Is Canon 18-135mm STM lens fully compatible on 550D/T2i?

rahulmamtora

Hi,
I am from India. I have Canon 550D (T2i) with kit lens of 18-55mm. Now I am planning to buy Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens.
When I approached a camera store, the shopkeeper told me that the 18-135mm with STM lens will not work on 550D, as it is not compatible while recording a video and the auto focus or the uniqueness of a STM lens will not work. He suggested I go for 18-135mm lens without STM instead.
I seek your expert advice.
Thanks,
Rahul V M

PBked

Hi Rahul,
Your store owner does not know what he is talking about. The STM will work perfectly with the 550D. The motor is built into the lens not the camera, so it will work on all EF-S cameras made to date.
PBked

rahulmamtora

Thanks a ton! :)

rahulmamtora

@PBKED I finally got delivery of the 18-135mm STM lens yesterday. I need help in understanding how I can achieve continuous AF while recording video with my 550D/T2i? And can you tell me any other key features of the 18-135mm STM lens?

PBked

Hi @RAHULMAMTORA,
The only key feature of this lens is the STM motor which enables smoother AF when shooting movies.
Unfortunately, continuous AF is not possible with the 550D which is not a bad thing entirely. Good movies should be shot in short bursts rather than long sequences. So you choose your subject, focus and then film a short sequence. Change the subject, focus and shoot again etc.
The same advice goes for zooming. Generally, zooming during a shot should be avoided. Zoom first, focus and then shoot.
For best video, always use a tripod with IS switched off and learn not to pan too quickly to avoid focussing issues although decent results can be achieved hand-held with IS.
Many people do not realise that video shooting is a whole different ballgame to still photography and which is why elsewhere on these forums I have always advocated that, if video is your main interest, then buy a video camera. DSLR video is a compromise at best.
I hope this has been of some help.
Regards,
PBked

rahulmamtora

Thanks again @PBked :)