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What is the difference in EF-S 18-135 IS, IS STM and IS USM?

Started 8 months ago | Discussions thread
gipper51 Veteran Member • Posts: 5,904
Re: What is the difference in EF-S 18-135 IS, IS STM and IS USM?

msowsun wrote:

Aoi Usagi wrote:

KENTGA wrote:

Thanks!

Kent

Here is a link to some of my travels since 2006. Feel free to comment.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/108062364@N04/albums
KENTGA = Kent from Georgia (metro Atlanta)

The main difference is the type of Autofocus mechanism. The original IS version had somewhat of a noisy AF motor. The STM upgraded to a stepper motor, which was quieter. The latest USM version has an ultrasonic motor which is quiet and also faster than the STM version.

In addition to the AF motor differences, most people say the original is not as sharp as the STM or USM versions.

+1

This seems to be the overall consensus on these 3 lenses.  Original is the lowest performer by a significant margin, STM and USM are both good options, with USM being the best.

I has the STM for several years and found it a very good lens.

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