Standard zoom · APS-C

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is a APS-C zoom lens (15–85 mm, f/3.5–5.6) for Canon EF-S. It belongs to the standard zoom class — ideal for everyday shooting, travel, events and walkaround use.

15–85 mmf/3.5–5.6Canon EF-S
15–85 mm
Focal length
f/3.5–5.6
Maximum aperture
86°–19°
Diagonal angle of view (APS-C)
APS-C
Designed for
5.7×
Zoom ratio

Specifications#

Brand
Canon
Model
EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Lens type
Standard zoom
Focal length
15–85 mm
Maximum aperture
f/3.5–5.6
Image circle
APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm)
Mount(s)
Canon EF-S
Projection
Rectilinear
Stabilisation
Yes (optical)
Autofocus motor
ultrasonic (USM)
Lensfun correction profile
Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA

Equivalent focal length on different cameras#

Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).

Camera formatAt 15 mmAt 36 mmAt 85 mmEquiv. aperture (DoF)
APS-C22 mm · 86°54 mm · 43°128 mm · 19°f/5.2
APS-C (Canon)24 mm · 84°58 mm · 41°136 mm · 18°f/5.6
Micro Four Thirds30 mm · 72°72 mm · 33°170 mm · 15°f/7.0

Depth of field & background blur#

Computed on its native APS-C format (CoC 20 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 16 mm f/4 on aps-c.

FocalApertureat 1 mat 2 mat 5 mat 10 mHyperfocalBlur @2 m
15 mmf/3.565.8 cm3.80 m∞∞3.30 m0.1%
15 mmf/477.6 cm5.27 m∞∞2.89 m0.1%
15 mmf/82.58 m∞∞∞1.45 m0.1%
36 mmf/3.510.2 cm41.9 cm2.82 m14.6 m19.0 m0.8%
36 mmf/411.7 cm48.1 cm3.29 m18.8 m16.6 m0.7%
36 mmf/823.6 cm1.00 m9.35 m∞8.32 m0.4%
85 mmf/3.51.7 cm7.3 cm46.7 cm1.90 m106 m4.6%
85 mmf/42.0 cm8.3 cm53.4 cm2.17 m92.4 m4.0%
85 mmf/84.0 cm16.6 cm1.08 m4.50 m46.3 m2.0%

Handheld & night-sky limits#

NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).

BodyMin. handheld shutter (longest focal)500 rule at 15 mmNPF at 15 mm, f/3.5
APS-C1/125 s22 s16 s
APS-C (Canon)1/125 s21 s16 s
Micro Four Thirds1/160 s17 s15 s

Compatible cameras#

Bodies in our database with a native Canon EF-S mount. Full-frame bodies switch to an APS-C crop with this lens.

Adapt it to other systems#

Sony E-mountCanon RFNikon ZFujifilm X-mountMicro Four ThirdsL-MountCanon EF-MFujifilm G-mountHasselblad XCDNikon 1 (CX)Pentax QSamsung NXCanon EFNikon F

Similar lenses#

Frequently asked questions#

Is the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM full frame?

No — it is designed for APS-C sensors. On a full-frame body it vignettes or triggers crop mode.

What is the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM equivalent to on APS-C?

Its focal length is already the real value for APS-C: 15–85 mm frames like 23–130 mm on full frame.

What is the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM good for?

As a standard zoom it suits everyday shooting, travel, events and walkaround use.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources