Advantages: Cheap and light
Disadvantages: Grainy photo quality, low zoom

...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. I'm sure you can pick up a cheap one on eBay though (probably removed from a kit package, or being sold due to an upgrade from kit package). I've seen the EF-S 18-55mm sell for around £25-£35 at undamaged/rarely used condition on eBay, which is quite cheap! I obviously chose the kit lens package with my 400D/XTi Rebel as it only adds about £40 in the price difference, and I couldn't afford a new lens at that time. Before I start reviewing the actual lens, I'd like to say that is is a kit lens. It doesn't have a great built quality... Read review

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Advantages: Lightweight
Disadvantages: None

...This is a good quality lens that offers good value for money. It's a great lens for any canon enthusiast and incorporates plenty of features that I would highly recommend. This really is a wonderful piece of kit that should go well with many accessories because it really looks good. After using this product for a few months I have not so far come up against any reliability issues but only time will tell. I therefore would recommend the product. However, always think carefully as to whether you actually really need something before you buy it. We buy so many things nowadays that we don't really need. Product Features * Product Description: Canon EF telephoto zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm * Lens System: Telephoto zoom lens * Mounting Type: Canon EF * Lens Aperture: F/4.0-5.6 * Focal Length: 70 mm - 300 mm... Read review

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Advantages: Make all of the extra lenses fit the camera.
Disadvantages: The colour.

...This particular review is aimed specifically at the Digital Canon G5 camera although this item will also fit the G3 model. The “conversion Lens Adapter ( LA-DC58B)” Hereafter referred to a “CLA” is entirely unremarkable. It is about 20g in weight. It appears to be made of plastic. Black on the inside and a very annoying grey colour on the outside. “Annoying” as the camera behind it and the lens in front are both matt black. And that is the only problem I can see there ever being with this item. It is designed to attach to the front of the G5 (G3) camera and enlarge the fitting to be able to take a 58mm screw thread. The covering of the lens on the G5 camera can be removed by the usual Canon “Push button and twist” method. This removes a polo shaped piece of covering from... Read review

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Advantages: Low price
Disadvantages: Made of Plastic

...This adapter gives us wider options to use add on lens or filter .Gives options to mount macro, wide and teleconverter add on lens with 52mm. Very easy to carry and very light weight. I have used with Canon Powershot A 520 working fine.This adapter is an inexpensive item. So I can attach this adapter (LA-DC52F) to my camera, and I can have more photographic freedom with lenses, for a less money. Its good thing from canon to introduce such a product. Gives a flexibility using 52mm filter size. This most common size and gives us options to mount a large number of color filters or teleconverter lens or macro lens. Negative Made of plastic, If you are using heavy Tele converter lens, we have support lens very cafefully.... Read review

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Advantages: compact; lightweight; sharp
Disadvantages: small zoom range; designed for 35mm film; no image stabilisation

...This lens is widely available from many sources, both new and secondhand. It is compact and light in weight and offers a significantly wider zoom range than the 28-55mm lens supplied as 'standard' on many Canon digital SLR cameras. Used on most Canon digital cameras, the effective focal lengths become 1.6x bigger (as the sensor is APS- sized, not 35mm sized), making it a 45 - 170mm zoom. Hardly wide-angle, but, at the lower end, it is roughly the same as the 50mm lens that all 35mm cameras used to be fitted with as standard. With digital cameras, the argument goes, you can 'stitch' several shots together to create a panorama and so overcome the lack of a wider angle lens. That's only true to a limited extent - but TRUE wide-angle lenses need a second mortgage at present! With focal lengths between 80 to 120mm being regarded... Read review

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Advantages: Build quality is outstanding, quality is excellent.
Disadvantages: None

...Canon's budget kit lens is a let down to many DSLR's, but this lens is in a total class of its own compared to the kit lens. For a start, this lens features a manual focus ring which is very smooth. The zoom ring is also very well made and smooth, also when you zoom in and out of this lens' maximum and minimum focal lengths the element inside the lens retracts and expands, but nothing protrudes outside the original confines of the lens. The USM focusing motor is a marvel, with the kit lens the auto focus would sometimes search around for many seconds and struggle to find the right focus. It is also very noisy, with this USM focusing motor the focusing is ultra quick (the quickest in its class) and quiet. Meaning you'll never miss a shot due to the focus going the wrong way or taking ages. Also the end of the lens does not rotate when... Read review

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Advantages: Solid build quality, excellent results, quick focussing, quiet motor
Disadvantages: Rather expensive, could be heavy if carrying around all day

...is fastened to another collar, which can be removed to save weight or, in my case, turned 180 degrees so to provide a convenient carrying handle when picking it up. There are two Image Stablising modes - effectively for whether you are moving (e.g. on a boat) or your target is. The IS can also be turned off and manual focus used, but I've never had to do this - the autofocus works very quickly and quietly, never needing to 'hunt' for the subject in my experience. Some reviews say you can use this lens with a x1.4 or x2 extender - you can, but you will probably have to tape over the contact pins in the camera as there are issues with the autofocus when the camera detects a f/5.6 lens attached. In addition, you lose a full stop with the x1.4 and two with the x2. Due to the crop factor, bolting this lens to a Canon DSLR such as the 300D or 350D... Read review

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Advantages: fast autofocus, very fast autofocus, sharp pictures, did I say it was fast ?
Disadvantages: expensive, rare, heavy for some people

...as a NEW 24-70mm f2.8L zoom has just been brought out by Canon and stock is (December 2002) just beginning to appear in the stores (cost approx £1400), this could stimulate a reasonable amount of trade-in's and prices could drop as availability of used lenses increases. The 24-70mm is supposed to have improved dust and water resistance and a rounder front aperture ring for increased blur of background. Opinion is divided as to whether the quality is better, the extra 4mm is worth it if you don't have a wider zoom or prime lens.... Read review

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Advantages: Awesomely sharp. Wide Aperture gives great control. Great colour.
Disadvantages: A little fragile. Would prefer with Image Stabiliser.

...This is the professional photographer's portrait zoom lens of choice. The constant F/2.8 aperture across the zoom range provides excellent performance in low-light, and the best control over depth of field in any zoom lens on the market today. Lens performance is exemplary. If you take the time to use the full time manual focus, pictures of exceptional sharpness can be achieved at any aperture. Some users complain of getting "soft" copies of the lens, but always refer to the excellent and free Canon service of calibration (within warranty). My own lens doesn't suffer from this, I have to say, and I do wonder whether some photographers claim that they're not getting a "sharp copy" when they're not taking the time to focus properly. Commonly referred to as "the brick" amongst Canon users, this lens is noted for its heft. It weighs... Read review

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Advantages: Light in weight for its size; ultra-fast focussing
Disadvantages: Faster lenses exist (at a price!); zoom range a modest x3

...I used one of these lenses on a 35mm camera for many years and now use it on my Canon 20D. It is light in weight, and, fitted with the essential but pricey lens hood, produces sharp, flare-free photos throughout the zoom range. It is easy to handle and allows manual focussing WITHOUT moving any switches to disengage the motor. In addition, the lens focusses so quickly as to be near-instantaneous and is also completely silent. The maximum aperature varies from a slow 4 to 5.6, which limits its use in dim lighting conditions, such as in a church or theatre. This is the price for the light weight design - a wider front glass makes a for a heavier, and far more costly, lens. The front of teh lens has a 58mm screw thread, allowing for teh easy attachment of a UV filter, which I would regard as essential to protect the front element... Read review

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