Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS EF-S Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Review

A budget-priced tele-zoom lens with built-in image stabilisation. Canon’s new EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS is designed specifically for cameras with ‘APS-C’ sized sensors and combines light weight with a very low price tag for an optically-stabilised lens. On the EOS 400D and 40D cameras we used for our tests, its focal length range is equivalent to 88-400mm on a 35mm camera. It’s a fairly slow lens – and this is apparent in the viewfinder when you’re shooting. READ FULL REVIEW

Other Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS EF-S Reviews

Photo Zone:

Technically the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS is a tiny lens with a great performance potential. The resolution is very good across the range. Chromatic aberrations are basically a non-issue. The level of distortions remain moderate. The most obvious flaw is, unsurprisingly, vignetting at large apertures. The build quality is fine for a lens in this class and it is one step up from the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS that we’ve seen here recently. Regarding the target market you may surely forgive the plastic mount. The AF (micro-) motor is pretty fast and silent. So’s everything cool here ? Well, the AF accuracy didn’t really convince in the field – specifically at the wide-end of the zoom range – but to be fair this is much better on an EOS 40D (e.g.) with its improved AF capabilities. I had some trouble with the image stabilizer in the field but according to early reader feedback this impression seems to be an exception to the rule. If so the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS has certainly the potential to be another hot seller. READ FULL REVIEW

SLR Gear

Canon hasn’t produced many EF-S lenses, but it seems to have taken the same success story behind the 70-300mm IS and applied it MORE to great effect. The bottom line here is that Canon has packed two important things into this lens for a surprisingly low price – high optical quality and image stabilization. I think we can safely say this is a lens where you do get much more than you pay for. READ FULL REVIEW

Photo.net

Despite the relatively low cost and plastic construction, the EF-S 55-250/4-5.6 IS is optically pretty good. Sharpness holds up all the way to 250mm. At maximum aperture there is quite noticeable vignetting and this shows up quite. The 55-250mm range covers a variety of applications from portraiture at the short end of the range to sports and wildlife work at the long end. In terms of angle of view, the 55-250 IS is the equivalent of an 88-400mm lens on a full frame 35mm camera. Overall, I can certainly recommend this lens if you’re looking for a small, light, inexpensive telephoto lens for an APS-C DSLR. It doesn’t have quite the reach of the 70/75-300 zooms, but it matches better with the EF-S 18-55IS kit lens, it’s optically as good as or better then the non IS 75-300 zooms – plus it has IS! READ FULL REVIEW

Pop Photo

A natural for globe-trotting vacationers and soccer parents, this is the obvious second lens for Canon EOS 40D and Rebel XSi owners. Clearly it and the 18-55mm IS make an attractive team that promises sharp pictures in dicey light across an amply wide 13.9X zoom range. And you can’t beat that price. READ FULL REVIEW

CNET

A lightweight, compact design coupled with its stabilized 400mm-equivalent focal length zoom and affordable price make the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS a versatile lens for entry-level shooters and amateurs on a budget. READ FULL REVIEW

Ken Rockwell

For the price, I expect this Canon 55-250mm IS EF-s to become my top lens suggestion for everyone on a budget who needs a tele lens for Canon digital. The older Canon 75-300mm telephotos without IS cost a little less, but since I know how critical IS is to sharp photos in real-world photography, I’d spend the little extra for this 55-250mm. Even if IS is a mystery to you, the fact that this lens focuses so closely is another reason I can suggest it so strongly without ever having seen one. Canon makes no junk. READ FULL REVIEW