Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM Review: One-Lens Travel Kit for Canon APS-C
The Canon RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM arrived on May 24, 2022, alongside the EOS R7 and R10, at $499.99. It’s the long kit zoom for Canon’s APS-C bodies, and it covers 29-240mm in full-frame terms in a lens that weighs 310 grams.
That range does most of what a traveler needs. Wide for a piazza, normal for people, long enough to pull a statue or a balcony out of a facade. Canon USA now lists it as discontinued, though it’s still widely sold and often bundled with the R7.
An all-in-one zoom is the lens for city breaks, where you don’t want to change lenses in a crowd and you never know what the next street will hold.
Photo: Pixel Effects
Dustin Abbott’s full review tests it on Canon’s APS-C bodies.
Video review: Dustin Abbott
Design
The optical formula is 17 elements in 13 groups, with one UD and two aspherical elements. The aperture has seven blades, and the filter thread is 55mm. A lead-screw STM motor drives the focus.
Optical stabilization is rated at 4.5 stops, or 6.5 stops with in-body stabilization on the R7. That matters most on the R10, R50 and R100, which have no IBIS. Close focus is 17cm at 18mm with autofocus, and Canon gives a maximum magnification of 0.44x, close to half life size.
The lens extends as you zoom, and the aperture drops to f/6.3 by about 62mm. There’s one combined focus and control ring, no switches and no weather sealing. The mount is plastic, and no hood comes in the box.
How it performs
Abbott, Photography Blog and Digital Camera World all liked the range, size and close-up ability. The stabilization works well, and autofocus is quick and quiet for stills and video. The center is sharp up to about 60mm.
Past that, edges and corners get soft, and on the 32.5MP R7 the lens shows its limits. Distortion and vignetting are visible before correction. Autofocus slows in low light, and the slow aperture at the long end pushes ISO up indoors. Abbott said he preferred the older EF-M 18-150mm version.
Who should buy it
New Canon APS-C owners who want one lens for travel and family photos. It’s the natural kit lens for the Canon EOS R7 and a big step up in reach from the 18-45mm that ships with the R50 and R100.
For wider views, add the Canon RF-S 10-18mm. For more light, a fast prime like the RF 50mm F1.8 STM fills the gap cheaply. If you want even more reach on APS-C, the Sigma 16-300mm goes much further. Our Canon EOS R100 lens kit guide covers the cheaper options too.
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