BEST BUDGET VLOGGING LENS FOR CANON - EFS 10-18MM IS STM
Today we’re going to be looking at the best budget vlogging lens for the Canon system. The EF-S 10-18mm f4.5 -5.6 IS STM. I feel this might be the best bang-for-the-buck vlogging lens you can buy. This is an older lens and you can find it used for between $250-$300 which makes it even more of a great budget lens. Beyond just the price this lens delivers fast quiet and most importantly reliable autofocus. A big positive for this lens is that it has Image Stabilization. For a lens this small, at 233 grams, that’s pretty amazing. Another huge positive for this lens is it’s sharpness. It’s a f4.5-5.6 lens on an APS-C sensor but on a full frame sensor it’s a f6.8-8.5. Naturally this will give you a wider depth of field ensuring that your subject is always in focus. The downside to having smaller apertures is worse low light performance. But when it comes to vlogging I would gladly take a lightweight lens with smaller apertures over something with bigger apertures at four times the weight. I tested vlogging with this lens at night with the EOS R5 and I got very usable results at 12,800 ISO. Another positive for this lens is the focal range. On an APS-C sensor the 10-18mm gives you an ultra wide range but on a full frame sensor this focal range converts into 16mm to 29mm putting it in that perfect sweet spot for vlogging.
Things aren’t all positive with this lens. There are three downsides. The lenses are proper glass but the housing for the lens is made entirely out of plastic. From my perspective as a vlogger I appreciate the plastic build because it keeps the weight of this lens down allowing me to use it for longer periods of time without feeling arm fatigue. On the flip side I would not recommend dropping this lens or doing anything crazy with it because the mount is also plastic. The other downside, and this really isn’t a downside, is that with a smaller aperture you’re not going to get that shallow depth of field. So you’re not going to get that classic cinematic look with this lens. But then again you’re buying this lens as a lightweight vlogging so that’s not really a huge deal but I thought I would point that out. The last downside is that this lens is not weather sealed. So it’s not going to be something you want to take into the rain or other environments that are not good for electronics.
Who is this lens for? First I would say this is the perfect lens for people who are into vlogging. It’s lightweight, compact, super sharp with IS and has the perfect focal length for vlogging. If you’re a vlogger on the Canon system this is a must-have lens for your kit. This lens is also great for photographers who are just getting into shooting landscapes, cityscapes or anything of that nature and looking for a budget friendly lens with great performance. It’s really sharp and will give you beautiful shots. The downside is that it won’t give you those shallow depth of field images and it’s on weather sealed.
PHOTO SAMPLES WITH THE EFS 10-18MM IS STM
Below are some sample photos shot with the EFS 10-18mm on the Canon EOS R5. The first shot in the sequence is the original photo. The second shot is a photo edited with my Honolulu preset which is created to emulate a film look. The last image is edited with my New York preset which is a deep rich black and while vintage film look preset. Hopefully these shots give you an idea of what you can do with this lens. [Presets coming to the store soon]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLF3kVe2f2g
Plant video vlog with the EFS 10-18mm IS STM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLF3kVe2f2g
