Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM - Review / Test Report

Looking for a Canon 55-250mm lens review? Read on to find out what we uncovered in our objective optical lab tests.

Photographer and Review Dustin Abbott takes a real world look at Canon's EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM bargain telephoto lens. A lot of bang for the buck!

A budget-priced tele-zoom lens with built-in image stabilisation.Canon's new EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS is designed specifically for cameras with 'APS-C' sized sensors and combines light weight with a very low price tag for an optically-stabilised lens. On the EOS 400D and 40D cameras we used for our tests, its focal length range is equivalent to 88-400mm on a 35mm camera. It's a fairly slow lens - and this is apparent in the viewfinder when you're shooting.

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is a telephoto zoom designed for use on Canon DSLRs featuring an APS-C sensor. A versatile 2nd lens to complement the standard 18-55mm kit lens, it offers an equivalent 80-400mm focal length to get closer to the action and 3.5 stops of image stabilisation. With its DxOMark scores in, lets look at its strengths and weakness and consider some of the other options available.

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is a sharp telephoto zoom, but its aperture is anything but ambitious.