Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Pixel peepers may disagree, but I would argue that there is no significant difference between the image quality output of this sub-300 dollar lens and a "professional grade" lens priced at or north of 1000 dollars when mounted on an APS-C body with apertures set equivalent. I think people who own APS-C bodies (Canon Rebels, 70D, 7D, etc) often assume a common fallacy when they begin to covet expensive lenses such as the Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II: that "professional" glass will consistently yield significantly sharper images. I know I did until I did some testing and found that for the majority of use cases this is simply not true. Most of your pictures will be viewed by others at a resolution and size where the human eye simply cannot objectively discern a difference in sharpness between pictures taken with this lens vs. a professional lens (stopped down to the same aperture and mounted on the same camera body). So please APS-C camera body owners, do not go down the gear acquisition rabbit hole of buying expensive lenses without truly assessing where the value resides. Understand that what this lens does not provide is the ability to shoot at low apertures. That is the primary gain of mounting a more expensive EF professional lens on your crop body. Low apertures are beneficial for low light situations and subject isolation (fyi. even f5.6 produces really good shallow depth of field at 200+ mm that would satisfy most non-commercial applications which the Canon 55-250mm IS STM can do). But if low light photography and fancy super blurry backgrounds is really your thing, then instead spend those big bucks towards a full frame camera. Your APS-C body with that expensive lens is the wrong combination for that application. Of course others will praise the build quality/ruggedness and weather sealing as other values of a more expensive, professional lens.... whatever... I feel a lot less nervous taking this cheap lens on rugged adventures, knowing at most Im out a few hundred bucks vs. thousands in the unlikely event that I damage my gear. So if you have a legitimate need to shoot 70-200mm at f2.8 or even at f4 then by all means pay the extra thousand bucks for a fancier lens than this one. Please understand that its not a significant image quality gain, but instead it is actually a gain in versatility. Otherwise know that the Canon 55-250 IS STM lens will give you brilliant, sharp images within its very reasonable aperture limitations at a price that is affordable.

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The operative words here are "entry-level." If you have a Canon DSLR, chances are it came with the 18-55mm "kit lens," which by itself is a fairly sold kit offering, especially for outdoor photography with ample light. The next logical choice is a telephoto lens to reach out and pull in your subject a bit more. The 55-250mm is a logical choice as it is of the same build quality is the 18-55 kit lens, comes with image stabilization and autofocus, and doesnt break the bank. Canon also deliberately built this lens to pick up where the 18-55mm kit lens left off, so the two together give the user 18-250mm with no overlap, which is where most photography is done. If youre an amateur photographer looking to explore longer focal lengths this is a good starter. It seems also a widely sold lens, so there are a lot of white box and refurbished options saturating the market, so buying a cheap, lightly used 55-250 is easy to do. Be careful not to set your expectations too high - in fact, keep them on par with the 18-55 kit lens. This lens has a relatively limited aperture for its focal range, and what that means is that youll need ample light for clear shooting, or a stable platform from which to shoot (monopod, tripod, etc.). The IS function helps but cant do all the work. Indoor usage will probably warrant a flash, and Ive even had my camera tell me to use a full flash with this lens outdoors on a cloudy day. This is due to its limited aperture, which is fine. The rule of thumb I follow is for telephoto, I do not exceed a f-stop number higher than f/4, and for standard and wider lenses, f/2.8. This lens fits that rule at its widest but as you zoom, it will decrease its aperture and require more light or manual tweaking of shutter/ISO settings. Accessories are relatively cheap too - you owe it to yourself to protect the front with a 58mm filter and/or hood, but be advised that finding the right hood might be difficult because this lens extrudes as you torque it through its zoom range, so finding a hood that will work with that might be tricky. The real benefit of this lens is its value. For what you pay, you get a great entry level plastic telephoto lens on par with kit lenses. This will allow the amateur a way to grow in skill and explore more options. Ive used this lens for portrait work in the 100mm range and it worked well with an old Canon 300D. Ive even been lucky using this lens on a tripod pointed at a backyard bird bath during sunrise to capture all sorts of birds with pretty good results as far as beginning photography is concerned. Your money can go a long way with this lens. If you can master this lens with an older camera, it will prepare you for moving into more robust equipment. This lens combined with an older camera will give the amateur a lot to learn without spending a wheelbarrow of cash. Keeping your expectations for this lens realistic will help you learn the basics and provide you with the experience to know whether youre ready to step up to a lens of better build quality and performance. Its a great extension to your starter kit and highly recommended for beginners.

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