Canon EF-S 55-250mm Lens

Thanks for reading ladies and gentlemen. Sit back, grab a Coke and some popcorn, and get ready to hear about one of the best amateur lenses on the market. Ok, here it goes...

I got the lens about 2 weeks ago, and I made myself wait a while so I could have time to try it out. However, I could tell I was gonna love it from the moment I put it on my camera, and it's proved to be a super lens! Now, don't get me wrong, this lens is not for you professionals out there. In fact, if you're a professional photographer, I should be asking you why you're even reading a review for a $300 lens. Go get the $1000 lens that you need...bye...Now the rest of you fellow amateurs pay attention...

...if you're just a budding photographer like myself who enjoys good equipment, good quality pictures, and stress free shooting...then, my friend, this lens is for you! You'll love it! I know I do!

The image stabilizer is just about the coolest photo-invention since going digital. I was never a huge fan of IS-technology until I actually tried it out. It's totally cool! I don't want to shoot without it anymore! Just push the shutter button half-way, and the little beauty starts working. As you hear a very quiet little buzzing sound (not annoying at all, but just lets you know that it's working properly), instantly the picture become clear, and the annoying camera "jiggle" that's usually there is gone. Since you're actually viewing right through the lens on an SLR, the viewfinder shows you how steady the image is and makes you more confident about your picture taking.

The only quibble I've got is that at times the auto-focus seems like it gets confused and has trouble finding what to focus on, and usually this only happens in low light. So, I just let off the button and retry, and it works the second time. Other than that, it works fast, smoothly, and quite accurately the other ninety-something percent of the time.

The images from this lens are great! Very clear and crisp! The difference between shooting in IS mode and non-IS is drastic! I love the way I can shoot at slower shutter speeds and still take very clear pictures. That alone is worth the money! However, the camera also has a great zoom, smooth manual focus, decent auto-focus, and the color reproduction is not bad at all. Now there are those who will tell you that the colors look drab compared to some other lens that cost a lot more...so what? A Ford Mustang is a great car, but it won't keep up with a Chevy Corvette Z06 either...so there you have it. If you want the very, absolute best...go pay more. In fact, if you leave now, you can still catch up with the professionals who left at the end of the first paragraph. But on the other hand, if you're content to save some money and go for a great deal on a super lens with a smaller price tag, you're still going to be quite happy with this one.

Hope that helps you out. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

P.S. Pick up your popcorn crumbs on the way out. Thanks.

This canon 55-250mm lens with IS (image stability system) is the best that I have used for under $800 dollars..I sold this lens to buy the (better if you will) 75-300 canon usm ultrasonic IS lens for $600.. in my opinion the only real difference between the $200 canon 55-250mm (IS) and the $600 canon 75-300mm (IS)other then the fractional (mm) difference is the price

You pay $400 more for a lot of little features that don't matter in general purpose SLR shooting but at the same time the cheaper (if you will) 55-250mm lens has a better (image stability system)and yes it is not as complicated as the more expensive 75-300mm (image stability system) but it works better

below are the pros and cons of the two canon lens

pro's for the canon 55-250mm

1.great (image stability system) up to 4 stops
2.good usable wide and zoom range for most users
3.good picture quality for any entry level CANON SLR (all EOS series)
4.good dependable lens
5.Great price for such a good lens (around $200)

pro's for the Canon 70-300mm

1.Good (image stability system) but limited to 2 stops for a high 300mm lens
2.very good quick focus for fast action and sharp picture (ultrasonic motors)
3.better build construction over all
4.a little better picture quality then the 55-250mm lens
5.a little better color quality then the 55-250mm lens

OK now here are the cons of these 2 lenses starting with canon 55-250mm

1.a fairly slow focus compared to the 70-300mm due to non (ultrasonic motors)
2.build quality not as good as some canon lenses
3.hard to auto focus in low light situations(the75-300mm is better in this area)

now onto the canon 70-300mm cons

1.image stability system is only 2 stops max (1.5 at wide angle)
2.well over $500 in price even used will cost you in the low $500 range
3.not a noticeable $300+ difference other then build quality for the average users
4.kind if heavy for the (eos series SLR) like the 450D,500D

so with that in mind you may ask why I think the canon 55-250mm (IS) is so much better then the big brother 70-300mm (IS)??? well it is simple both lenses are great in their own prospective the 70-300mm has faster focus,better build and little better picture quality but cost well over $300 more then the 55-250mm

while on the other hand the 55-250mm has a better image stability system and a better fit in smaller Canon SLR cameras while at the same time has compareable picture quality for the price.

For most of us we use our SLR camera 3 maybe 5 times per month ( you can only go to the zoo,seaworld,disneyland and universal studios so many times in a month)you want good pictures both lenses will give you that the primary difference between the two is quicker focus and build quality.. in my opinion the 55-250 is a better deal over all and has worked for me flawless over the year I have owned it and while i know the 70-300mm will last me for years I am dissipointed in the small differences that the lens offers for over $300 more then the 55-250mm lens

If you are reading this then that means that you are looking into the 55-250 (image stability system) lens and all I can say is that it is a great lens for the price and it won't dissipoint

I purchased this lens as a replacement for my aging Sigma 70-300 lens. The new canon 55-250 IS lens is lighter, sharper, has faster focus and better bokeh than my previous telephoto.

I can't compare this to an L-series lens, but optically there are very few flaws. Contrast isn't quite perfect at the telephoto end but it is easily corrected with photoshop and is still miles better than other telephotos in this price range. Highly recommended.

I just purchased this lense. I have a Canon XSI with the kit 18-55IS. After reading reviews and I read ALOT I decided to purchase it. I am new to the DSLR photography but I have a keen eye. I do not have a lot of money to spend so this was my choice. So far I am very pleased. It takes clean pictures. I would reccommend it as a good second lense if you cant spend alot of cash.

I bought this lens after reading MANY reviews. My main reasons for buying this lens were the price, the zoom range and the IS (Image Stabilization). It is probably not a lens for "professionals" but very good for most of us amateurs (especially the price). I have had this lens since May of 2009 and it has been on my Canon 20D most of the time since then. It has become my favorite lens. I have gotten many great shots of my daughter's softball games and some nice sunsets as well.

The Image Stabilization works great allowing me to take photos hand held when I couldn't before. The result has also led to more "keepers".
The wide zoom range covers most user's needs but for shooting a baseball/softball game more range is needed. Even 300mm is not enough for getting good shots of plays in the outfield.

Size and weight were not an issue for me, I have this on a 20D which is fairly heavy by itself.

Pros:
Price - (this is a great lens for the price)
IS - every bit as good as advertised
Sharp, clear pictures at all distances

Cons:
My only complaint is the lack of a hood which I remedied by purchasing the ET-60 online for less than $20.

Brand new, OEM Canon lens, perfect condition (new) and excellent shipping. Best price. Did a great job of packaging and was able to track throughout through UPS. I would highly recommend this seller to anyone.

I haven't been using my new lens as much as I'd like to be (busy with work), but so far it seems to be a pretty nice lens, especially for the price. It has a fair length of zoom, but not as much as I need (will need to look at getting the 70-300mm IS USM lens).

Pros:
- fairly sharp, even at 200mm zoom
- image stabilizer
- good for amateurs

Cons:
- not USM, so it's a little slow when focusing
- somewhat heavy, so when not on a tripod can get heavier by the minute

There's not much to say, it's a good 1st choice for my novice level and much more afforable than my next step up (70-300mm).

excellent image quality...little noise...downside would be the plastiky feel of the body...but as an amateur photographer this is a must have lense...good for wild life. overall good deal...i got it for $140 with uv lens cover...

Forget the low price. This lens is perfect. I tested it and viewed the results with over 200% magnification - like making more than a 32" X 40" print. I cannot imagine a sharper lens (corner to corner), or a lens with better contrast and color renditions.

The inclusion of Image Stability hardware internally means up to a four shutter speed or f-stop gain for hand held picture taking - like having a mysterious built-in tripod.

The Canon 250D closeup filter can be added to expand its use to include macro photography. I'm told the results of this combo are spectacular.

This lens, being of such quality and versatility, is now one of my three most cherished Canon lenses.

I'm a amateur and I was extremely impressed with this lens. Works awesome and can't believe some of the shots I've gotten using this!

Pleasure buying from you!!! Thanks a lot.
Fast shipping, very good lens condition.
It arrived very fast and i would be pleased to deal with you again!!!

Acquired this lens thinking it would make a great addition with my equipment. Over all the lens feels a bit cheap (material used in fabrication), rattles as well. The only good thing that did come out what were I purchased it from, great customer services, them I recommend the lens not to sure.

Very pleasant to deal with. Went above and beyond to get in touch with me about the purchase......................​..............................​..............................​.............

as long the depth is as good as the surface id say everything the seller said was accurate, only time will tell.

I am an amateur photographer and I bought this lens for my first "zoom" up from my kit lens. We have livestock and needed something that could get close without requiring me to get close. I took it out for the first time the other day and couldn't be happier with the results. Given, if I was a professional photographer, I might be disappointed. But, I did my research and felt that I wanted an IS lens no matter what. To me, regardless of the length of the zoom, it didn't matter if the image was shaky. Needless to say, this lens met my every expectation. My pics were fabulous! I was so excited to get those pics that I haven't been able to achieve with my other lens. I have shopped lenses for so long and feel like for the price, I made the right decision.

EXCELLENT PRODUCT AND FAST DELIVERY SERVICE.. EXCELLENT PRICE. ITEM WORKS GREAT. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

This lens takes amazing quality pictures, and it should be what you would expect from Canon. I use it for Baseball and Softball pictures, and it does a great job for not breaking my budget. Picks up right where the stock lens for a XSi leaves off. Would recommend to anyone.

Compared to many times the cost of this lens for the USM IS lens - this IS lens works well and serves the average photographer for the purpose of mid distance telephoto uses without adding the extra size and weight that comes with a larger 300mm lens. Feels sturdy and well built, while not feeling heavy and sluggish in the focusing or IS functions. I'm happy with it.

I'm not a pro, but no beginner either. This lens is great for the price. It lets me zoom in tight and the auto-focus responds fast enough for me. If I had to do it all over, I'd still buy this lens.

I love this item. I bought it for mostly water shots. I don't like getting to close to the water with my camera. The lens takes pictures as if I am at the waters edge. The clarity and contrast of the pictures are amazing. The image stabilizer works beautifully and the pictures come out great. I don't find anything wrong with this item, I wasn't expecting it to be to big, but that wasn't a problem. It seems durable and it is very easy to use. A very happy customer here! :-)

It is what it is. The lens performs as advertised and takes decent photos. It is indeed a bit slow on the focus and I have missed some action shots because of this. Definitely not for the pros but good enough for the rest of us casual photographers. Good value, good performance and I definitely am happy with this lens

good for beginners who want some zoom. love the image stabilizer. Great price compared to similar lens for Nikon and it is Canon brand.

If you are looking to reduce the number of lenses you carry around with you and still want the range flexibility of what multiple lenses offer, this is worth considering.

This lens has already proven to be extremely useful. I am a Canon person, and I believe the quality of their products is superior to others. I tend to stick with the same lenses as those manufactured for my Canon EOS XSi. This lens is "just as advertised".