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Canon 55-250mm STM
EF-S IS (2013-)
Intro
Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
Canon EF-south 55-250mm f/4-5.vi IS STM
(58mm filters, xiii.3 oz./377g, 2.8’/0.85m close focus, about $349, works on Canon APS-C cameras only). I got mine at at Adorama, and you also tin can get it at Amazon or at B&H.
My biggest source of support for this free website is when you use those or any of these links when you get
anything, regardless of the country in which you alive. It helps me keep adding to this gratuitous website when you get your things through these links — but I receive
cypher
for my efforts if yous buy elsewhere. Thanks for your support! Ken.
December 2014
Canon Reviews Canon Lenses All Reviews
Introduction
peak
Intro
Specs Operation Compared Recommendations
This Canon 55-250mm IS STM is an inexpensive, lightweight, fast and silent focusing lens that is also very precipitous.
The older models of 55-250mm IS and 55-250mm IS Ii were among Catechism’s best selling lenses, and this new lens adds instant manual focus override, silent autofocusing and even closer focusing than the older models.
All these Catechism 55-250mm lenses super sharp, focus very close, accept a perfect telephoto zoom range, has Image Stabilization for sharp mitt-held photos in dim lite, and are pocket-sized, light and inexpensive.
You can pay more to get a lens that works better while being rained-on or blasted in a sandstorm while being beaten around past a news photographer, or that works on expensive full-frame cameras, but fifty-fifty if you pay more than for something like a 70-200mm f/4 Fifty IS, you’ll take a bigger lens to carry around, it won’t be any sharper, and information technology won’t have as broad a zoom range, and it won’t focus equally close. At that place are many reasons these 55-250s are amidst Canon’south best selling lenses.
The reasons you might want to pay more than twice as much for another lens with a more than express zoom range are if you shoot a 35mm or full-frame camera on which this lens won’t work, or if the plastic lens mountain isn’t tough enough for you lot. Otherwise, this lens is sharp, light, cheap and works great.
Compatibility
As an EF-south lens, it will only piece of work on Canon’southward APS-C cameras.
It will not work on 35mm cameras, it will not work on old 1.3x cameras, and it certainly won’t work on full-frame digital.
Versions
There are a 55-250mm IS and a 55-250mm IS II, which differ from each other simply in cosmetics. They used a noisier AF motor and require moving a switch to get back and forth between transmission focus.
This newest STM version allows instant manual focus override only past grabbing the ring, focuses silently, and focuses closer.
Canon EF-Southward 55-250mm IS STM.
bigger.
Specifications
height
Intro
Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
Name
Canon calls this the Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM.
EF:
Electronic Focus. All modernistic Canon lenses focus with a motor in the lens.
-Due south:
Simply works on newer, small (APS-C) DSLRs.
IS:
Paradigm Stabilization, which means no tripod needed except at night. See Why IS Matters. Catechism claims 3.five stops.
STM:
Stepper (focus) Motor, meaning that AF is fast and silent.
Eyes
15 elements in 12 groups.
one UD glass element to reduce chromatic aberrations (color fringes and halos).
Lead-free glass.
Rear focus.
Pumper zoom; the forepart extends a lot as zoomed to longer focal lengths, but never rotates with zoom or focus.
Diaphragm
Front end, Catechism 55-250 IS STM
(EF diaphragm not visible).
seven rounded blades.
Stops downwards to f/22-32.
Optical Image Stabilizer
Rated for up to 3.v equivalent stops of milkshake correction.
Shut Focus
2.8′ (0.85m) at all focal lengths.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio
1:three.4 (0.29x).
Focal Length
55-250mm.
On the APS-C cameras for which it is designed, it gives angles of view similar to what an 88-400mm lens would requite on a 35mm or full-frame photographic camera. Come across also Crop Cistron.
Angle of View
27.7º – 6.25º diagonal.
Maximum Discontinuity
f/4 – five.six.
Lens Mount
Plastic.
Size
ii.viii” (70mm) diameter x four.4″ (111.2mm) when set to 55mm.
Gets longer at longer focal length settings.
Weight
13.283 oz. (376.55g) bodily measured.
Rated 13.2 oz. (375g).
Included Accessories
Just caps.
Optional Accessories
ET-63
hood.
LP1019
pouch.
Introduced
21 August 2013.
Cost, U.s.a.
2013 Baronial-Nov: $349.
2014 December ~ 2016 March: $299.
Box, Catechism EF-South 55-250mm IS STM.
Performance
top
Intro
Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
Overall Autofocus Bokeh Breathing Colour
Coma Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters
Lateral Color Fringes Macro Mechanics Sharpness
Stabilization
Overall
operation top
The Canon 55-250mm IS STM is optically superb and handles very well for a by and large plastic lens. The biggest negatives of the previous models were that their focus rings and filter threads rotated during autofocus, and that you had to motion a switch for manual-focus override. This new lens fixes all these annoyances.
This is too a kit lens sold with many less expensive Canons, and it’due south splendid. There is no reason to pay more for a telephoto lens for a Canon APS-C camera.
If you tin’t get vivid, sharp and colorful photos with this lens, you lot’re doing something wrong.
Autofocus
performance top
Autofocus is fast and silent. Past silent, I mean I can’t hear it unless I hold my ear closer than a few inches, and I can hear a watch ticking across a room.
With this STM, you tin can focus in the heart of a concert and no one volition find. (Shooting is another story).
Machine/Manual Switching
But grab the ring at any time.
The AF/MF switch simply locks out AF in the MF position; MF is ever active.
AF Speed
AF is instantaneous at 55mm, and super fast at 250mm.
AF Accuracy and Consistency
I saw no autofocus fault.
Manual Focus
Manual focus is 100% electronic focus-by-wire; in that location is no mechanical connection between the focus band and the lens’ mechanics.
Manual focus is set for precision, not speed. It takes some turning to go focus to move.
Focus while Zooming
Focus is continuously compensated as you zoom, and the photographic camera has to be ON for this to happen.
If you lot zoom the lens with the camera OFF or asleep, focus won’t hold as you zoom. If the photographic camera is awake, focus holds as zoomed because the avant-garde electronic programs are compensating focus electronically every bit you turn the mechanical zoom band.
Bokeh
operation top
Bokeh, the quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to the caste of defocus, is usually pretty proficient.
For the softest backgrounds, zoom to 250mm, go as close as possible and shoot at f/5.vi.
Focus Breathing
performance top
Focus animate (the image changing size as focused) is by and large of interest to cinematographers who don’t want the image changing size (“animate”) as the lens is focused among different subjects.
The image from the rear-focusing Catechism 55-250mm IS doesn’t seem to change as information technology’s focused.
Colour Rendition
operation top
The color balance of this 55-250 seems the aforementioned as my other Canon EF lenses.
Coma
operation top
Coma, or saggital coma flare, is when points of light in the corners turn into batwing-shaped blobs. This is often a trouble with fast normal or wide lenses.
I see none in this lens; it’south super sharp in the corners fifty-fifty broad-open up.
Distortion
performance meridian
The Canon 55-250 Ii has moderate barrel distortion at 55mm, and no visible baloney from 70mm to 200mm.
For more critical utilize, utilise these values in Photoshop’s Lens Distortion tool to remove the distortion. These aren’t facts or specifications, they are the results of my inquiry that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
|
Correction gene on APS-C |
at 10′ (3m) |
at infinity |
|
55mm |
+ii.0 |
+two.5 |
|
70mm |
+1.2 |
+one.0 |
|
100mm |
±0.0 |
±0.0 |
|
135mm |
-0.5 |
-0.five |
|
200mm |
-ane.0 |
-0.v |
|
250mm |
-1.0 |
-i.0 |
© 2013 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics
performance top
Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS STM.
Ergonomics are groovy: nigh of the lens is the mechanical zoom band.
Focal lengths are well spaced at virtually a constant 2 cm/octave.
The AF – MF switch falls right under your thumb, merely yous don’t need information technology: just plough the band at any time.
Falloff
(darkened corners)
performance tiptop
All new Canons since tardily 2013 accept both a lens profile and ability to correct this in-camera, and so it’due south not probable to be an issue.
For users of older cameras, here is the falloff equally seen with no corrections, a.chiliad.a. correction for peripheral illumination DISABLED.
Even with no in-camera corrections, falloff isn’t visible except wide-open at the long end. If information technology bothers you with an uncorrected camera, stop down to f/eight, and it goes away.
I’ve greatly exaggerated what piffling in that location is by shooting a flat greyness target and presenting it against a gray background:
Canon 55-250 IS STM uncorrected falloff
|
Wide Open |
f/5.6 |
f/8 |
|
| 55mm |
 |
 |
 |
| 100mm |
 |
 |
 |
| 200mm | max. is f/v.6 -> |
 |
 |
| 250mm | max. is f/v.6 -> |
 |
 |
© 2013 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Filters, Apply with
operation peak
The plastic 58mm filter threads are big enough that fifty-fifty thick or stacked filters won’t crusade any vignetting.
Get ahead, employ any big, fat thick filter, and you’ll still exist able to add together a second one, too!
It’southward easy to cross-thread the plastic threads, be careful.
Canon could have used a much smaller thread, merely used 58mm for compatibility with other lenses so yous don’t need to duplicate your filters in different sizes. Therefore, even with several stacked filters yous won’t become whatever vignetting.
Lateral Color Fringes
performance top
Today’south Catechism cameras can correct for any that might be here with a lens profile.
Fifty-fifty with older cameras that have no lens contour, I saw no lateral color fringes except for the slightest green-magenta fringes at the 250mm end.
Macro
performance height
The 55-250 gets so shut that I doubt y’all’ll e’er need a dedicated macro lens:
Hamilton 992B Railroad Special pocket watch
(size 16) at close-focus distance at 250mm at f/xi.
Information technology’s super-sharp; here’s a crop from the 8MP image at 100%:
Crop from in a higher place image at 100%, shot at f/xi.
If this is 6″ (15cm) broad on your screen, the full paradigm would print at 40 10 25″ (100 x 60 cm)!
The sparkles aren’t dissonance; they are the texture of the sentry hands, crystal and confront!
Mechanics
performance elevation
Rear, Catechism 55-250 STM.
enlarge.
The Canon 55-250 IS is all plastic, except for electrical connections and the glass.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Identity Ring
Painted on front plastic ring.
Focus Ring
Ribbed plastic.
Zoom Ring
Ribbed prophylactic over plastic.
Barrel
Plastic.
Moisture seal at mount
No.
Mount
Plastic.
Mounting Index
Painted white foursquare.
Markings
Pigment.
Serial Number
Laser engraved into the bottom of the black plastic lens barrel near the mount.
Date Code
None establish.
Noises When Shaken
Very balmy rattling.
Made in
Malaysia.
Sharpness
performance summit
Image sharpness depends more on you lot than your lens, and lens sharpness doesn’t mean much to adept photographers. It’due south the least skilled hobbyists who waste the about time blaming fuzzy pictures on their lenses, while real shooters know that few photos ever use all the sharpness of which their lenses are capable due to subject motion and the fact that real subjects are rarely perfectly flat.
This said, this Canon 55-250 is just about perfect. The just manner to get anything other than a sharp picture is to have it out of perfect focus, shoot at f/11 or smaller where diffraction softens the image, shoot at higher ISOs where camera noise reduction softens images, or let the camera or field of study move.
Hey, sorry to spare you endless ho-hum charts, but with a lens this good, there’s zip to show other than abrupt pictures under all conditions — unless you practice something stupid.
The biggest detriment to sharpness volition be a lack of proper vision and technique, never this lens. I bought mine directly from Adorama. I tin can’t vouch for annihilation if yous buy from a local shop or concatenation where you never really know who’s opened and played with your lens before you buy it. I
never
buy retail; besides many risks, so why pay more?
There is no difference in sharpness at whatsoever focal length as y’all cease downwardly to f/11 in whatever function of the image; information technology’s super sharp all over at every setting.
This 55-250mm lens is just nigh perfect.
Canon’south specified MTF curves:
Image Stabilization
performance pinnacle
Canon claims 3.v stops comeback.
I didn’t test that specifically, just I exercise know that the paradigm always locked-downwardly solid in the finder. I’ve never heard anyone complain about Catechism’s IS system.
Compared
acme
Intro
Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
|
55-250 STM |
55-250 IS II |
55-250 IS |
lxx-200 IS L |
|
| Anni |
2013- |
2011- |
2007-2011 |
2006- |
|
Lens Mount |
plastic |
plastic |
plastic |
|
| Works on |
APS-C merely |
APS-C but |
APS-C only |
APS-C, 1.3x and full-frame |
|
Filter thread |
58mm plastic |
58mm plastic |
58mm plastic |
67mm metal |
|
Length at 55mm |
four.four” 111.2mm |
4.3″ 108mm |
4.3″ 108mm |
|
|
Close focus |
|
3.6′ one.1m |
3.6′ one.1m |
4′ ane.2m |
|
Maximum aperture |
f/four-v.6 |
f/4-5.6 |
f/four-5.6 |
|
| Optics |
15/12, 1 UD |
12/x, 1 UD |
12/10, one UD |
twenty/fifteen, i UD, one fluorite |
| Weight |
13.3 oz. 377g |
13.8 oz. 391g |
thirteen.8 oz. 391g |
|
|
Price, 11/2013 |
$349 |
$300 |
$160 refurbished |
$i,349 |
|
Price, 12/2014 |
$300 |
$249 |
n/a |
$one,100 |
| Cost, 03/2016 |
$299 |
$199 |
n/a |
$1,149 |
Recommendations
acme
Intro
Specs Operation Compared Recommendations
This inexpensive Canon 55-250mm IS STM offers infrequent eyes in an cheap bundle with a greatly improved autofocus arrangement from before versions.
The 55-250 STM is perfect for school and family sports shooting.
If you’re on a budget, the older model 55-250mm IS is available refurbished for $160. Photos will be just as good, but the AF and manual focus systems aren’t as elegant.
Fifty-fifty if IS is a mystery to yous, the fact that this lens focuses and then closely is some other reason I can suggest information technology so strongly. Canon makes no junk, and hey, if you break the plastic mount and if Canon won’t gear up it nether warranty (try get-go), yous tin purchase some other and still be out far less money than I paid for my one 70-200mm f/4 IS 50.
© Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
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