Quick tech specs
- S
- 55 mm
- f/4.0-5.6 IS STM
- for EOS 1300, 700, 77, 80, 800, 8000, 9000, Kiss X80, Kiss X8i, Kiss X9i, Rebel T6, Rebel T7i
- Telephoto zoom lens
- 250 mm
- Canon EF/EF-S
Know your gear
The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM telephoto zoom lens offers high magnification in a compact and lightweight EF-S telephoto zoom lens with an optical image stabilizer for up to 3.5 equivalent stops for shake correction. The lens' stepping motor and newly-designed focus mechanism support Canon EOS Movie Servo AF to provide smooth and quiet continuous autofocusing during video shooting, as well as when shooting photos.
The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM telephoto zoom lens features one UD lens element, reducing chromatic aberration throughout the zoom range for excellent image quality with high resolution and contrast. It features enhanced lens coatings to help ensure superb color balance while minimizing ghosting and flare and a 7-blade circular aperture creates beautiful, soft backgrounds. For outstanding performance, a new compact six-group zoom system provides a maximum magnification of 0.29x at the telephoto end. Full-time manual focus is available in AF mode. The front element does not rotate during focus, which is beneficial when using polarizing filters. Minimum focusing distance is 2.79 ft. /0.85m. The lens' rear focusing system, high-speed CPU and improved AF algorithm allow for high-speed autofocusing.
The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM telephoto zoom lens features one UD lens element, reducing chromatic aberration throughout the zoom range for excellent image quality with high resolution and contrast. It features enhanced lens coatings to help ensure superb color balance while minimizing ghosting and flare and a 7-blade circular aperture creates beautiful, soft backgrounds. For outstanding performance, a new compact six-group zoom system provides a maximum magnification of 0.29x at the telephoto end. Full-time manual focus is available in AF mode. The front element does not rotate during focus, which is beneficial when using polarizing filters. Minimum focusing distance is 2.79 ft. /0.85m. The lens' rear focusing system, high-speed CPU and improved AF algorithm allow for high-speed autofocusing.
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Canon EF-S telephoto zoom lens - 55 mm - 250 mm is rated
4.80 out of
5 by
70.
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Rob L from
Great Lens
Great Lens! I'm an amateur photographer and best described as a street photographer. This lens provides me the flexibility of taking a variety of shots without having to change lenses.
Date published: 2024-06-14T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Sloopy from
Great!!!
I put this lens on a Canon Rebal T5 and got fantastic pictures in an auditorium several rows back and to the side. It was a pageant and the lights were turned down low. great pictures , clear and focused.
Date published: 2014-10-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
mtstew123 from
Absolutely awesome lens for a beginners camera bag
I usually ignore requests for reviewing items bought online. So, I felt inclined to do so this time. After receiving this lens it took me a few days to get out and try it out. Attached it to my T-6 and commenced to snap off several shots to test its ability. I am very happy with this lens, it is quick and makes me look like a professional. Images are clear and crisp in all the outdoor shots I took. I could not be happier, it really surpassed my expectations for the price.
Additionally, the ordering, purchasing, shipping, and packaging was exceptional. My lens arrived as expected and arrived without issues. Canon USA kept me informed about my purchase and even followed up to make sure everything was as expected after it arrived.
Additionally, Pay Pal made the job of safely paying for my purchase as about simple as usual. I could not be happier with the service and quality of each entities part in this transaction.
Date published: 2019-02-02T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Tunc from
Better than I expected
Bought this lens on 16 March 2019. It performs well for my needs - nature photos..
Date published: 2019-04-16T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Kestrel from
Great Lens
I bought this lens to use with my m6 for wildlife photography. The compact size of the camera and lens makes it ideal for hiking into areas where I would hesitate to take a larger, heavier camera. The lens has exceptional autofocus performance and image stabilization as well as clarity. I love it!
Date published: 2019-01-18T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
SonnyD from
Looked Brand new
Best price I found anywhere, plus with a year warranty. Great Reviews on this lens everywhere. Glad I could finally purchase it....
Date published: 2019-01-05T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jerry Ragsdale from
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Great lens and a great price when we bought it with our EOS Rebel T7v
Date published: 2019-08-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
CWhitePhotos from
Great lens...
I bought this lens used and I am generally happy with it. Comparing it the other lenses that I bought for my 7D new, this one has softer picture quality, especially at the ends, lower and upper boundaries. Admittedly, I am relatively new to DSLRs, not photography, so it may be something that I am not doing correctly.
Nonetheless, I am quite satisfied with my purchase.
Date published: 2017-01-22T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
bosscib from
Awesome Lens
I bought this lens a few weeks ago. It came in perfect condition and shipping was quick. I've only had a few chances to use it but I'm extremely happy. I had a 18-135 and a 50, and I was looking for another lens for longer range. This was a great choice at an unbeatable price.
Date published: 2019-01-03T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
CarlG from
Not Sharp See Photo Comparison Two Canon Lenses
Photos Below are examples between Two Canon Lenses. Same Focal Length 70mm settings, Same ISO 400 Shutter speed 1/166 (70-300 left vs 1/128 (55-250) right. IS on both. Same Canon EOS 80D Body Taken within a minute apart. I love my Canon Products but this Lens does not work for me. The phots Below are reduced in image size the exact amount. Saved at the HIGHEST jpg Quality setting. This lens clearly has a problem.
Date published: 2017-08-02T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Quinn from
Great wildlife closeups
Super happy with this lens. I am a beginner and it’s working so nicely. Getting some great wildlife closeups!
Date published: 2020-07-01T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
SWVDesigns Photography from
Great Purchase
Amazing! The photos I’ve taken so far have been clean, crisp and beautiful. I’m extremely happy with the lenses.
Date published: 2021-05-14T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
arg from
Can't believe how fast I got it!
I just ordered this Monday and it was sitting on my front porch when I got home from work today (Wednesday). Free shipping doesn't mean slow shipping. I bought this lens as I was getting a little frustrated with my non-IS lenses. I tried the lens out a little bit, and so far it looks great. Just took a few shots in the house with low ambient lighting. There was some intentional motion blur with my cat, but the stationary objects I shot were crisp and clear. I will be shooting a rock concert Friday with it. We'll see how it handles in that setting, but it looks and feels great so far.
Date published: 2016-01-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jimofoakcreek from
Superb lens at a low price
Optical performance is every bit as good as Canon's professional L zoom lenses. The lens formula contains one UD glass element. Amazing at this low price. The trade-off is lightweight plastic construction and slow optical speed. But the silent autofocus and IS performance is excellent. The Image Stabilization compensates for the slower optical speed. Just buy it. It's a steal.
Date published: 2016-11-30T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Sgtgwn from
I just love this lens!
This is actually my "go to" lens unless I'm using my camera indoors. I can get fantastic close-ups, as you can see. I've been using it for almost four years now, and couldn't be happier!
Date published: 2017-12-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Dja0208 from
Great lens
I bought this lens and use it along with a canon mount so that it will work with my M50. It works great and I am very happy with the purchase for the price.
Date published: 2018-12-20T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
TheK2 from
Versatile and Sharp
I've had this for a few months and am very happy with the quality and value. Fine pics for a price that doesn't break the bank.
Date published: 2019-01-11T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Rob W from
Replacement for failed original . . .
Original purchased back in 2016 and has been used frequently as an avid amateur photographer. Sensor failed and repair center deemed unrepairable and recycled. This was the same lens as a replacement.
Date published: 2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
MNphotographer from
Like new!
Perfect for what I need it to do. Price is right too!
Date published: 2019-01-18T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
rafterh from
Amazing!
I took it too a bull riding to get some good action shots, and so candid shots of the cowboys and the pictures turned out great! On the action shots I was a full arena length away and could still fill the frame of with the bull and rider, and catch dust, fringe, and cowboys flying!
Date published: 2018-07-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Tanman from
A bit dissapointed
The lens came as part of a package deal from Costco when I purchased the Canon 70D. At first I thought something was wrong with the lens when I took pictures at 250mm. The pictures were blurry and super low quality. I have other lenses that are amazing on this camera so I knew it wasn't the camera. I tested the pictures in various settings such as RAW and .jpg, fully auto mode and several manual modes. Every time the pictures were useless. I took the lens back got a new one and same problem. I took the camera lens and the camera to a camera store to test other camera bodies and still same problem. I guess the lens is ok if you don't zoom in past 120mm but anything more than that is just awful.
Side note: the 70D is awesome, especially when paired with the inexpensive 50mm 1.8 prime lens.
Date published: 2016-02-18T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Rocker357 from
Like new only better price
Purchased this EF-250mm lens to go with new EOS Rebel SL3
Date published: 2020-04-20T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
lea from
Very Nice Mint Condition
Just used this lens at Hair Show convention and it was great.
Date published: 2016-03-25T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
tmwag from
Sharp
From 100-250mm In good light this lens is incredibly sharp wide open. Refurbished model looks and functions as brand new. Zero zoom creep.
Date published: 2015-09-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Dar from
null
I have had this for less then a month so far and I love it!
Date published: 2015-05-15T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Ohio78 from
This is a sharp lens
I heard this lens was good but didn't realize how good until I got out to our local zoo to test it out. When you hear about this lens being sharp, it's not an exaggeration. For the price this lens is amazingly sharp, the only way you're going to get a sharper image is with an L lens. The STM is dead quiet, as is the image stabilization. Honestly a great lens for the price (and mint condition refurbished you really can't beat it. I came from a 300mm and I don't miss the extra 50mm at all.
Date published: 2016-05-10T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
TopDrifter from
Excellent Versitility
This lens captures sharp clear pic's, I shoot wild animals and this allows me to get close without disturbing them. It also is an excellent lens for Portraiture, I love it. I have the Canon Rebel SL1 with the EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens.
Date published: 2017-09-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Hankfiji from
Good lens for the price
I recently purchased the ef-s 55-250mm lens to replace an older 75-300mm that I had for several years. I'm impressed with the photo quality, much clearer than the ones with the old 75-300. The 55-250 is light, solidly built and easy to use. II've used Canon cameras and lenses for 25 years and think this is an excellent lens for the price.
Date published: 2015-04-03T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
dfergu from
Canon EF-S 55-250mm
I really like this lens. It is so quiet I actually thought it wasn't focusing. Also very light.
Date published: 2020-05-29T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
JBSF from
Great Buy
I have used a Panasonic G3 with 100-300 lens as a crossover camera for birds and insects that I can carry on long mountain hikes. With patience and lots of practice, that body/lens combination is capable of good image quality with close subjects. On the other hand, it is useless with flash, fills the buffer quickly, and writes to the card very slowly. I had an extra Canon 7D body and thought I would try the 55-250 STM with it as a substitute, primarily because of its very short close focus and low weight. I've only used this new combo for a week, but I'm really pleased with the performance. This lens can get good record shots of larger wildlife and highly detailed images of insects without an extension tube. It's not perfect, but it is a steal at this price.
Date published: 2016-05-09T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
MattCarp from
Fast and quiet
I bought this lens to supplement my 28-55mm lens on my Rebel T7i. I was amazed at how fast and quiet the focus is.
I’m an amateur, so I may not have the closest eye, but the lens really works well!
Date published: 2018-06-19T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
JCrtz from
Great lens!
Bought this lens refurbished, thinking it would have dings and bumps. But to my surprise it looks brand new, and I was able to purchase at a great price. I am very happy with my purchase, I am still using it and getting to know it. However my initial thoughts had to be shared, love Canon products and look forward to purchase again new or refurbished. Great Job Canon!
Date published: 2019-01-27T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
TKRacePhoto from
Good stuff
Good lense, crisp. A welcomed addition to my bag for distance purposes.
Date published: 2021-05-19T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Gwal3180 from
Great lens! Very sharp and responsive
I have been wanting this lens for quite a while but had an old 75-300 that served me pretty well until It fell off my tripod and landed glass side first on my deck while photographing the last Super Moon.
I was impressed with the sharpness of the photos I shot with this lens.
Date published: 2019-04-13T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Janet from
Purchased with T6i refurbished bundle
Such a great lens that works beautifully. The product looks brand new, and I am very excited to begin my photography journey. I am very satisfied with my purchase.
Date published: 2016-12-08T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
KC Jones from
Great all around lens!
Amazing lens! Great for distance shots as well as close ups. I usually keep this lens on by default. The auto focus and image stabilization is phenomenal as well!
Date published: 2021-06-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Kansas Paul from
Sharp, light and affordable performance
I purchased this lens refurbished last year to use on a second or third camera on video shoots. It is sharp, focuses quickly and accurately and has withstood knocking around in my bag and on assignments. On an APS-C sensor camera the equivalent focal length is 88mm to 400mm, which makes the f/4–5.6 aperture tolerable. My primary lens in this range is still a 70-200 f/2.8 L, but I'm much more willing to put this one on an M body and walk away while it films.
Date published: 2016-12-01T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
bluesbrotherinky from
this lens makes my pictures look great
I like this lens cause it has great features, love the automatic focus , and manual focus is ok I love how birds look closer in this lens and the moon
Date published: 2015-05-17T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
rdp64 from
Great lens
Great Lens for the money, I was looking for a lens I could afford at the moment that would give me a little further reach and I came across this one. After researching it I bought it and I'm glad I did, Its not in the category of a Canon L glass lens but with some practice it produces excellent images. For the money it's a great lens.
Date published: 2016-07-06T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Canonut from
Nice lens for the money
I bought my sometime ago and have been pleased with the results. One off the things I like, and convinced to buy it is the f 4-5.6 speed. It’s a must on my RP.
Date published: 2022-11-18T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Paul Hancq from
Telephoto zoom
Great lens. Compact, sharp, great range of focal lengths.
Date published: 2023-07-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Cable dude from
Cropped sensor telephoto zoom dream
I've done a few photo sessions with it and I love how close it gets. The reviews I read before I bought it were all glowing about it which led me to buy this as my telephoto zoom lens for my Canon 80D. Very smooth in the feel of the zoom and focus elements.
Date published: 2019-01-10T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
SpeedRacer from
Superb for many things
As someone who has a passion for photography and the budget of a McDonald's employee, I was stoked to find this lens in my price range. I've borrowed lenses from family and friends before and this one has each time been the best performer. with this lens, I shoot wildlife, family events, trips, and much more and it performs extremely well. On a safari, with my t3i, this thing focused instantly, and I was able to get shots some of the others couldn't. It is crystal clear, quiet, and lightweight. When I went to Disney World, I was able to shoot at night with no flash and the image stabilization allowed me to shoot at lower ISO so I could really get pictures I could do something with.
Overall a really great lens.
Date published: 2014-12-29T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
tomdock from
Great lens
Lightweight and pretty easy to use. simple to carry. Not one of those monster lens. The 55mm to 250mm is really nice. I do mainly landscape photos so it suits my needs as a one in all lens. AF works fine but may struggle, of course, if your shooting a thin bridge 7 miles away or thin tree branches. I don't have much to compare it with but I'm glad I got this instead of a bulky one.
Date published: 2018-03-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Kara Y from
I love this lens!
I’ve had this lens for about two years now, being my only lens for now as I am a hobbyist with my Canon 77D (previously working with a Canon 50D. But I love the two together. If you love portraits and wildlife, then you’ll love this lens! Very sharp, and super versatile. If you’re taking portraits however, be prepared to stand back quite a bit if you’re looking for a blurred background lol. But otherwise, absolutely amazing. I also suggest adding a lens hood for a greater depth in color. Highly recommend!
Date published: 2020-12-02T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Sue D from
Great mid-range lens
I was looking for a lens to fill the gap between my 135 and my 400, and this is a great solution. The lens is light, fits easily in my 'grab and go' bag, and I've been very happy with the images I've gotten.
Date published: 2020-10-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
KGMN from
Great purchase
We used this lens to take pictures on a recent trip to Israel and it did not disappoint! Easy to use and spot on focus this lens takes fantastic pictures.
Date published: 2019-09-16T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Sieg from
EF-S 55-250 STM
I bought this lens as a lightweight travel lens for shooting motorsports and wildlife photography on hikes. I wasn't expecting L series performance or even similar to my 50-150 f2.8 lens. What I've found after shooting approximately 4000 images with it on my 7D is it produces stellar images, color, crispness, bokha that's hard to argue. Canon has brought a stellar performing lens to market that's affordable for the amatuer and I for one really appreciate that!
Thank you very much Canon!
Date published: 2014-12-13T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
solobackcountry from
Mighty mouse!
I'm so impressed with this lens. I have no desire to pack around the "White Beast" if I don’t need to. I purchases this lens for wildlife photography on my Rebel SL1. What a pair! The 88-400mm equivalent focal length range is so useful. This lens is truly an anomaly for the price. Technical reviews tell the story far better then I can. L grade edge to edge sharpness and color/contrast on sub-frame across the focal length range in a beautifully compact and discrete package. Even distortion is well controlled. The STM autofocus is blazingly fast and accurate. All of these attributes are what you want for wildlife work. The rather small maximum aperture on the long end of the zoom range is not a problem for me. Long telephoto depth of field gets too touchy at f/4 and smaller. I would rather use the ISO for getting the shutter speed up. Image quality up to ISO 800 is solid on APS-C sub-frame. Technical reviews note rather high vignetting (light fall off corner shading at the max f/5.6 aperture on the long end of the zoom range. Dropping down to f/6.3 helps considerably with that if needed. The in-camera peripheral correction takes care of the rest. This is a great lens overall. It's a joy to use and it delivers the goods. What more do you want? Just buy it!
Date published: 2015-09-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
PoolSideLinda from
Beautiful photos!
I am so happy I purchase this lens! My photos are amazing. It is lightweight and highly recommend.
Date published: 2022-04-06T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Genna from
Great lens!
Works perfectly and it’s a great lens. Easy to use.
Date published: 2023-05-10T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
JSimms from
Great lense for the Money
I bought the lense a couple of years ago to go along with my Canon 80D
Date published: 2021-09-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
dr4babies from
Perfect for indrutoctory bird photography!
I am using it to go around Florida birding spots on my Canon M50 See my Instagram account - dr4babies. I am new at it so I picked this lens as a first try type of tool. It has been great at the kind of pictures I do, eventually I will need an 800 mm lens, but for now as I learn about birds this lens will fill about 80% of all my needs.
Date published: 2018-08-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
KT17 from
Like new but less expensive
I’ve only had it for about a week but it’s everything I expected. Typical Canon quality and works well with my T6s.
Date published: 2019-02-03T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Snipes from
Action shots- Sports
Will this lens work on the Rebel T7? How well does this lens take action shots and how close range does it get?
Date published: 2022-09-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Raccie from
Value for money
Bought this for my T5i a few months ago and am more than pleased. Lens is sharp, lightweight and compact. At the price you cant go wrong.
Date published: 2016-05-25T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
JWoodard from
Would never guess it’s a refurbished lens
I bought this shortly after purchasing my M50 camera. While the kit lens is a good starter setup, I wanted to do wildlife photography and the 15mm - 45mm lens could reach out to do what I wanted. I saw the 55mm - 250mm refurbished lens was available on Canon’s website and the price was very good, so I decided to take a chance. I’m very glad I did. I also purchased the EF-M to EF lens adaptor. Now I’m able to take advantage of the lens to capture photos that would otherwise be impossible. You would never think that it was a refurbished lens. Fit and finish is superb, definitely up to Canon’s high standards. Shipping was very quick. Will definitely look at purchasing additional refurbished lens as needed.
Date published: 2019-01-10T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Shelbysue from
Love this lens!
I purchased the Canon Camera in November. Recently upgraded the lens.
Date published: 2019-01-14T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
AStonesthrow from
Options abound
So we bought this lens to expand our options capturing distant images. The possibilities are endless with this zoom power. Their might be other lens better suited for specific needs. But, we find the versatility along with our 18-55 to satisfy. As for being a refurb. the warranty is 1yr. and it arrived as new. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase from Canon again.
Date published: 2019-01-30T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Copedrums from
Good for the price
I bought this lens to use with a drumline. I really wanted some close ups without getting too close. I haven't looked back since. I've used this lens on everything from musicians to wildlife to cars and nature. It's not the brightest but it works. It does back focus from time to time. It's stm motor makes it great for video. The best thing by far is the price. It's no L lens but for somebody who needs a solid zoom range that's on a budget this is that lens. It always goes when I have my camera. Definitely wish it was brighter but then it'd get into higher pricing. Love this lens. It's not tack sharp but it's just under.
Date published: 2015-03-20T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Shuttereye from
Great all around lense
Bought this for a mid range zoom. Very pleased with sharpness and zoom
Date published: 2019-01-07T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
jimbo337 from
A Lot of Budget Bargain Bang!
As a budget photographer, I'm always searching for bargain and discovered a number of reviews praising the quality of the images produced with this lens and decided I needed one. I ordered this from Canon's Refurbished equipment store, got for a bargain price, shipped free, and delivered in a few days. I couldn't tell any difference from a new product - it was sparkling clean and shiny, with unblemished glass, and fully functional. Having tried it out for a couple of months now, I love what I can do with it and am impressed with the image quality.
Date published: 2016-12-02T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jim K from
Great Autofocus and Very Sharp!
I've been taking some bird pictures in my yard lately and decided to try this newest version of Canon's 55-250mm lens after reading some reviews that stated the new optics had improved the sharpness of the lens over previous versions, especially at the long end (above 200mm). I own the original IS version of this lens as well, and have been pretty satisfied with it. However, after trying out this new version for a few days, I must say that it's definitely sharper than my older version at 250 mm f/5.6 (which is what I was hoping for). Autofocus is also very improved and it hunts less before locking on as well as being nearly instantaneous when focusing. Silent motor as well, which should be great for video. Manual focus took me a little bit to figure out, since it's electronic vs. mechanical. I have to keep my finger halfway down on the shutter button to override autofocus with the manual focus ring, but it worked great once I figured that out. With the autofocus switch off, manual focus seems to work similarly to my previous lens. I doubt I will use manual focus much on this lens anyway, since the autofocus is so outstanding and fast.
The key for me with this lens is sharpness at the long telephoto end, and I'm thrilled with the results I'm getting. Birds move fast and are quite twitchy in their movements. You don't get much time to focus and I generally take my pictures at or above 1/500 shutter speed, so improved autofocus and sharpness at 250mm, wide open (f/5.6) was important to me. This new lens has really delivered in both areas and has improved the quality of my pictures noticeably from my former IS version, which was already a pretty decent lens.
I suppose a person could critique the build quality a little with the plastic vs. metal mount, but the counterpoint to that in my opinion is how light this lens is, and it still feels very solid to me in build quality. You can carry this thing around all day and not get tired at all, which means more pictures taken! Sure it's not made for heavy weather and rough conditions, but I'm not a pro so I don't shoot in those conditions anyway. I'm absolutely okay with trading the heavy duty build for lightness in this lens, and its optics seem outstanding to me.
The price for this lens new is already an absolute bargain, and there are some lightly used examples out there that you can get for the price of a good dinner at restaurant!
In my personal experience with this lens, it's improved noticeably in every way from the previous versions, from autofocus to sharpness, to the non-rotating front element for filters. Thank you Canon for keeping us amateur photographers in mind with these outstanding lens offerings at great prices.
I absolutely love this STM version of the 55-250 lens! If you need a telephoto lens at a great price, don't even hesitate, go find one of these today!
Date published: 2017-03-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
dfort from
Best refurbished lens I ever purchased
It was hard to pass up a bargain like this on such a highly rated lens. 100% happy with it.
Date published: 2018-12-28T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
rkota from
Good one
I am happy with this it and it is fast too ...............
Date published: 2019-01-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Rainer from
Great
For the price you can't beat it picture quality is great not professional but still great and I would recommend this all day long.
Date published: 2020-08-21T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
eelboy from
Great lens
Great lens, the image stabilizing feature is great, can focus on distant shots and responds quickly when focusing, great use on outdoors.
Date published: 2015-04-10T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
MPH57 from
Versatile Lens!
Since I purchased this Canon lens (55-250mm, I have already taken beautiful photos of the night sky including the surface of the Super Moon, and a dozen sharp photos of different birds in bright daylight. It works great for both AF (auto focus) and MF (manual focus). This lens has made photography fun!
Date published: 2019-02-03T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
MikeAIndiana from
Great quality lens!
I bought this refurbished but it looks like new! Outstanding results with it so far. Exceeded my expectations.
Date published: 2024-03-25T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
someone else from
Focus ring did not work
Focus ring did not work right out of the box. So sad.
Date published: 2024-07-10T00:00:00-04:00