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7 Ways the RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Expands Your Expression

By SNAPSHOT

2023-11-03

No photography arsenal is complete without an ultra-wide-angle lens. Designed for users of APS-C EOS R series cameras like the EOS R50, the RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is a tiny, lightweight ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that expands coverage beyond the lens that came with your camera. Read on to find out more about the possibilities.

1. 3x more coverage than your kit lens

EOS R7/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/10, 1/320 sec)/ ISO 200

Covering a focal range of up to 10mm (equivalent to 16mm on a full-frame camera), the RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM literally expands your view. At 10mm, you get 3x more coverage than the 18mm wide end (28.8mm full-frame equivalent) of most kit lenses, which makes it easier to do grand sprawling scenes justice and capture large subjects in tight locations.

Perfect for selfies and vlogging, too

The benefit also applies when you turn the lens onto yourself—the coverage is perfect for showing yourself among your surroundings, even while holding the camera at arm’s length. This, and its tiny size, is why it’s ideal for vloggers and content creators working alone.

Also see:
10 Concepts to Know Before Buying Your Second Lens

2. The "wow" perspective

2. The “wow” perspective

EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/6.3, 1/1250 sec)/ ISO 200

Awed by those stunning images that seem to go on forever? With the RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM, you’ll be well-equipped to create such images too. The unique ultra-wide-angle perspective exaggeration effect, which becomes more visible on shorter focal lengths, amplifies relative distances between objects so nearby objects look nearer and distant objects look further, creating impactful images with an immersive feel.

3. Light, tiny, and portable: No second thoughts, just pack it along!

Weighing just around 150g with a body that’s just 4.5cm long, the tiny and slim RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM balances well with small APS-C EOS R cameras and won’t take up much space in your bag. This also means you won’t feel its presence when you bring it on long walks and hikes. At least, not until you see the breathtaking scenes that await along and at the end of your journey—that’s when you’ll be so glad that it’s there!

Its compact size also makes it suitable for use when the camera is on a gimbal or small tripod.

Fun fact: It fits on full-frame EOS R system cameras too.

4. Built-in image stabilisation: Steadier handheld footage; sharper images even in low light

Still shooting: up to 4 stops’ Optical IS with the lens alone

IS On

IS Off

Both images: EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Shutter-priority AE (f/6.3, 0.5 sec)/ ISO 800

Still shooting in dim or dark lighting conditions necessitates a slower shutter speed, which increases the chances of blurring from camera shake especially when shooting handheld. The RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM features an Optical Image Stabilizer (Optical IS) that makes it easier to get sharper handheld shots, achieving an effect equivalent to if you were shooting at up to 4 shutter speed stops’ faster.

When combined with a camera with image sensor-based In-Body IS such as the EOS R7, Coordinated Control IS between the camera and lens IS systems increases the image stabilisation effect to up to 6 stops’ equivalent.

Video shooting: Movie Digital IS

The image stabilisation helps with videos too: the lens’ Optical IS coordinates with a camera equipped with Movie Digital IS to stabilise handheld footage. It can correct 5 axes of unwanted camera movement. The wider angle-of-view of RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM makes it easier to frame your shots with extra allowance to buffer for the cropping that may possibly occur during digital image stabilisation.

If your camera has In-Body IS, the three IS systems coordinate to achieve enhanced results.

5. Take unique close-ups

EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 18mm (29mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/8, 1/10 sec)/ ISO 100

When using the autofocus, the RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM’s 14cm closest focusing distance lets you shoot very close to the subject to capture them in detail. At the same time, the lens’ wide angle lets you include more surrounding context in the same shot without having to move back. Great for casually snapping detailed memories of desserts that are too pretty to eat!

EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/11, 1/15 sec)/ ISO 100
MF mode, at closest focusing distance

To shoot even closer, switch to manual focusing mode at the 10mm end. This unlocks the lens’ half-macro (0.5x magnification) capabilities at the 8.6cm closest focusing distance. It could even enhance your image’s unique wide-angle perspective!

6. Outstanding image quality from the centre to the edges

EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/8, 1/1200 sec)/ ISO 100

A close-up of the bottom-left edge of the image. The texture of the bricks and façade details are accurately reproduced in distinct detail even at the image edges.

Be blown away by the details! One challenge in ultra-wide-angle lens design is ensuring high image quality throughout the entire image, and the difficulty multiplies on a zoom lens. The RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM’s carefully designed lens configuration achieves both outstanding edge-to-edge image quality and highly portable compactness.

A: UD lens elements
B: Aspherical lens element

Special lenses such as two UD lenses, a PMo aspherical lens, optimised lens shapes and lens coatings ensure clarity, colour accuracy, and minimal unwanted distortion from the centre of the image to the edges, rendering grand scenery and elaborate architecture as vividly as you remember.

7. Seamless video focusing and focus transitions

The RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is equipped to ensure that your focus transitions occur as seamlessly as possible during video recording. For one, it’s driven by a leadscrew-type stepping motor (STM), which complements the excellent Dual Pixel CMOS AF system on your EOS R series camera to shift focus smoothly and quietly. It also supports focus breathing correction, which corrects the potentially jarring changes in angle of view that may occur when you switch focus from one object to another.

Focus breathing correction: ON

Key specifications

RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM: Key specifications

Lens construction: 12 elements in 10 groups
Closest focusing distance: 0.14m (AF), 0.086m (MF, at 10mm)
Maximum magnification: 0.23x (AF, at 18mm), 0.5x (MF, at 10mm)
No. of aperture blades: 7 (circular blade)
Filter diameter: φ49mm
Size: φ69 x 44.9mm (retracted)
Weight: approx. 150g

Lens hood: EW-53B (sold separately)

Sample images

RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM: Sample images

EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/10, 1/500 sec)/ ISO 200

EOS R7/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/5, 1/200 sec)/ ISO 6400

EOS R50/ RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/11, 1/400 sec)/ ISO 200