Review on 📷 Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens: Ideal for EOS Digital SLRs by Robert Gilbert

Early 1990s. Wide landscapes, working in the tightest of spaces and a comfortable grip are the hallmarks of this series. The EF-s 10-22 3.5-4.5 USM is the first lens to use this range for cameras with an APS-C sensor (1.6x crop) such as the 7D, 60D, 70D and Rebel. The zoom and focus rings are a little rough and hard. After a year it has loosened up nicely but is still a notch below the smoothness of my EF-s 15-85 3.5-5.6 IS USM. It is light and delicate: it fits comfortably in a jacket pocket and is perfect for traveling or hiking. The metal bracket and polycarbonate body make it strong and lightweight. The front element moves slightly during operation, so a UV filter is required to protect the front from dust. AUTOFOCUS: Ring-shaped USM drives the internal lens group, so autofocus is bright and quiet to the human ear. The front element does not rotate during focus and zoom operations. It features FTM that allows manual focusing without switching out of autofocus mode. This AF circuit is optimized for stills and not ideal for video: the built-in mics on my 60D and 70D pick up high-frequency noise from the motor, and the contrast focus stutters when recording video. The workaround is to use an external microphone and/or focus manually. If video is the main thing for you, buy the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM instead, as the STM drive for the camera microphone is stepless and noiseless. OPTICAL PERFORMANCE: Essentially, this lens features an optical quality L-series wide-angle zoom in a prosumer keg. Wide open, this zoom is sharp and rich in contrast in the center of the image with a slight softening towards the edges. The wide side is sharpest with little degradation when zoomed to 22mm. Sharpness across the image improves as the aperture decreases. From F8 it gets razor sharp from edge to edge. I will be increasing the depth of field for landscapes and cityscapes, so I leave this lens at F8 most of the time. I only shoot wide open for the occasional low light shot. Distortions are well fixed. There is a slight bulge at the wide end and the long end is eaten away by a light pincushion. But less distortion than my EF-s 15-85 3.5-5.6 IS USM and slightly better than my 17-40 4L USM. As with any wide-angle lens, you need to compose your composition carefully to avoid perspective distortions like oversized noses or collapsing buildings. Chromatic aberration is a reality with zooms, and this one is no exception, with magenta fringes along the high-contrast edges. for example tree branches against a bright sky. However, it is soft and easily removed in DPP, LR or Aperture. Under normal lighting, you will never notice purple fringes. Glare is well controlled for Zoom: no problem with sunsets or streetlights. However, to protect and protect the front element from glare, a hood is recommended. Speaking of mixtures. HOOD NOT INCLUDED: The recommended EW-83E hood is bulky and (looks like a plate) and costs $32. Worst of all, it's so small that it offers little to no protection. I have an EW-83H with EF 24-105 4L IS USM. The mount is the same size as the EW-83E, but the hood is longer and narrower for more protection. I thought the longer length might vignette, but surprisingly it doesn't vignette at any focal length, has better anti-glare and less bulk than the EW-83E. If you want to afford an expensive 10-22 3.5-4.5 lens hood, get the EW-83H instead of the EW-83E. If you are on a budget check out the Vello EW-83H clone/fake. FINAL RECOMMENDATION: This zoom lens is specially designed and a bit wide for everyday use. After all, 10mm covers 107 degrees! However, I use this lens to photograph cityscapes, landscapes or tight spaces. It offers the perfect coverage for sprawling cathedrals or huge train stations. If you need an ultra-wide-angle zoom on APS-C, this is one of the best in terms of image quality: sharp, quick to focus and comfortable.