At $175 (street), this digital-only wide-to-normal standard zoom offers Canon EOS Digital Rebel shooters image stabilization for only about $35 -- and 1.3 ounces -- more than Canon's non-IS kit zoom.

The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is the current generation budget "kit" lens for Canon EOS APS-C DSLRs. Compared to its predecessor Canon did not only improve the optical design - they also added an image stabilizer, changed the finish and introduced circular aperture blades for a better bokeh...

Canon's new 18-55mm zoom is an attractive proposition thanks to its relatively cheap price and the inclusion of image stabilisation.......

Fantastic value for money

Poor manual-focusing experience

Canon's new 18-55mm zoom is an attractive proposition thanks to its relatively cheap price and the inclusion of image stabilisation. The lens is a lightweight, easy-to-use design that has a folded zoom action where the front element moves out, then in, then out again as the focal length is...

Fantastic value for money

Poor manual-focusing experience

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This lens is a kit lens but it's still very good, especially for a kit lens. Here are some more detailed pros and cons from my use of this lens:Pros:-Very light, granted it is mostly plastic-Sharp photos (especially in RAW mode)-Decent walk around lens-Image StabilizationCons:-Build quality isn't...

Easily Interchangeable; Good IQ; Lightweight; Sharp Focus

Weak Casing

I recently purchased a sweet Canon 400D /XTi Rebel from Amazon.co.uk (￡45 cashback!) and this standard zoom lens (Canon EF-S 18-55mm ) came with it. As far as I know, you cannot purchase the Canon EF-S 18-5mm on it's own, as it's designed specifically to be sold with the 400D/XTi Rebel package.

Cheap and light

Grainy photo quality; low zoom

Side-by-side comparison of the 18-55mm IS to the non-IS mk II version suggests that it offers more than simply the addition of an IS unit. The new lens is slightly longer than its predecessor (70mm vs 66mm), and the front element is substantially larger in diameter (44mm vs 37mm); the optical...

Much improved optics compared to Canon's previous non-IS 18-55mm kit lens; Effective image stabilisation; Very compact and lightweight; Good macro performance

All plastic construction; Rotating front element a pain for filter users; Narrow and very loose manual focus ring; Near-useless lens hood