After a couple diversion-driven weeks of postings, hardware reviews are back in full swing, and this week the 18-55mm lens from Canon undergoes analysis. Since the lens has already seen a great deal of feedback and reviews in the community, a discussion of the technical features of the lens is somewhat meaningless. Instead, here are a couple great resources that talk about the quality of the lens in great detail:
So, why talk about the lens if it’s already been covered so well? For two reasons…first because the lens really offers a great range of focus and image quality for its size and cost (it’s light and cheap), and because it really has become more of an historical note as it’s been replaced. It’s new cousin is the 18-55mm IS lens with improved optics and the Image Stabilization feature that has become popular among photographers and aficionados. So, since this is a lens that will probably not be around much longer, other than auction sites like eBay, not only is this a review post, consider it also a eulogy.
This really is a great lens given it’s relatively low cost. It allows you to go fairly wide, yet also zoom in nice and tight for close-ups. Granted it’s not going to zoom very far as it’s not intended to be more than a standard range lens. On a crop sensor camera (it won’t fit on a full-frame due to design) the range adjusts from the design range of 18-55 to a broader 29-88. This actually means this lens is good for anything from architecture to portraiture and landscape subjects. Sure, there are other lenses that will produce better results, primarily because their optics are more refined and the “sweet spot” is wider, but if you want to go light and mobile, the 18-55mm is definitely one to consider if you can still find it. Lucky me, I kept mine from the XT days when I first entered into Digital Photography!
Here are some sample shots from this lens that I took recently for this review/eulogy:
Wide Open
Zomed to 55mm
An Abstract Perspective (at 18mm)
The same abstract from 55mm
A few sunflowers
And if you like the sunflower shot, then take a look at the small gallery I put together here (all with the 18-55)! Sure, I had some lighting help and it was a controlled indoor environment, but it just goes to show that just because it’s dated, doesn’t mean it’s bad. Coming up next week, another product review/eulogy from the Canon arsenal that is no longer made: The Canon 550EX (the light used in the gallery above). In the meantime, don’t forget that this is the last week fr contributing shots to the OnOne Software Plugin Suite 4.5 Giveaway. The Flickr thread is here and links to all the contest details. Good luck, and until tomorrow, happy shooting everyone!
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