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Those who have 55-200, was it worth getting the 55-250?

Started 3 months ago | Discussions thread
Larry Rexley Senior Member • Posts: 1,238
Re: Those who have 55-200, was it worth getting the 55-250?

R2D2 wrote:

Larry Rexley wrote:

I've had my eye on the Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens in EF mount, but found it a little too pricey for my budget. I do try bird & BIF photography from time to time, and the 55-250 + 1.5x TC (for a 375mm f8 lens) isn't quite bright or long enough for those) I also do a lot of astrophotography and really could use something more like the Sigma's specs for deep sky galaxies and nebulae on my iOptron SkyGuider Pro tracking mount. From what I've seen the Siggy should be even sharper than my 55-250 + 1.5x TC combo and will have much more reach.

FInally this week Wednesday the Siggy 150-600 C went on a one-day sale at B&H for $699.... with a 6-year warranty, and that being close to the eBay 'used' price.... I finally took the plunge, and am looking forward to filling the 'last gap' in my lens lineup.

The Siggy 150-600 is big and heavy though, so I"m sure the EF-M 55-200 or EF-S 55-250 will continue to go with me frequently as the 'light' telephoto option if I'm not specifically shooting wildlife.

Holy cow, you did go for the Chunka Lunka! If you ever get tired of holding that big boy up, the Wimberley MonoGimbal is excellent on a monopod! (a friend of mine has one that I've tried)...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1513932-REG/wimberley_mh_100_monogimbal_head.html

Great idea to use gimbal-style to mount the lens sideways on the rotating tripod collar!  it seems to me that hardware at your link is overpriced for what it is --- my thought is that a sturdy ball-head could pretty much do the same thing...

You've just unwittingly solved the 'floppy top-heavy camera' flaw I had with my night-train-monopod rig!  I made this setup to shoot two simultaneous 4k videos in extreme dark conditions, one with a 16mm or 32mm f1.4 wide or normal lens, the other with 100mm f1.4 lens. Both M6ii cameras have external mikes.

Worked like a charm to rotate the lens collar with tripod mount facing the side --- now the ball head rests in the bottom of the cradle and can be loosened slightly to allow the M6ii with the heavy Roki 135mm f2 with 0.71x speed booster to be tilted up and down!

I do still prefer handholding though! Mainly due to that "swinging the monopod around while trying to track a BIF" thing. As for monopods, the one I like best is the Manfrotto "Auto" monopod # 3245. Long discontinued, but still available used on Fleabay (if it has developed "stiction," there is a (hidden) screw for adjusting that).

Enjoy your new toy!

I'm sure I will, and will let you know how it goes in a few weeks.

R2

 Larry Rexley's gear list:Larry Rexley's gear list
Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS M200 Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM +21 more
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