Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM & Powerzoom PZ-E1 lens review with samples
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- Опубликовано: 14 июл 2024
- Here is Canon's latest 18-135mm lens, featuring their newest autofocus system, 'Nano' USM. It costs a lot more than its STM predecessor, but it is compatible with Canon's new powerzoom module (PZ-E1 - sold separately). What other differences are there, and are they worth it?
Find it here (Amazon affiliate link):
geni.us/canonefs18135usm
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All photography and video footage taken by me on Canon 6D, 70D and EOS M3 cameras.
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Music: 'Opportunity Walks', Kevin Macleod (www.incompetech.com) 
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I own this lens and the autofocus speed is incredible, almost instant. This is easily the best all-round EF-S lens and great for video.
does it have distortion?
@@RahulKumar-nh3wc You can see the distorcion in this video !!
@@hugopnabais when?
Do you recommend this or the 200 mm?
@@CarterFabian Do you mean the 18-200mm? I haven't tried it
A very honest and straight-forward review. Thanks for your candid suggestions here as always
Got the USM version used for about 165 pounds and since I´m only going to use it for when I´m traveling I am very happy with it.
I have this lense and I absolutely love it . The image stabilization is amazing, and the focusing is practically instant.
I use this lens on a 5Ti with the power zoom on a professional tripod. All my films shot with this setup this last summer are on my channel.
You are the best at reviewing lenses. Most reviewers do not show any type of sharpness and contrast differences at the different apertures. Thank you so much for doing this is all your review videos!
I will stick with the STM version. Although the powerzoom thingy looks interesting. Hopefully we will see it compatible with more lenses in the future.
i have this lens with the power zoom adapter! its pretty good.
thanks for the review. I think I'll stick with the stm version for a while. I think the big difference is the usm seems to show less fringing than the stm but it's easy to correct in Lightroom.
Well shoot far, that was a great review Christopher but I weren't as impressed with the new lenses picture quality like I had hoped I'd be. But, the AF is the fastest I've ever seen. I still like the old brick building you usually use for the picture quality test. Thanks so much.
I love it! I use it on fast and just press it lightly if I want it to go slow
Luckily my zoom ring rubber is smooth. I'm using this as my walkaround lens & the focal range is good enough for most of my needs. Usually, the image output after post processing is considered pretty good.
Hey! I would love to see a review of the ne sigma 14mm f1,8! Keep it up!
nice work i love your Channel keep working
I agree on the crop mode commentary about ef-s, but sometimes it is a technical limitation really. They actually use that extra space on some models (two examples are the 17-55 f2.8 and the 24mm f2.8) to place optical elements at certain zoom/focus positions. Those models would be impossible to mount on full frame. Or at least would require some switch or design modification to limit the zoom range when mounted on FF cameras. It would be great though for 3rd party lenses, which even the crop models are EF mount compatible. Sometimes I think on switching to Nikon... then I remember all that crap about focus motors and lack of ergonomics.
You should give Nikon a try. Autofocus on the D500 is practically unbeatable. The menu on screen is much much much better than Canon. Plus you get about 50 years of lens compatibility. Believe it or not Nikon's pro lenses from back in the day are incredible even on digital.
Both lenses you mentioned (17-55 2.8 USM and 24 2.8 STM) suffer from loud autofocus noise which gets picked up in video mode
Thanks for the review Chris, I was hoping for one. I was contemplating this one for a few months now, but this convinced me to save my money.
Very good review
Your videos are great 👍
I came from an older video where in the comment section someone asked him to review this xD
I searched and found this video.
man, really looking forward to ur comparing the sigma art and tamron g2 24-70, kind of struggle right now
please do a review for new sigma 14mm f1.8 .. i want to order it and you are the best reviewer around , so please do it
Great review! Watched, Liked, and Replayed
the older lens seems just fine.
Ive got both the STM and Nano version. I see no difference in IQ between the two, but i got the Nano version for its much faster AF. For me this and my 80D are the perfect holiday camera, and means i can happily leave my 5D4 and L lenses at home. I got mine for under £400 in the UK when the rebates were on earlier this year, so the new price wasnt much difference to the STM new at the time.
Are they both same quiet for video?
@@andyboa8107 nano is better. Also smoother when zooming.
I see a lot of fuji users hating on this lens and I don't see the point of that. Just use your damn camera and lenses to shoot photos instead of spewing hatred at other brands.
@Jakob EVERYONE....should denounce Haters....unless you just want to be hateful....
Fuji and Sony users tend to be more hostile and protective of their camera ecosystems. I don't even understand it for Sony users because they often only bought Sony for the cheapest price anyway.
@@JodyBruchon I totally Agree with you, I'm a fuji user however I don't like the Fujifilm fandom.
Please review the new SIGMA 100-400 lens! Thank you.
Great video,
i use this one for video. wich one do you recomend for photos? thanx
Nice review mate. I will say that I agree with you for the most part on the comparison to the STM version. STM is cheaper, is jsut as sharp in the center, and to my eyes is better in the corners (though neither are what I would call sharp in the corners, this is kind of a wash). It's the price that kills this new one. If you can bundle it with a new camera it's not too bad, that makes it 400 instead of 600 USD, and they can be found used for under 400. The STM model is usually around 300 USD on Amazon new (white box) and more like 200-250 used, and for what it does that isn't bad. I would say that the Nano-USM isn't as practical on the 18-135mm as it is on the 70-300mm IS ii, since that lens is much more likely to be used for taking action shots, but I am surprised at how well it works. It does what Canon says it does; fast focus for stills, smooth and silent for video. For most people looking for a lens in this zoom range, it likely will not matter enough to be worth the extra money over the older model. Of course, if you want to use the power zoom, the nano-USM model is the only option.
Christopher what would you recommend as an upgrade from the 18-55mm kit lens for photography? This or something else?
Thanks for being clear. Voice quality, images used quality, videography, ALL. Even music quality :) No modern ear-rape.........
Thankfully I got this lens in a package deal with an 80D for $1000 Canadian
Thanks for the great video reviews.
Will you be getting a 6D Mark II?
I'd love to see your review of it.
I'm in two minds over the 6D Mark ii. For testing lenses, I really should be using a camera with even more than 26mp resolution
I have the feeling one would be better off with a used 24-105mm f/4L lens, which may be even cheaper (around $400 to 600). While it might not give the same reach, it is sharper and gives way more contrast to your pictures, it also has IS and a constant F4 aperture which is better for video. For wider angles a 10-18mm would suffice, it's also very cheap, light, and most importantly sharp.
I still wish Canon would make more EF-S zooms with a constant aperture like f/4 or even another f/2.8 lens, albeit with a higher price tag. A wider angle 14 or 15mm EF-S lens as a 24mm FF equivalent would also be nice; my 10-18 spends most of its time either on 10mm or on 15mm.
My Canon 80d came with this lens as part of the kit, but I would like to go with a prime lens, but I'm not sure which lens to go with. I already purchased a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, so now I was thinking about a Sigma 20mm or 24mm f/1.4 or the Canon 24mm f/1.4, what would you recommend? I did purchase a Canon ef 50mm f/1.8 STM lens, but after a trip to the aquarium it was hit or miss on getting good shots in low light, and the quality was definitely noticeable between the lenses. When I purchased my camera, I didn't want to spend a great deal at the time, but now I can actually invest in something better, I would say a good price range is $500 to $1500, but would like to stay towards the lower end of that spectrum as possible since this is just a hobby for me.
Wow the rfs 18-150 is a substantial improvement
Hi i'm Giacomo, (sorry for my english), i follow your channel from my years and i think that your review are amazing. I have a eos 60D by 4 years and i'm looking on the 80D, have you ever tried this model? What do you think about it?
Thank a lot and compliment for your channel!
Thank you.
Easy to travel with. Took to Europe for shooting aircraft in museums. Got as a kit .
This lens is perfect for travelers with Canon APS-C dSLR cameras.
The Canon 18-135mm isn't a super zoom lens but covers most of the focal lengths a daily photographer or traveler needs.
Super zoom lenses are a temptation and a trap. Super zoom are extremely useful but at the same time very soft with enormous geometric distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration. The geometric distortion (pincushion or barrel), vignetting and chromatic aberration can be fixed digitally but the sharpness can't.
The zoom unit is funny. I haven't see a similar thing. Very useful for videography. The zoom adapter could be powered by the camera itself. How much strong is its motor?
Achilleas Labrou 4 AA-Batteries are powering the unit right?
Interessant
*I don't don't undrstand what does mean *
Hey chris! If you're able to, Id love to see a review of the new sigma 100-400! Looks like it could be a good buy.
A review is coming in a month or so
Good job
Does single point autofouse point help in background blur effect
Does it have the plastic flanges that physically stop it being mounted on a full frame, I’d be interested to know if it would be compatible on a full frame mirrorless canon with the ef-rf adapter making the internal protrusion a non issue and using video crop mode
Any ideas about "canon cosina af 19-35"
Nice video, Btw How was your potato harvest? :)
May I download the image you use to test lens image quality/sharpness at center and corners ? Thanks in advance!
Of course
I have a Canon 80D and when using both this lens and the Canon 55-250 I still can't get as sharp landscape photos as you or as much depth of field and I've been trying in the sweet spot of these lens of f7 to f11 and keeping within the reciprocal rule. One recent example was doing a bay with boats moored in it and hills and buildings in the distance and at f11 and 100mm focal length, I was getting a relatively shallow depth of field in the centre. I would of thought it would be all in focus at this point. Is it me doing something wrong, or is this common with these lenses or is my 80D at fault here. I have also been using the single and 9 point focus areas. Should I be using the big area focus for this. I'm new to DSLR's and quite frankly this problem is making me lose the love of photography. I thought DSLR's were supposed to be much better then this. I'm actually getting better results out of my old Panasonic bridge camera and that is limited to f8. Can anyone help with this?
You'll need to chat with someone local to you who likes photography who can show you where you're going wrong - it could be anything, really
@@christopherfrost thanks. Something I did recently think of was the 18-135 and 55-250 lenses being at fault. I did get them used on eBay. My 50mm f1.8 seems perfect.
Thanks Chris, always enjoy your reviews. Just wonder whether using EOS-M with adaptor could affect the image quality.
Nope - only to an absolutely negligible extent
Thanks
I think the PZ-E1 is the only that works with the Canon remote control BR-E1, giving you the only combination of remote zoom control on a canon
The reason for putting a plastic thing to prevent mounting on full-frame is because if you mount this lens on a full-frame at 18 mm a part of the lens WILL touch the mirror
I got this lens with my 80D and its the all around lens hahaha. Tbh you don't really need another lens!!! Pair this lens with the 80D and its lightning fast. The lens feels great. A nice strong plastic, definitely doesn't feel cheap
JW Studios would you sell a 18-55 and a 55-250 both STM to get one? I have one and I'm considering this lens
Chris, will you do a review on that Tamron 18-400 after it comes out?
Sure - it might take a little while though, I'm incredibly busy at the moment
I hope to see the Sony kit lens review soon though ;)
There is one coming
TheInterMaus he just did!
Got this packaged with my 90D coming tomorrow! Hopefully the 90D makes the lens stretch it’s legs to it’s true capability 😅
For sure
Are you planning to give a full review of the new Tamron 18 - 400 mm ?
Sure, when I can get a hold of one!
Very nice review thank you. Thinking of buying the Canon 80D and also this lens. My question is, can I use the lenses I use on my Canon 5D mark ii, on the Canon 80D?
You can use all your full-frame EF lenses on your 80D. But you can't use Canon's EF-S lenses on the full-frame camera (your 5D ii)
Ok Thanks
I think you may be better off with a 24-105 F4 L, or the sharper 24-70 F4 L for both cameras
I have the Tamron 24-70 f2,8 with stabilizer for my Canon 5D mark ii. I will try that one first. Then I'm considering the 18-135mm STM. More zoom and also I believe it would be more silent than my Tamron.
Have you tested this lens adapted to an R6 or R7? I wonder if it's performance would be improved.
Any chance of you reviewing the 10mm f2.8 or the 20mm f1.8? Looking for a wide angle lens and im frustrated by the lack of fast wide angle lenses, it seems like nothing is faster than f2.8 so is it worth just buying the tokina 11-16/20mm?
Take a look at my ultra wide angle lens comparison video
iv got this lens and it's sharp was surprised from the grading scale shown here, I use it for a all round lens, good for outdoor use, good for video
What's the camera you used ?
BTW is it still working good until now ?
@@vinvanid apsc m3 , gave it to my parents as a gift they use it on a 7D for family photos
Greetings from sunny Florida Christopher. I don't know if you could help me. Ef-s15-85 vs Ef-s 18-135 usm? I would like to use it for stills and video handheld mostly for family outings to the zoo or park. I have the 15-135 and I'm wondering if I should trade it in for a 18-135 usm.
Question regarding barrel distortion. I have a canon T7i and the 18-135mm nano usm lens. In the menu option for Lens Aberration Correction is an option for Distortion Correction. the other options are set on except that one when this lens is attached. Should that be enabled? Will it cause any ill effects if that is turned on? I am mostly concerned about the barrel distortion at 18mm. Thoughts?
Hmm, you should enable it, and see what happens
@@christopherfrost Great answer (not)
Hi Frost! U think that this lens is optically good as the EFs 15-85? Which one u choose for a stay-in lens? Thank you so much!
Check out my review of that lens
Hello there! I'm considering to buy an 80D in combo with this lens, but I don't know if I should get an old 18-135 IS STM or this new one. Which one do you recommend? Thanks 😊
Watch the review, and you'll see exactly what I recommend :-)
Hey id'like to know, is it possible to control the zoom engine with the canon camera connect app ? I'd like to zoom from my smartphone (i've an stm lens i can only control the focus but not the zoom with my phone)
No idea, sorry!
RESPECT!
I have observed that the lenses you had reviewed were most of the times attached to M3. May I ask why? Does the M3 operates well with regular Canon lenses and as well as third party lenses?
If used with an adaptor, it works exactly like any APS-C digital SLR camera. If you have a 24mp APS-C camera, this is how the lenses will perform.
i sold mine. changed it to 24-105 F4L USM.
Christian Robillos did the same and never regretted it!
24mm on aps-c is about 38mm view is that wide enough ?
foolishgames zhou for me it is, I also got a 18 35mm f1.8. Just for astrophotography. But for me 24mm or 38mm on crop is enough for me
foolishgames zhou not too wide but is good enough for me. just take a few step back and i can get to 18mm equivalent.
thx both of you for the info, it does helps me to decide which one i should get
Sir can u tell me how to set focus at infinity in this lens while on manual focus mode? It has no marking on focus ring and u can rotate it many times in any direction.
You can't (easily) you have to use live view mode and best guess
It is a great kit lense for the 80d imho. And reasonable cheap in the kit as well.
Traumglanz I agree, I thought that canon sold the old USM with the kit so I ordered a 18-135mm STM lens, then I saw that they actually put the nano USM with the kit, so I changed my mind and took the nano USM kit lens instead
As super zoom lens how compete with canon 70-300 EF II ? Working with a canon 90d?
Is this compatible with Canon M6 mark II with viltrox speed booster adaptor?
How much does Lens's's request kit cost?
This is a waste of upgrade. The STM version of this lens is good enough already. They should have bloody upgraded their aging EF-S18-200mm!
that lens 70/200 is near perfect and equals some say better than the new nikkor 70/200E len..
at almost 10yrs older that I'll say is bloody awesome
ALEXANDER GOMES it’s brilliant I like lenses that I don’t have to fiddle with the 18-200 is great for that
2020..and i should go with Nano USM
The images never get contrasty, even after stoping down. I think the STM version was way sharper.
They have the same optics
i already have said this on another video, i miss a channel that does a work as good as yours, but for nikon lenses :/
Good.
Sir can i use it on Canon m6 camera body
For travel photography, do i go with this lens or the Sigma 17-55 f/2.8?
Probably this lens for travel photography but the Sigma is nice too
I have the sigma 17-50 and it's a great all around lens for a crop sensor camera. I would recommend it.
Kearress I would just use the 18-55IS lens coupled with the 55-250. And if you have another $50-100 buy a nifty fifty.
Canon 800d + 18 - 135 nano USM? Worth it ???
Is the auto focus as good as the stm version on the canon 80D for video ?
The autofocus of the USM is slightly faster than the STM on the 80D
you are using a meike adapter, do you have any issues with it ? i only tested it with the efs 18-55
No issues at all so far!
Christopher Frost Photography Thanks! I found one tiny issue, when using m42 lenses with focus confirmation chip the eos m system will show "please update your lens firmware"
Huh. I've never tried to use a M4/3 lens on EOS M before
Christopher Frost Photography You should, the quality is stunning and contrary to it's bigger brother, the 18mm flange distance allows for perfect infinity focus. (I'm talking about m42 lens like the old industars, Yashica etc, and not micro 4/3rds). And sime my little eos m is kind of slow anyways i dont mind manual focusing
In my opinion i stay with my 18-55 and 55- 250 stm :)
I've got this lens, and maybe the zoomring-problem is on your copy only, i don't know, but my lens' zoomring is very smooth i have to say
I have this lense as well, the zooming is stiff on mine too. Not as bad as on his it seems, as it is buttery smooth when going down (usable with one finger), but going up from 18mm needs you to use two fingers and is a little "bumpy" by about 1mm or 2mm steps.
Which camera do you use in 5.28?
I really like the motor I bought for this but it gets heavy
Sometimes I feel like canon re-release the same tech but just with new prices.
The 6D reviews sort of underscore this for me.
のぢGrey yeah. As a Canon owner I think this is really bad :(
Hi Christopher, which would you get for the Canon 80D to make best use of the dual pixel CMOS AF shooting video, the STM or new NANO? There's only around £60 in it now on eBay.
In my experience, they both seem virtually the same, but if there's only a small price difference then the newer lens will be a bit better
which one was the noisiest? Regarding Image Stabilizer and autofocus?
The other lens I've considered is the Canon or Sigma 17-55 f2.8. But They seem noisey and I think you mentioned the canon version had issues with the IS failing over time on used lenses. I'd really like one of these lenses if I could depend on it. At the moment I'm thinking of buying two lenses the 35mm f2 from canon and a 18-135 .
They're both silent really, I think
@@JWS1968 I have the STM version on a T5i and a Rode microphone mounted on the hot shoe. I get no noise at all from the lens. It's truly silent.
helo my friend is this good for canon 77d?? ..
where can we find motorized zoom unit
Hello Christopher. I have a little dilemma :) Planing to buy Canon 77D as my first ever "serious" camera and mulling over two options for a kit lens. First is this one, with Nano "thing". The second option is a combination of 2 lenses - EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. The difference in price is negligible and will not factor in the decision. In your opinion which is better for a novice? :)
If you just want to stick with one lens, or if you want greater zoom range, then the 18-135. If you want more creative pictures then the 50mm f/1.8 will be enormously helpful.
Question: You say "No matter how gently you pushed the switch, this is the slowest it went." So does that mean the zoom is proportional to the force on the switch? If you stay in slow mode and push the switch harder, will it zoom faster?
No, you can only have 2 speeds. If I have it in slow and push it fast it will go the same speed where if I have it in fast and push it slow it will still go fast right away.
@@missourivalleyrails thank you for your answer. That's incredibly dissapointing
Thanks for the review. I'll pass on buying this one
Do all lenses have pincushion and barrel distortion? I'm trying to take photos of paintings that aren't distorted, and it's surprisingly difficult.
They all do really, to some degree or another
Just find the focal length of your zoom lens where there is the least distortion
Thanks Chris!
Hey friend you shoot first photo of hotel that place is quay parades
What if the zoom ring is stiff to turn by hand on purpose so that the only way to get smooth zoom is by using the powerzoom 🤔 #canonprofit
Just remove the powerzoom if you want to do manual zoom in photography. Manual zoom is not reliable to create a smooth zoom in video mode. It sticks and slip (i.e. jerky)
Nah, almost all of their cheaper lens are or become stiff.
Idk the chance of a reply. But you’ve reviewed both and I have a question on which to buy. The EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Or the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Wasn’t sure if the extra 65mm makes more distortion also since the 200mm lens is a little older. What is your opinion?
Personally I'd go for the 18-135. Don't spend extra money on the USM version, the STM version is just as good
nice video .sir canon 80d review
3:44 If you mounted it on a full frame camera, you would break the mirror. The EF-S lenses go deeper in the body than EF lenses as on APS-C the mirror is smaller. (This does not apply to all lenses like 55-250 mm though).
Good thing Canon's EF-S lenses have a mechanism to stop them from physically fitting onto a full-frame camera