Lens: Canon EF-M 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM (Photography Museum)

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Canon EF-M 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM

The Canon EF-M 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM, released in 2012 along with the EOS M and the Canon EF-M 22m ƒ/2 STM, was the standard kit zoom lens for Canon’s new compact mirrorless system. It was replaced in 2015 by the wider and smaller collapsible Canon EF-M 15-45mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 IS STM and is no longer produced.

The 18-55mm covers a very useful if conventional focal range on APS-C, equivalent to 28-88mm on full-frame. It’s a range I find useful if I have no specific plan when going out with my camera. I also have the Canon EF-M 18-150mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 IS STM at my disposal and I will take the lens if I think I will want more reach. If I am prioritizing sharpness I will go with the 18-55mm which has excellent resolving power at 25 megapixels.

In every review I have seen the EF-M 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM is much sharper than the replacement EF-M 15-45mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 IS STM. The 15-45mm is tiny when collapsed, but I have never found the 18-55mm bulky in my bag and thus have also never had the desire to add the 15-45mm to my kit.

Surprisingly, the EF-M mount’s short back flange distance shows little advantage over the DSLR EF APS-C mount when it comes to the design of this focal range. Indeed, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit zoom lens, released in 2013, is practically identical in optical design, dimensions, and price.

Lens	MSRP (Yen)	Weight	Max Diameter x Length (mm)
Canon EF-M 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM	35,000 yen (2012)	210g	60.9 × 61.0
Canon EF-S 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS STM	36,000 yen (2013)	205g	69.0 × 75.2
Canon EF-M 15-45mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 IS STM	35,000 yen (2015)	130g	60.9 x 44.5