All-purpose
lenses are budget options for amateur photographers who cannot afford to spend
big bucks on premium lenses, but want to have a long-range option for portraits
to wildlife. The Canon 55-250mm has been a popular choice, being an ideal
extension to the 18-55mm kit lens. This lens has recently been upgraded with a
second generation Image Stabiliser.
This telephoto zoom lens is
designed with Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer technology
while retaining compactness and lightness, in response to demands of
photographers.
Design & Build Quality
The Canon
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens is constructed with tough polycarbonate
material. The lens has the same dimensions of its predecessor and features an
AF/MF switch and Image Stabiliser switch on its outer
barrel. It has a wider zoom ring and narrower focus ring, both featuring rubber
grips. The mount is also made of plastic. Though we do not consider a plastic
mount to be fragile, we have seen worn out and scratched mounts, which could
compromise weather sealing.
Key Features
The EF-S
55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens is specially designed for APS-C bodies and provides
an equivalent focal length of 88- 400mm. It cannot be used with Full Frame
cameras. This is an upgrade to the earlier version of the same focal length
lens, with an optical image stabiliser added to it.
Canon claims an advantage of 4 stops in the shutter speed with the image stabiliser. Aperture ranges from f/4 to 22 at 55mm and
f/5.6 to 32 at 250mm. It features a 7-bladed diaphragm and features Super
Spectra coating. The lens is constructed with 12 elements in 10 groups
including a UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass element to minimise
chromatic aberration. It offers a maximum magnification of 0.31x.
The lens provides a diagonal angle of view of 27° 50’- 6° 15’. It focusses as
close as 1.1m.
This high zoom ratio lens is
equivalent to a focal length of 88-400mm in the 35mm format
The
markings on the lens are not etched into the material, but printed in white.
This can possibly fade with constant rough use. The lens has dimensions of 70
(dia.) x 108mm and weighs approximately 390g.
Ergonomics
The
55-250mm IS II lens is lightweight and comfortable to use. The smooth zoom ring
makes zooming effortless. The lens does not have internal focusing or zooming,
and hence the barrel extends while zooming and focusing. The front element also
rotates while focusing, which makes it difficult to use CPL and graduated
filters.
Performance
We tested
the lens on a Canon EOS 600D body. It produced sharp images and the sweet spot
was consistent at f/5.6 at all focal lengths. Autofocus was slow and loud,
compared to Canon’s premium lenses, but since this is a budget super zoom, this
is expected. The AF system latched on to the subject without any problem even
under low light. The lens produced slight pincushion distortion from 100mm
(approximately 160mm equivalent) onwards, but you will notice it only if you
deliberately look for it. Darkening was observed at the corners at 55mm with
the lens wide open. The lens produced flare with prominent purple fringing when
it was subjected deliberately to extremely strong against- the-light
situations. The above ‘flaws’ were not noticeable in everyday
situations.
Quality-wise, the EF-S 55-250mm II lens is even
clearer and more pleasing to the eyes in terms of overall quality compared to
the Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC lens.
Optical
Image Stabilisation performed well, as claimed by
Canon. The lens coatings did not introduce any unwanted cast in the images.
Value for Money
The Canon
55-250mm IS II lens retails at an MRP of Rs.17,995. At
this price, the lens is good value for money.
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Specifications:
·
Focal Length: 55-250mm
·
Maximum Aperture: f/4-5.6
·
Lens Construction: 12 elements in 10 groups,
including one UD-glass element
·
Diagonal Angle of View: 27° 50’- 6° 15’ (with
APS-C image sensors)
·
Focus Adjustment: DC motor, gear-driven (front
focusing design)
·
Closest Focusing Distance: 1.1m
·
Maximum magnification: 0.31x
·
Filter Size: 58mm
·
Max. Diameter x Length: 70 x 108mm (maximum
lens length)
·
Weight: 390g
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