Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Canon finally gives us a 10x zoom for the EF-S mount cameras (T1i, 7D) cameras. With the newest generation, 4-stop equivalent IS this provides and excellent one-lens solution for vacation or walk-around shooting. The lens definitely has a bit of barrel distortion at the wide end, and while it has excellent center sharpness gets a bit soft around the edges. In other words, its about what you’d expect from a good 10X zoom.

Only Works With: Crop sensor cameras (XSi, T1i, 50D, 7D, etc…)

Does Not Include: Lens hood (all Canon non-L lenses do not come with hoods).

Roger’s take: Let’s face it, a ‘superzoom’ is kind of like a moped: its practical, reliable transportation and can be a lot of fun, but you feel a little embarrassed when a Harley pulls up next to you at a stop light. This is a practical, reliable and extremely convenient lens with pretty decent image quality. I take it on vacation with a T1i quite a bit for a one-lens, one-camera solution. And then I cringe when someone stands next to me with a 5DMkII and a 70-200 f2.8 IS looks over at me with that smug look. I try really hard not to say something stupid like “I left my 500 f4 at home this trip”.