More than you'd expect from the price

Over a year ago I purchased the lens in the kit with my 550D, and although in this period my claims and my knowledge has grown about the photograph so that one has actually more a Middle Class to bad review expected of me me this lens - at Price measured mind you - but relatively confident.

Processing / Design (9/10 points):
The lens is of course from the outside (except for the rubberized zoom ring) totally made of plastic, and the bayonet, therefore appear one or the other, the 9 points maybe a bit strange. However, these cheap materials are processed in the lens without defects. The design can also be seen.

Handling (7/10 points):
In itself, can work very well with the lens. It fits comfortably in your hand (even if there is something too easily for my taste), Zoom and -fokusring prepare usually no problems. Nevertheless, the operation in one or other area could be a bit more comfortable: The switch for the AF / MF can be moved only with a lot of pressure, and when you turn the zoom ring slowly, he shakes a bit (especially in the WW area of ​​about 18 to 28mm. The path of the focus ring is not too long, precise manual focusing is yet possible.

Autofocus (6/10 points):
The AF is nothing special; the 6 points I can also forgive measured only at the price. First, it is quite noisy and sounds like a circular saw. Second, it is not very accurate. Approximately 7 of 10 recorded at open aperture images of the focus does not fit exactly, the images are then indeed sufficiently sharp, but could still be much crisper. Approximately one of 10 images of the focus so sitting next to it, that the images are almost unusable. During the day, the error rate is significantly smaller than usual. Even a stage which is illuminated by six 2 kW Fresnel lens spotlights from about 5m height, the AF is too dark. If you flash (built-in flash), the focus usually sits perfectly. The speed is okay, though not world class.

Imaging performance (double counted as the most important criterion; 8/10):
The imaging performance surprised me first time in a positive sense. Let's say, the focus sits: The focus can certainly compete with the lenses that are three times as expensive. The photos are amazing detailed - even if the focus toward the edge a little decreases, you can see every little grain of sand. I would not have expected this. Chromatic aberrations keep within limits, the bokeh is nice. So why only 8 out of 10 points? In one sentence: The lens records insanely strong. With 18mm you get no straight lines more precisely on the sensor, unless you go right through the middle. The distortions can be seen not only at the edge but even relatively centrally. With increasing focal length the distortion then decrease. Too bad, otherwise the lens would have cut off here with 10 points.

Conclusion:
To get started, the lens is perfect anyway. Aside from the distortion - - to the price, it can be operated very well and is well made, the imaging performance of a skin. However, if you work a lot with the autofocus and this even with a little less light precision and reliability expected, one should look for a different lens (preferably with ultrasonic motor, a higher price does not necessarily equal better AF); wherein then a multiple of the price of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6 III must invest.

Calculation of points:
(9/10 + 7/10 + 6/10 + 8/10 + 8/10) / 5 = 7.6 / 10 76% 4 star rating (80%)