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Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is II Lens

Curated from 99 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: March 14, 2025

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is II Lens

Brand: Canon

Price: $129

Snoop Score:

2.2

Sentiment

4.5

Popularity

4.9

Technical

0.5

Buy on Amazon for $129 See All SLR Camera Lenses Reviews

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snoop's Take

The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is II SLR Lens is a versatile and affordable lens designed for use with Canon's APS-C cameras. It is particularly popular among beginners looking for an entry-level option to explore photography without breaking the bank. Consumer sentiment has been mixed, with many praising it as an "amazing camera for the price" while others criticize it for being one of the "worst lenses Canon keeps in production". Users appreciate its compatibility with both digital and older film camera bodies, stating that "EF mount lenses are compatible throughout the film and digital camera eras". However, some concerns about build quality and low light performance have been voiced, noting that it is "not ideal for sports photography with extended burst shots". In conclusion, while the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens may not be the top choice for professional photographers, it serves as a solid introduction to telephoto photography for those on a budget. It is recommended for casual users and hobbyists looking to experiment with different photography styles without significant investment.

Not for you? Check out our other rated SLR Camera Lenses

If you're on an extremely tight budget, it'll be better than not having a telephoto lens.
Positive Feedback

I'm seeing a lot of reviews that this is one of the worst lenses for Canon.
Negative Feedback

2.2

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is II Lens

Buy on Amazon for $129

Portrait Photography

1 / 10

Action & Sports

1 / 10

Landscape & Travel

1 / 10

Low-Light & Night Photography

1 / 10

See how this compares to all SLR Camera Lenses

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.

Affordable entry-level telephoto option

“If you're on an extremely tight budget, it'll be better than not having a telephoto lens.”➕

“If you buy a used one for $50 or less, it's fine as a introduction into telephoto lenses.”➕

Amazing camera for the price

“Just got my first camera: CANON EOS R100 Mirrorless Camera with RF-S 18-45 mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM & 55-”➕

“It is an amazing camera for the price.”➕

Fantastic lens with good performance

“Absolutely fantastic lens, highly recommend.”➕

“still a very nice and capable lens!!”➕

Good performance for the price point

“Would you recommend the Canon EF-S 55-250 mm F/4-5.6 over the Canon Ef 75-300mm F/4-5.6 lii? Im on a”➕

“IS is awesome!”➕

EF lenses work on any EOS camera

“Any, and all EF mount lenses will fit on these EF mount bodies.”➕

Compatibility across film and digital camera eras

“Yes, the nice thing about the EF EOS line is that the EF mount lenses are compatible throughout the film and digital camera eras.”➕

“I own a Canon EOS 10 from 1990 or so, works like charm.”➕

Full compatibility of Canon EF lenses on older film bodies

“I’m not very familiar with Canon lenses though (brand name or 3rd party), so I’d love some thoughts or testimonies!”➕

“The Canon EF lenses will be fully compatible on all EOS film bodies right back to the 650 from 1987.”➕

“Native lenses have 100% compatibility on any EF body.”➕

Modern EF lenses provide better sharpness and contrast

“You get a level of sharpness and contrast that was a bit more difficult to get in those days.”➕

Affordable option for transitioning from digital to film

“Absolutely the way! I think there are a few of us on this sub that have moved into analogue from Canon digital as the EOS bodies are so cheap and we've already invested in the lens system.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Generally considered a low-quality lens

“I'm seeing a lot of reviews that this is one of the worst lenses for Canon.”➕

“It *is* the worst lens Canon keeps in production.”➕

Low functionality with adapters due to lack of electronic connections

“This is a solution looking for a problem.”➕

“This is pointless because it doesn’t have any electrical contacts.”➕

Limited usefulness with manual focus only

“I really can’t see how that could be very useful.”➕

Quality issues when adapting to older camera models

“The 5DII is a better camera in pretty much every way.”➕

Not ideal for sports photography with extended burst shots

“this is not the ideal camera for sports if you need extended burst shots.”➕

Build quality concerns

“Yep, I heard that build quality isn't great, but I'm willing to take a chance.”➕

Not ideal in low light conditions

“Just keep in mind, pitch black is pitch black, you won’t find any camera/lens combo that will work super well in those conditions.”➕

Considered one of the worst lenses by Canon

“The 75-300 is one of the worst lenses Canon has ever produced.”➕

Focus issues with 150-600mm lens on R7

“Unfortunately there is no fix in the pipeline and mitigation efforts are inconsistent.”➕

150-600mm lens not sharp at 600mm

“the 150-600 C is not particularly sharp at 600mm.”➕

EF-S lenses do not fit older film cameras

“Original Canon EF-S lenses don't even fit mechanically to old bodies (EF).”➕

“But guys this is EF not EF-S.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product Name	Price	Score	See Details	Buy Now
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens	$928	9.2	Details	Buy
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens	$2099	8.9	Details	Buy
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens	$125	8.5	Details	Buy
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens	$1149	8.2	Details	Buy
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm Zoom Lens	$231	7.7	Details	Buy
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm Zoom Lens	$268	7.6	Details	Buy
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR Lens	$108	7.2	Details	Buy
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens	$155	6.9	Details	Buy
Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8 Prime Camera Lens	$598	6.2	Details	Buy
MEKE 85mm F1.8 Auto Focus Lens for Nikon Cameras	$189	6.1	Details	Buy
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Nikkor Lens	$479	5.6	Details	Buy
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens	$131	4.4	Details	Buy
LAOWA 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens	$499	4.0	Details	Buy
Tamron Auto Focus 18-200mm Zoom Lens for Canon	$249	3.5	Details	Buy
Lightdow EF 420-800mm F8.3 Telephoto Zoom Lens	$67	3.0	Details	Buy
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is II Lens	$129	2.2	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Discussion on lens types and their characteristics

“This lens is perfect to take these pictures with the subject being sharp and the background being blurry.”➕

Discussion about SLR lens compatibility with DSLRs

“Are there any canon DSLR models that are compatible with these lenses or will they exclusively work with SLRs?”➕

“any DSLR that ends in “D” (e.g. 7D, 90D, 600D) will work with that lens.”➕

“To sum it up, any Canon Digital camera with interchangeable lenses will work just fine with your lenses, retaining autofocus and autoexposure.”➕

“Yeah, that's an EF mount lens, so it will go on any EF mount camera.”➕

Reflection on the popularity and future of vintage lenses

“More like they are going the way of the vinyl record. It isn't mainstream anymore, but it will never die.”➕

Discussion on the importance of features over image quality

“If it were only about image quality on 35mm, you‘d simply buy a 50-200$/€ Canon EOS camera and some EF lenses of your liking.”➕

“If it were only about image quality in 35mm, we would shoot digital.”➕

“I'm here to get photos, not to 'be seen' getting photos.”➕

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.

Consideration of using 1.4x III teleconverter as better option

“This! Exactly the route I’m taking, everything I’ve read says it’s the better option!”➕

“The 1.4xiii is your better option. Minimal impact on image quality.”➕

Discussion about cropping for extra reach on R7

“With the high megapixel count on the R7, can't you get that extra reach by cropping in post?”➕

Suggestions for DIY lens projects and alternatives

“Just download the STLs, print it, and place a relatively recent Kodak Funsaver lens in it.”➕

“Try it anyway. That's part of the fun.”➕

“might try some of the crappy older ones for a toy lens type look if that's the goal.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Discussion on the practicality of using Canon lenses on Nikon bodies

“I love my Canon EF lenses and wanted to see this last option.”➕

“They work the opposite of say a speedbooster so it usually comes at the cost of a stop of light and typically a loss in IQ.”➕

“I was convinced that there was no way an adapter like this could work well.”➕

Discussion about prime lenses for low light

“Honestly, if low light is a concern, try primes.”➕

Discussion about crop camera compatibility

“Absolutely! Assuming you're putting it on a crop camera, of course.”➕

“Yeah the rebel T7 is a crop cam if I'm not mistaken.”➕

Encouragement to learn and experiment with photography

“Please guide me what's the purpose and how use this lens in a better way.”➕

“The shutter sound is making me fly high 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳.”➕

Recommendation to watch educational content on photography

“Thats a good set of lenses to get started with. Enjoy the journey.”➕

Advocacy for affordable film photography options

“I always recommend the plastic fantastics to friends who want to give film photography a go.”➕

“I love the N2000 and 2020. They are so light, easy to use and fun.”➕

“I recently handed one of my spare bodies with a cheap lens on it to a 7 year old at a family function and I got a full roll of great photos back.”➕

“I unloaded most of my 35mm collection that was collecting dust to a kid who was stoked to have them.”➕

Discussion about Canon lens types and compatibility

“here's a complete list of all Canon EF, New FD, FD, and FL lenses for your enjoyment and reference.”➕

“Nice list. Canon also has a very nicely presented site includes all of this information along with images of each.”➕

“Would be easier to set a column for lens mount then try to use FF VS APS-C notation.”➕

Discussion on cross-brand lens compatibility

“For some reason I can't find the answer to this online, but I can't stop thinking about it so I'm asking --- can you use a modern lens on an older film camera?”➕

“Why would you want to do that? You can fit a ton of modern Nikon lenses on your camera natively.”➕

“yes you can use modern lenses on film bodies, but there are some limitations such as potential for loss of focal distance as well as auto-focus if your film body doesnt support it.”➕

“Using a Sony e-mount lens on a Nikon? Nope, not going to happen without a hypothetical adapter.”➕

Considerations on using modern lenses on older film bodies

“which I think would be pretty overkill”➕

“Throw on a 50 1.2 and it’s so much fun.”➕

Impact of flange distance on lens compatibility

“the more stuff is interchangeable, the better.”➕

Discussion about compatibility with various camera models

“Only Canon lenses use EF-S mount.”➕

“the STM is absolutely useless without power, because even the manual focus is servo driven there.”➕

Insight on the price and availability of Sigma lenses

“it works perfectly and you can get one for 400 used now I think.”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

Discussion on the importance of the photographer over the gear

“it's not the gear, it's the photographer — that's a great shot!”➕

Learning process of photography is more important than gear

“Don't look an the numbers, models, anything ... Go and shoot.”➕

Discussion about challenges of using disposable camera lenses on DSLR bodies

“Hoping to find some answers before I waste a lens cap and an afternoon :)”➕

“They require being placed around 20mm from the sensor, which is smack dab in the middle of the mirror on a DSLR.”➕

“The industry REALLY should have come up with a less clunky term than 'interchangeable lens camera' for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.”➕

“Some mirrorless cameras still don't have the flange to focal distance for a disposable lens but it's a lot more feasible.”➕

Discussion about shooting experience and camera feel

“It's about how the process makes you feel.”➕

“You can shoot 6 or 3200 but it won’t be at box speed.”➕

“Use manual mode.”➕

Debate on the effectiveness of manual vs automatic settings

“I could hand meter and set it manually... or I could just load these into a more affordable and reliable autofocusing Rebel T2.”➕

General knowledge sharing about lens types

“Yes it is. I use my 50mm on my EOS 630.”➕