Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Week after buying Canon T1i camera I went to Mt St Helens National Park and realized how much I need extra zoom. So I ordered the new Canon 18-135IS. My first impressions are very positive: - The build quality is pretty decent. - The lens is relatively light and feels pretty balanced on the T1i body. - Front of the lens doesn't turn during auto focus which is a plus if you use a polarized filter. - AF is quick and very accurate - it easily finds focus even in dark conditions. - Image Stabilizer supports horizontal and vertical panning. - I think sharpness is comparable with the kit 18-55IS (looks like corners are a bit softer). - Zoom range is perfect for vacation/outdoor photography. - There is no zoom creep (so far). - Very smooth bokeh (background blurring) Few cons: - No zoom lock. - Doesn't have USM/full-time manual focus - this is the feature I'd expect in the $500 lens. - Distortions on the wide end (18-24mm) - More CA than 18-55IS. P.S. I've spent the last couple of weeks reading endless forum posts and reviews. Here are my notes about the similar/competing products: 1. Canon 55-250IS - My friend got this lens - it's sharp but some shots have bad color saturation/contrast. He also told me that he needs to change lenses too often. 2. Canon 28-135 IS USM - sharp, has full-time manual focus, but the lens is quite big and heavy for T1i and has a zoom creep. 28mm is too much for the wide shots on the x1.6 cameras. 3. Sigma 18-125 OS HSM - good zoom range/color/price, relatively sharp. I almost bought this lens but then I noticed that almost every review mentions the constant background noise produced by the image stabilizer. Sometimes I use the camera for short videos so that was a deal breaker for me. 4. Sigma 18-200 - good zoom range/color/price, but too heavy. Sharpness is very inconsistent. Also not much extra zoom comparing to the 135mm. Overall I think this lens is a good choice for nonpro photographers looking for a multipurpose zoom lens.