telephoto position of the lens in turn pincushion distortions on. This can, however, as mentioned earlier, correct incredibly easy via DPP. The vignetting can be brought by a slight dimming in each focal length range well under control. The resolution performance is excellent over the entire zoom range even at maximum aperture. The lens correctly focused. A decentralization does not exist. I can confirm the test results of photozone.de so wholeheartedly.

Conclusion:

I am very pleased with the performance of the EF-S 18-135 IS STM. It offers me from wide angle to telephoto a large zoom range in a compact, travel-compatible dimensions. The optical performance is surprisingly good to excellent over the entire focal length range. Light dimmed, the reduced Randabdunklung in wide angle, the distortion can be corrected via software. The lens focuses quickly, quietly and reliably. Strong buy recommendation!