Question 1

what is STM?

Accepted Answer

STM is the focus motor that this lens uses.  There are a few different types...

STM - Stepper motor.  Made to be silent in video mode, so that the lens can't be heard on the camera mic.  It also works in still mode, though isn't the fastest.  It works well, and is fine if you track continuously, but for sports and wildlife it can be a little slow.  Usually found on the more budget friendly lenses.  (under 500)
USM - Ultrasonic motor. Very fast focus for stills.  Works for video, but is noisy for this purpose.  It's almost silent for stills.  Most commonly found in the more expensive "L" lenses, or other high price lenses (500+)
Nano-USM - Their newest focus system.  It combines the snappy fast focus of USM and the silent video focus of STM.  Best of both worlds, for the most parts.  Only a few lenses feature this focus, but I would bet there will be more.  Lenses that feature it tend to fall into the mid-range in price (500-1000).
DC Micromotor - This sometimes is labeled as "Ultrasonic", but it's misleading.  It's probably the slowest and least accurate focus Canon made.  They stopped using it once STM was developed.  Most the lenses that used it were discontinued, but the IS II version of the 18-55mm, 55-250mm, and the 75-300mm lenses still use it, and those can still be found in bundles for cheaper cameras like the T6 or T7.

If you would like more info about the 18-55mm lens, you should check out the review I have on my profile.  It covers the pros and cons, offers advice for how to use the lens, and also has a list of other lenses that I recommend to new users.  There are also sample images taken with the lens, and an explanation of why you shouldn't pay the full retail price for this lens, as well as an explanation of why you probably don't need it if you have the older IS II model.  Here is a link to the review.   https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1U8QHYA7GOHB6?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

Question 2

Just preordered this instead of 18-135 stm because this one has full time manual focusing.  Is this a great deal???

Accepted Answer

Both the 18-135 STM and 18-55 STM is "Focus-by-wire" (that is, the connectuon between the focussing motor and manual focus ring is electronic), thus both of them have "Full time manual override". Actually any USM/STM Canon lens has " Full time Manual focus overrude" feature. If that was your reason consider 18-55 then you did not gain anything. But, considering another point, though the 18-135 covers more focul length regions (thus have a longer zoom ratio) but the 18-55 produces better quality photos in terms of clarity and sharpness.

I have used both of them. The 18-135 is a good choice if you have a single camera body and do not want to switch lenses while bei g outdoor.

Question 3

Is this the same lens that canon retails for $249.00? How can you offer the same new lens for such a low price?

Accepted Answer

It is the same.  However, the usual retail price is very misleading.  No one should ever buy this lens at it's full retail price.  It is bundled with all new camera that are above the base models like the T6 or T7 (those have an older version, the IS II).  People are constantly offloading them on ebay or facebook, or really anywhere.  I have seen them as low as 30 bucks, but usually more like 50.  The only difference here is that the one that is 249 is the retail packaging and the ~90 dollar one is the bulk "white box" packaging.  You will get a 1 year warranty with the retail box version.  The bulk box, you might, you might not.  Likely will still get it.  Even if not, it's such a cheap lens it likely won't matter anyway.  If you already have the older version, then I wouldn't even bother with the new one, since it would be a better idea to put the money into a lens that can add something new to your kit instead.

If you would like more info about the 18-55mm lens, you should check out the review I have on my profile.  It covers the pros and cons, offers advice for how to use the lens, and also has a list of other lenses that I recommend to new users.  There are also sample images taken with the lens, and an explanation of why you shouldn't pay the full retail price for this lens, as well as an explanation of why you probably don't need it if you have the older IS II model.  Here is a link to the review.   https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1U8QHYA7GOHB6?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

Question 4

will this work with a 6d?

Accepted Answer

I'm sorry but no, it won't.  The 6D is a full frame camera that uses Canon EF lenses, it can not use EF-S lenses like this one.  The bad news is that for the 6D there are no real budget options for a lens in this focal range.  I would suggest looking into the 17-40mm F4L USM if you need something in this focal range that isn't the most expensive.  At the moment, it's 500 USD, but commonly is more like 750-800 USD.  There are thrid party lenses available that might be more budget friendly, but often they are manual only or have spotty AF.

Package Dimensions L x W x H	11.8 x 9 x 8.9 centimetres
Package Weight	0.28 Kilograms
Product Dimensions L x W x H	7.5 x 6.9 x 6.9 centimetres
Item Weight	205 Grams
Brand	Canon
Camera Lens	18-55 mm
Has image stabilisation	Yes
Lens Fixed Focal Length	55 Millimetres
Max Focal Length	55 Millimetres
Min Focal Length	18 Millimetres
Model year	2013
Plug profile	Canon EF-S
Part number	8114B002
Lens Design	Zoom
Photo Filter Thread Size	55 Millimetres
Guaranteed software updates until	unknown

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Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Lens (Bulk Packaging)

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