Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens officially announced

Canon has expanded its lineup of EF-M lenses for mirrorless camera by launching the new 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM wide-angle zoom lens, which has been rumored just a few days ago.

At the beginning of this week, trusted sources have revealed that Canon will announce a new lens for its M-mount. Several days later, the rumor has become true, even though many people have been skeptical about the aperture and filter diameter information.

Canon has just introduced the EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens. It is an ultra wide-angle zoom lens for the EOS M mirrorless camera. It features a retractable design, 3-stop image stabilization, and a 55mm filter thread.

Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM ultra wide-angle zoom lens becomes official just a few days after being leaked

The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens has been designed as the first wide-angle zoom lens for the EOS M mirrorless camera, which also comes packed with Optical Image Stabilizer.

The Japanese company promises that the product will deliver “first-class optical performance” and says that everything is possible thanks to a “retractable design”.

Photographers to benefit from three-stop Optical Image Stabilization technology

Being an ultra wide-angle zoom lens, the new Canon 11-22mm optic features a very wide field of view, which will allow photographers to capture more details in their shots, though the subjects will appear very near the camera.

Ghosting and flares will not pose a problem to this product, as it has been covered in Super Spectra Coatings, while the OIS technology reduces camera shakes and compensates for hand shaking.

The image stabilization technique provides three stops of IS, while Dynamic IS will be able  to stabilize the shooter when recording videos up to full HD resolution.

Silent design all round, as the lens retracts itself into the barrel when offline

As suggested by the name of the lens, Canon has also added its Stepper Linear Motor (STM) technology, in order to ensure very silent focus when shooting films. However, the name of the lens does not say anything about the retractable design, which is a first for the EF series.

Canon says that it has provided a switch on the lens. When not planning to use the camera, photographers can use this switch to withdraw itself into the barrel. This technique will make sure that the camera remains as slim as possible during transportation, while the lens length is cut down by 13mm.

First Canon EF lens with a 55mm filter thread

Canon’s EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens for EOS M cameras can focus at a distance of just 15 centimeters. A manual focus ring is available on the optic and its filter diameter measures 55mm. The company will provide a new E-55 lens cap, which is another first for the EF series.

Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens release date is this June, along with firmware update for EOS M camera

In order to support the new product, the EOS M mirrorless camera will receive firmware update 2.0.0 sometime in the following weeks.

The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens release date is June 2013 for a price of £379.99 / €399 depending on markets.

Meanwhile, the Canon EOS M is available at Amazon for a price of $479. The retailer has a special offer going on, offering 4% of the total price in rewards.