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Customer Reviews for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Compact, lightweight lens with Optical Image Stabilizer technology
High zoom ratio lens equivalent to 88-400mm in 35mm format
Can hand-hold at shutter speeds slow as 1/15th of a second
UD-glass lens element to correct chromatic aberration
Average Customer Rating:
(43 Reviews) 43
Rating Snapshot (43 reviews)
5 stars
32
4 stars
9
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
0
41 out of 43(95%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Review 1 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: apocalypse
Location: My first 55-250 in Chicago
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Travel
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great zoom lens .
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 18, 2011
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: none
I use this lens to get great close up shots as well as far away shooting with really good results . The noise during the zoom will just fade away the longer you start using this nice lens .
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Celeste
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great Value Zoom Lens
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 17, 2011
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images, manually focus is easy
Cons: Slow auto-focus
I love this lens! I purchased it to go with my T3, because the kit lens hardly zooms. Boy, am I pleased!. It's ultra-easy to use and the image quality is awesome. I can get great shots without having to interrupt my subject. Manually focusing is easy. The only con I have is how the Auto Focus is both loud and slow. However, if you can manually focus this is not a problem. Also, make sure you don't get too close to the subject because you won't be able to focus it. Again, not a problem if you back up and manually focus. You can get some great macro-like shots without the macro lens cost. Overall I am quite satisfied and recommend this as a great beginning zoom lens.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: GuitarPHILBERT
Location: SE Florida
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
Better than most!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 2, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images, image stabilization, price, light weight
Cons: vignetting, plastic mount
I was searching for a telephoto mate to my EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, which is one of the best lenses Canon makes for crop sensor cameras, and nothing fit the bill. I took a chance and tried this cheap lens. Wowza! Super sharp and great contrast. In test shootouts it stood up well to the best, and stays great throughout the whole range. Extra sharp all the way out to 250mm.
The only two things I would complain about is the vignetting (dark corners) when you get zoomed out, and I would have paid a little more for a metal mount. But at this price you can't beat it until you get up to L class glass, and that you pay plenty for. I still wish Canon made a 55-300mm like my fantastic 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, but until they do I am sticking with this lens. Correcting stills in DPP is easy. My only concern is video on the long end with the vignetting issue. But image quality is super sharp and abberation is minimal, so just get this lens...you will like it!
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Jack
Location: Orlando, FL
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great telephoto on a budget
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:June 5, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images, short minimum distance, is system, very light, easy of use, low cost
Cons: Poor build quality
About a year ago i had to sell my Canon 75-300 IS lens. I was totally surprised by this lens. A 55-250 Image stabolized lens? A Canon Lens. At first i felt it was too good to be the truth.Until I had the chance to used for the first time. Image stabolized system realy works ( i did as low as 1/15 of a second without tripod with good results), second works great for portraits (narrow depth of field). Focal lenth very usefull. Very light. What i do not like is a plastic mount and front (as well most of the structure). On the other hand i found only couple situations when this was a issue (someone drop the lens and cracked front plastic filter mount). Since this lens is mostly plastic it is also very light. It take a lot less space than older full frame 75-300 IS. Since it is easier to use I also use a lot moreen than 75-300 IS. Picture quality is also very good. I low light focus could be faster. 55-250 can be use with 2x teleconverter for combine focal lenght of 55-400 which more than any photo enthusiast will use in a lifetime (that is in APC CMOS conversion equivalent of 77-350, or with 2x teleconverter 144-700!!!). This makes this lens the only telephoto lens You ever need. Lets not forget a average price of $200, which is less than half of previous 75-300 IS. Now almost anyone can afford second lens. I think Canon is making a revolution in IS affordable yet still good quality lenses. No other brand comes close.
27 of 27 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: StandsStills
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
Excellent Starter IS Lens
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:May 19, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images, excellent is, value
Cons: Slow auto-focus, slightly muted colors
Had this lens four four months now,As with others is a little slow with autofocus on my T2i. Qualityof images is top notch for a non L lense.Has fairly good bokeh.Again this is not an L lense so for the value I feel it is a good choice.In my experience with it I get Excellent Quality Images with it about 85% of the time,Shooting Sports and Wildlife and even still life compositions.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Robert
Location: Texas
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Great lens for the money
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:May 1, 2011
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Super-sharp images
As someone new to DSLR photography I read many reviews on this lens and was a little concerned with the plastic mount. After using and abusing it for a year I must say it's quite durable and stands up very well. My images are sharp and clear. It stays on my camera as the primary lens. I shoot sports, nature and stills and have had no bad experiences.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: DCM1024
Location: Columbia, SC
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Quality Images at an affordable price
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 30, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images
I love this lens! I recently used this lens for a Bridal shoot mounted on my Canon Rebel T2i. I also used the 5D Mark II with the EF 70-200mm IS F/2.8 II for the same shoot. The Bride purchased two 16 x 20 enlargements, one from each camera/lens combo. When viewed side by side, there was no visible difference in quality in the enlargements. I highly recommend this lens as an inexpensive alternative to produce high quality images!
21 of 21 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: ghoward671
Location: Waco, TX
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Excellent Value/Performance
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 29, 2011
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, is above average
I am most pleased,but more surprised by a relatively low cost lens. Canon has done their homework with this lens in combining quality optics with outstanding IS in a relatively light weight package. I have taken long range, macro, and portrait shots with great satisfaction.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: ChuckS
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Portraits
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Great lens, for the price.
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 29, 2011
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: Slow auto-focus
Photography is my hobby not my profession. As such when I decided to upgrade to better equipment I chose Canon due to a lot of recommendations from friends who do shoot professionally. Once I got some of the basics down I wanted a decent telephoto lens with IS but did not want to spend a fortune on it. I came across this lens and bought it at a local retailer with a good return policy. Needles to say since I am taking time to write this I would not dream of returning this lens as it is now my most used of all my lenses. I use it for taking photos of everything from family portraits to events such as air shows. The images are crisp and clear and everything I hoped they would be. The only two cons I found are the same as a few others have mentioned. Autofocus is a bit slow, especially in the 200 to 250MM zoom range. And the moving focus ring which is common it seems on Canon’s low end lenses makes using filters a pain. But for the price you can’t beat the value and performance of this lens.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: drguffey
Location: Murphy, NC
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
Excellent lens !!!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 13, 2011
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: Slow auto-focus, slow only compared to usm !
I bought this lens to use for outdoor sports. Wider & longer that my 70-200 F4-L, & a featherweight by comparison. Some complain about plastic build but it seems very well constructed to me. Optically, it is superb ! I did some comparison shots & I CANNOT tell the difference !! The auto focus is quite fast, just a tad slower than USM. I'm getting terrific results & can't be happier !! It's earned 5 stars from me !!
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Cdawg2323
Location: NE Ohio
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
CANON QUALITY
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:April 10, 2011
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Pound per pound , round for round, simply put Canon delivers.The IS system is a must and gift from the gods as far as picture taking. The lens ii self is solid as a rock balanced and quiet. At maximum distance the image is sharp and close up the detail is scary good. I buy and will only buy Canon for my serious picture taking.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Lynnzee
Location: Superior, WI
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
Nice Lens
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:February 24, 2011
Cons: Slow auto-focus
I bought this lens a few months ago for my Canon T1i! I use this lens quite a bit with almost everything I do! I like it very much for events with many people! It is the perfect size and allows me to get close up shots with out having to be in peoples faces! The price for this lens in fabulous!!
There are though a few things that I am a bit disappointed with. First off I am very disappointed with the time it takes to focus. It takes a bit of thinking on the lenses part to get the right focus. Second I am not to happy with the end ring moving so much! It is harder to work with filters and is VERY noisy!!
The slow focus is something that anyone can work with and the end ring moving is also something I can live with.. So over all I would recommend this lens! It is a nice lens to have in your bag just in case!
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Vinnie
Location: Paris, France
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Sports
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No
A Great zoom for low budjets
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 2, 2011
Pros: Super-sharp images, efficient is, wide zoom range, small size
Cons: Slow auto-focus, front lens rotates
I purchased this lens for my T1i, and I simply love it. It does 99% of what I want to do with a telephoto zoom.
The only problem : the front lens rotates while focusing, so using of a polarizer isn't funny...
The only problem : the front lens rotates while focusing, so using of a polarizer isn't funny...
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Ryan708
Location: New Hampshire
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No
About what I expected
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 24, 2011
Pros: cheap, nice zoom, is
Cons: soft above 175mm
Not a bad lense for the price, at 55mm to about 150 I find the Immages very sharp, wide open at 250 is pretty soft, but the IS allows me to stop it down a bit, wich makes it more crispy, AF is a tad slow and the IS is noisy(odd i know). If taking a Long expose (3 sec or more) dissable the IS, it tends to slowly wander and cause blurriness in long exposures. I do plan on upgrading someday, but for the money this is not bad!
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: New Orleans, LA
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Good zoom lens for price.
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 23, 2011
Pros: sharp images, good for price, light weight.
Cons: Slow auto-focus
WIth this lens you get what you pay for. I have mainly used the lens for action shots and it has constanly deliverd. The images are very sharp and the IS works very well. I have found this lens to preform fairly well in low light but some times strugles with the closer focusing distances. Also the Auto-Focus is sometimes slow but is accurate .It is light weight but not the best built quality. This lens overall has exceeded all of my expectations for it.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: JRooney
Location: Birmingham, AL
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: No
My first lens purchase
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 17, 2011
Being new to photography a few years ago, I needed a telephoto lens for my trip to a Red Sox game and it worked unbelievably well. This lens gave me the photography bug that I have now. Currently I am using the lens with my 400D. I've used it for many types of shots from nature photography to portrait and it has worked great. I use it most with manual focus in full manual mode, and it has worked very well. Couldn't be happier!!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Andrew
Location: San Francisco, Ca
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Best Lens for the Price
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 14, 2011
Pros: great manual focus, excellent quality for the price, images are sharp
Canon 55-250mm F/4-5.6 IS
As a photography student in college, I purchased this lens in a Kit with my Canon T2i.
I currently own several lenses and mainly use this lens for portrait shots and it certainly does an excellent job for the price.
I have used this lens for about 32,000 images and it has shot Portrait, Flowers, Insects, Nature and different sort of events with many people.
I currently own several lenses and mainly use this lens for portrait shots and it certainly does an excellent job for the price.
I have used this lens for about 32,000 images and it has shot Portrait, Flowers, Insects, Nature and different sort of events with many people.
It has a great design and feels good in my hand.
The manual focus works excellent.
The manual focus works excellent.
The images are crisp and sharp. I mostly manually focus and shoot with full manual settings.
I plan in the near future/next several weeks to upgrade to the Canon 70-200mm F/4 IS USM or the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 IS USM.
Though soon this lens will be replaced, it will still serve as a great backup lens. If you are on a low budget, you can accomplish a great deal of beautiful images with this lens.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: tshore
Location: Northern California
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Very Good Starter Zoom
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 22, 2010
Pros: value
Cons: autofocus speed
I purchased this lens 3 years ago to go with the 18-55mm kit lens on my Rebel XSi. Since that time it has been my primary lens, and I have used it to take about 10,000 images of my and other kids outdoor sports activities. Because of the quality of many of these images, I've been able to share them with other fans/parents and have developed youth sports photography as a new hobby.
So, this lens has changed my life. It may change yours too, if you are new to this activity, as I was. I've outgrown the lens now (maybe?) and am purchasing a 70-200 f4 IS, but for 3 years this lens has given great service and captured priceless moments.
I have taken many wonderful, sharp pictures with this lens, and reliability has been flawless. Resolution has been all I could ask - if the picture is in focus. The lens' shortcoming, in my experience, has been autofocus speed. The fraction of a second that it sometimes takes this lens to hone in on its subject is can be the difference between a great shot and no shot at all. Often it's there, but sometimes it just misses.
I would nearly give this lens 5 stars...I only hold back from that rating because of the autofocus speed. That said, I would very much recommend this lens to anyone new to the DLSR hobby/obsession who needs a telephoto zoom to go with a lens that covers the short end of the focus range. This lens added a new hobby to my life, which I consider pretty good value for less-than-$300 investment.
67 of 69 people found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Rebel
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Great lense for portraits, sports, and wildlife
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:October 29, 2010
I purchased this lense due to the following reasons listed below:
* EF-S lense that matches my Canon EOS Rebel XSi
* IS (image stabilizer) feature for handheld shooting of shutter speeds 4 f-stops faster.
* Magnification/conversion factor of 1.6
* Best of the other 5 EF-S lenses
* Small, compact, and weighs just 13.8 oz.
* EF-S lense that matches my Canon EOS Rebel XSi
* IS (image stabilizer) feature for handheld shooting of shutter speeds 4 f-stops faster.
* Magnification/conversion factor of 1.6
* Best of the other 5 EF-S lenses
* Small, compact, and weighs just 13.8 oz.
24 of 26 people found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Nickname: Benn
Location: Arkansas
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Great lens
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:August 10, 2010
Pros: lightweight, sharp, affordable
Had this lens before I bought the 100x400 L.Dollar for dollar you can't get a better lens.
21 of 23 people found this review helpful.
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