Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM Overview

Introduction

Ease of Use

Weighing in at simply 310g / 10.9 ounces and measuring 8.45cm / 5 inches in size, the RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM is a really small and really gentle ultra- zoom lens given the versatile 8.33x focal vary that’s on supply.

It feels very nicely balanced when used with a mid-sized digicam physique just like the Canon EOS R7 physique that we examined it with, as proven within the product images beneath.

Construct high quality is ok for such an inexpensive lens. Regardless of its all-plastic development, together with the lens mount, the RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM feels strong sufficient in your hand.

The lens has an extendable design, so the barrel steadily extends as much as an extra 4cm when the focal size is ready to 150mm, being shortest on the 18mm focal size.

Word that this lens doesn’t have a weather-resistant design to assist defend it towards mud and moisture.

There may be an optical picture stabilizer built-in to this lens, although, which may solely be switched On and Off utilizing the digicam’s menu system somewhat than through a devoted swap on the facet of the lens barrel.

This gives as much as 4.5-stops of safety towards blur from digicam shake, growing to 7 stops when paired with an EOS R digicam physique that has IBIS, just like the EOS R7 that we examined the lens with.

In case you’re not utilizing the focusing ring for handbook focusing, you may change its operation to be the Lens Management Ring as a substitute, though you once more should delve into the digicam menu to take action as a result of there is no devoted Focus/Management swap on the facet of the lens barrel as on some Canon lenses.

On this Management setting, the ring can be utilized to regulate sure key digicam settings (TV, AV, ISO and publicity settings) as a substitute of the focusing.

The Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM lens has a really slender fly-by-wire focus ring with a knurled grip band.

There are not any laborious stops at both ends of the vary, making it tougher to set focus at infinity.

Word that this lens usefully gives full-time handbook focusing even when AF is chosen.

In use the handbook focusing system is just about silent, which makes it appropriate for each recording video and capturing stills.

Polariser customers must be happy that the smart 55mm filter thread would not rotate on focus.

In the case of auto-focusing, the RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM is kind of a quick performer because of the STM motor, taking round 0.10 seconds to lock onto the topic when mounted on the Canon EOS R7 digicam.

Regardless of the sluggish most apertures, we did not expertise an excessive amount of “searching” in any respect, both in good or unhealthy gentle, with the lens precisely focusing more often than not, because of the excellent low-light capabilities of the EOS R cameras.

The STM motor can also be just about silent in AF mode, which makes this lens well-suited to auto-focusing throughout video recording.

There’s a petal formed lens hood (EW-60F) and a gentle case (LP1016) accessible for this lens, however disappointingly each are elective extras that are not included within the field.

Focal Vary

The Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM’s focal size of 18mm gives an angle of view of 74° 20′.

18mm

The focal size of 150mm gives an angle of view of 10° 25′.

150mm

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, sometimes seen as blue or purple fringes alongside contrasty edges, weren’t particularly obvious in our check photographs, solely showing in very excessive distinction areas.

18mm

150mm

Vignetting

With the lens set to its most aperture, there’s some apparent gentle fall-off within the corners of each JPEG and RAW information, requiring you to cease down by a minimum of 2 f-stops to stop it.

18mm – JPEG

18mm – RAW

150mm – JPEG

150mm – RAW

Distortion

There’s an enormous quantity of barrel distortion evident in each the JEPG and RAW information on the 18mm focal size. Fortunately the opposite finish of the zoom vary displays much less pincushion distortion.

18mm – JPEG

18mm – RAW

150mm – JPEG

150mm – RAW

Sunstars and Flare

The Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM is able to creating pretty good sunstars when stopped-down to f/22-40, as proven beneath, though it’s fairly liable to flare when capturing straight into the solar.

Macro

The Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM gives a helpful minimal focusing distance of 12cm / 4.7″ when the focal size is ready to 18mm and handbook focus is used.

It additionally gives a formidable half life-size most magnification of 0.59x accessible when the focal size is ready to 35mm and handbook focus is used.

Bokeh

Bokeh is a phrase used for the out-of-focus areas of {a photograph}, and is normally described in qualitative phrases, equivalent to clean / creamy / harsh and many others.

Within the RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM lens, Canon have employed an iris diaphragm with 7 rounded blades, which has resulted in fairly good bokeh in our view, particularly on the longer focal lengths.

We do realise, nevertheless, that bokeh analysis is subjective, so we have included a number of examples beneath on your perusal.

Sharpness

To be able to present you the way sharp the Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM lens is, we’re offering 100% crops on the next pages.