Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

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Cannon announced several products yesterday- the T5i (700D), the SL1 (100D), the 18-55 STM and the SX280.  The 18-55 STM is arguably the most exciting of the bunch.  The previous 18-55 EF-S IS II lens, commonly refered to as the kit lens was sold with the T4i, T3i and earlier Rebels.  It is not a bad lens but certainly not exciting. (What makes a lens exciting- Video Coming Soon)  The new, STM version of this lens looks much improved in image quality and of course offers the silent AF during video.*Note  - Do not confuse the 18-55 EF-S STM lens with the 18-55 EF-M STM lens currently available on Amazon, that lens only mounts on the EOS-M camera, it will NOT work/mount on the Rebels like the T4i and T5i. The Improved 18-55 now offers STM and an extra aperture blade!Differences between the 18-55 EF-S (non-STM) and the NEW 18-55 STM

  • STM version has 7 rounded aperture blades (smoother background blur/bokeh) non-STM has 6 blades
  • STM offers Full Time Manual Focus - likely similar to the 18-135 STM trick
  • Improved sharpness, especially in corners and better contrast with updated lens coatings
  • Silent Autofocus - we will have to wait and see if it is truly silent like the 18-135 STM or only kinda quiet like the 40mm STM

*The usefulness of the full time Auto Focus depends on your needs and use scenarios.  Capturing your children and informal family events it works well enough and can be handy for a more camcorder like experience.  For anything that needs to look a bit more professional I really don't recommend that you rely on auto focus, there is just too great a chance that the camera will decide to focus on something other than your subject or needlessly refocus even if your subject hasn't moved.  This refocusing during the video is distracting and not professional.  Manual focus or basically tuning the auto focus off after getting initial focus is fine for many situations.  I talk a bit more about this in How I Shoot My VideosThe 18-55 EF-S STM Lens will be available April 30th  - Preorder for $249 from AmazonShould you buy?  If you are a parent and you want a decent lens that can double duty for good stills and silent video it is something to consider.  If you want to grow as a photographer your money is likely saved for other lens options.   Not sure if this lens is right for you? leave me a message here or on facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/Digital.Photo.RecommendationsI'd be happy to share my opinion. Please remember the more information you can give me about you and your photography skills, hopes and dreams, the more accurate a recommendation I can provide.