The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM and the Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 143mm. The Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II with a length of 80mm, is 63mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II's 69mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II weighs 190g, 69% (440g) lighter than the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM's weight of 630g.
Filter Threads
Both the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM and the Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II have the same Filter thread size of 58mm.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM has the Canon EF lens mount whereas the Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II has the Canon EF-S lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Focal Range
Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM has a focal range of 70-300mm and
4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
112 - 480mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 II has a focal range of 18-55mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28.8-88mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
