The Canon EF-S 18–135mm lens is a standard to short telephoto telezoom for Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with an EF-S lens mount. The field of view has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of 29–216mm. With its 7.5× zoom range, it is placed into the superzoom category. Canon offers further lenses with even higher zoom ranges, such as the EF-S 18–200mm lens (11× zoom range).

The original version of the lens, the f/3.5–5.6 IS, was introduced in 2009 with a suggested retail price of US$499.99. It is the standard kit lens for the Canon EOS 60D and EOS 7D, and is an alternative kit lens in some markets for the EOS 600D/Rebel T3i.

A new version of the lens, the f/3.5–5.6 IS STM, was announced on 8 June 2012, alongside the EOS 650D/Rebel T4i/Kiss X6i. The "STM" stands for "Stepping Motor", a new autofocus technology claimed by Canon "to smoothly and silently focus" and "achieve continuous AF while recording video" when used with the 650D (and presumably future Canon bodies).^[1] Its suggested retail price was US$549.99 at introduction. It was an alternative kit lens for the 650D, and is now an alternative kit lens for the 650D's successor, the EOS 700D/Rebel T5i.

This STM version, in some markets, is available as a kit lens for the Canon EOS 70D, as is also the Canon EF-S 18–55mm lens in its STM version.

The latest addition of the 18–135 series is the EF-S f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, announced on 17 February 2016. New features are the new Nano USM and the possibility to connect the Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, which allows a soft zoom for video. The lens is also available as bundle with the Canon EOS 77D and 80D, which was announced same date.^[2]