Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens
this product was purchased with private funding
no paid endorsements
Introduction:
I purchased this lens as a kit lens on a Canon DSLR body. It is nothing short of amazing in almost every criterion you could judge a camera lens. This could easily be your only lens and there is very little you would not be able to do really well with this lens. I guess the worse thing I could say about this lens is it is not inexpensive but for the build quality, optic perfection and broad range of focal lengths it is a bargain.
Focal length:
At 18mm minimum focal length you can focus on things 16" from the lens. This image is scaled down from 6960 to 1280 pixel width and may be scaled further by the forum software but the camera lens is maybe a foot from the cat.
In the original image you can actually see me laying on the floor with the camera in the reflection of the cat’s eyes. It is pretty sharp. The picture is at f/5.7 and 1/160 sec. At minimal focal length it is not quite head shot style portrait capable (although you’ll still get a nice shot) or self filming vlog style (filming yourself at arms length) but it’s a zoom!
At maximum focal length zoom it give ample reach for just about anything you would normally need or want to do. I am primarily a motor-sport photographer. And yes, for motor-sports it is nice to have a gigantic 600mm lens so you can see the driver’s eyes thru the eye port of his helmet from track side but for a (relatively) compact lens the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM has nice reach.
The picture above gives an idea of the zoom capabilities of this lens. The entire picture has been scaled down similar to the one above. The main picture is at an 18mm focal length. The inlay picture is uncropped at 135mm focal length. I am standing in the same place during both shots. I am about 1200 feet from the banking and the car.
Yes, as a motor sports picture from 1200 feet, that is not going to work but for a lens that with a Canon 90D body attached is less then six inches from back lcd screen to tip of lens cap and fits in a normal camera bag, that is awesome. A lens that can’t quite be used for professional portrait shots or track side motor sports but everything in between is a versatile lens. The fact that the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens produces optically perfect images with vibrant true life color in such a wide range of focal lengths is simply amazing.
Features:
The auto focus is lightning fast and makes very little noise. It works perfectly in live view on the rear LCD and during video recording. Change the zoom and the shot re-focuses instantly. I’ve never heard it unless I’m in a dead silent environment. I’ve never heard it in any video recordings. This is the USM model which stands for Ultra Sonic. The stepper motor versions are completely silent.
The in lens image stabilization obviously works well because I hand shoot all the time and rarely get a blurry shot from camera shake / movement even maxing out the zoom.
This was my only lens for a long time (2+ years). It is extremely versatile. It is made to the highest standards of quality. If you are new to photography and want a super versatile end game lens, this is it. The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens was my introduction to Canon color science and optical perfection and I’m still infatuated.
Price:
Right now (Q3 2025) this lens is going for under $300 usd used on B & H condition 9 (very good). It retails for around $600 but open box goes for $499. If that is still a little more then you can afford, the 18mm - 55mm version is selling used for less then a hundred bucks! You will lose some reach but image quality and build will be equivalent.