The EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, available in graphite and silver lens barrel color variations, is an EF-M standard zoom lens that realizes a 35 mm film-equivalent focal length range of 24–72 mm. The effective positioning of three aspherical lens elements makes possible a compact, lightweight lens design that delivers high-quality imaging performance from the center to the peripheral areas of the image field. Compared with the EF-M18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, released in September 2012, the new lens achieves a body with a weight approximately 62 percent of, and a length approximately 73 percent of those of the earlier model.

A lens-retraction mechanism keeps the lens at its most compact when not in use while a lead-screw-type stepping motor ensures exceptionally quiet and smooth autofocus performance, not only when capturing still images but also when shooting movies.