This lens is amazingly compact, not much longer than the EF-M 22mm prime. The manual retraction feature is easy to use. The quality heft and feel are what you're expect from Canon. Auto focus with the M3 is very quick and accurate. Good color, tack sharp front to back @ f/22.

As of the time of this review, Canon's mirrorless system is solely targeting the budget market and despite a less then attractive overall system, they seem to be surprisingly successful with this strategy ... if we can believe their marketeers (...).

Conclusions The Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM is a pretty typical example of a starter zoom lens. It doesn't offer the build quality or high-end optics of a premium zoom. Instead it makes compromises in order to manage a small size and a cost that allows it to be bundled with a camera body.

Compact; Crisp center; Wider coverage than other starter lenses; Optical stabilization

Narrow aperture; Noticeable distortion; Dim corners at 15mm; Soft edges; Plastic lens mount; Doesn't include lens hood

Canon doesn't have a lot of lenses available for its mirrorless system. That makes the existence of the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM ($299.99) a bit of a head scratcher—after all, the company already has a kit lens in the form of the EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM ($164.99 at Amazon) . But the 15-45mm is smaller and covers a wider field of view, making it a more appealing starter option. In that capacity it's a good lens when purchased in a bundle with a camera body, but EF-M 18-55mm owners probably don't want spend full price to add it to their kit. The EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is a stronger option if you want to buy a wider lens. DesignThe 15-45mm ($299.00 at Amazon)  features a collapsible design, measuring about 1.8 by 2.4 inches (HD) at its smallest, and extending its height by an inch to an inch and a half when ready to shoot. The barrel and mount are plastic and finished in your choice of silver or black, so it weighs just 4.6 ounces. It supports 49mm front filters. The...

The Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM is a solid starter lens, but don't pay full price for it.

Compact; Crisp center; Wider coverage than other starter lenses; Optical stabilization

Narrow aperture; Noticeable distortion; Dim corners at 15mm; Soft edges; Plastic lens mount; Doesn't include lens hood

I got this lens because the 18-55 was a bit too long. I've since compared it (pixel peeping) at centre and corners and it is excellent. I now use it as my carry-about lens all the time with my M3. It's small and light and very easy to use.

Consistent Output; Easily Interchangeable; Lightweight; Sharp Focus

This is the lens that came with the EOS-M10 which I purchased for my wife. I love the focal range, considering that most of us spend over 90% of our efforts within this area. So just for curiosity's sake, I took this lens off the M10 and tried in on the likes of the M, M2, and M3.

Very light - yet has what I would call "quality" construction for the genre; Optical quality is actually much better than I had originally assumed when it was released; And the price is outstanding also.

All plastic construction, but that's par for the course now-a-days among many lenses being released at this price-point; In addition, I tend to forget to unlock the lens, causing me to have to go back to unlock it before you can shoot.

Announced in October 2015 to complement the EOS M10 camera (which we didn't review), the EF-M 15–45mm f/3.5–6.3 IS STM lens is offered as one of the standard kit lenses with the new EOS M5 camera .

Using this lens on the M6, the corner sharpness is terrible. I sent it in for repair and that made no difference. You need to stop down to f11 to sharpen the corners. This is an embarassement of a lens for Canon. Other three EF-M lenses that I own are all much much better.

Good wide angle for everyday use. Image quality is not the best but it's a kit lens so you might not expect either. The sharpness is a good bit from my other lens. However, chromatic aberration and distortion do not seem to be a problem. But I'm far from an expert on the subject.

Don't know as it is a Christmas present