Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM vs 18-135mm IS as an upgrade from the 18-55 kit lens

Asked 3/5/2012

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I’m replacing the 18-55mm kit lens on my Canon 450D and have narrowed it down to the Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM or the EF-S 18-135mm IS. I mostly shoot travel, family events, and general hobby photography. I also own a 55-250mm telephoto zoom that I sometimes bring along.

The 15-85mm appeals to me because it goes wider than my current lens and seems like the higher-quality option. The 18-135mm appeals because it offers more all-in-one range when I don’t want to carry a second lens.

Which lens is the better choice, and in what situation would you pick one over the other?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

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Assuming you have the budget for the 15-85mm (almost twice the price of the 18-135mm) I'd recommend the 15-85mm lens over the 18-135mm. Why?

  • It has better reach on the wide angle which you wouldn't be able to cover with your 18-135mm + 55-250mm combo. A lot of lenses cover up-to 85mm but none of them goes down to 15mm.
  • It has better image quality and able to render very good colors.
  • It's sharpness is comparable to any L grade lens, on the other hand, the 18-135mm is much softer.
  • It has Canons top of the line USM focus motor, which is faster and quieter. The 18-135mm doesn't have USM and makes sound while focusing.
  • It has non rotating front element and also the focus ring doesn't rotate while focusing, a automatic choice for filter users. The 18-135mm also has a non-rotating front but the focus ring moves during AF.
  • It provides FTM (full time manual focus), handy feature for fine-tuning or doing focus adjustments quickly.
  • It's build quality is better and also has focus distance meter.

ISO 12233 Chart 100% crop comparison between the 15-85mm and the 18-135mm, please refer to this link. Compare at different focal lengths and see the difference for yourself.

Overall, the 15-85mm is a better built, better performing and better featured lens comparing to the 18-135mm in almost every aspect. It also weighs more, costs more and having a larger filter thread (72mm over 67mm) makes the filters expensive. Once you get used to the quality this lens provide, you might even consider replacing your 55-250mm lens with may be a 70-200mm f/4 (mayybe) ;)

Originally by user2476. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2476

14y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

If budget allows, the EF-S 15-85mm IS USM is the stronger upgrade for most people in your situation. The main reasons mentioned are better overall image quality, better sharpness, wider coverage at 15mm, and Canon’s faster/quieter USM autofocus. That wider end is especially valuable for travel and general walk-around use, and it’s something your 55-250mm can’t replace.

The 18-135mm IS is mainly attractive if you want one lens with more telephoto reach and prefer convenience over outright quality. But several answers note it is softer, and the extra reach overlaps with your 55-250mm anyway.

So the practical choice is:

  • Pick the 15-85mm if you usually bring the 55-250mm or care more about image quality and a wider field of view.
  • Pick the 18-135mm only if you often want to carry a single lens and value range more than performance.

Given your current kit, the 15-85mm makes the more balanced and useful partner to the 55-250mm.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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