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Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

Started Feb 14, 2016 | User reviews
kevindar
kevindar Veteran Member • Posts: 4,625
Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer
12

Picked one of these up as a canon refurb for under 140 delivered. The build quality is what you would expect form a consumer zoom. However, has nice stm focus, with decent speed and has excellent sharpness even wide open at 250mm, and its small and light. Paired with an sl-1 or a 70D it makes for a very nice light tele combo.

I shoot humming birds with many lenses including 100-400L and 70-300L and this lens has never disappointed me

 kevindar's gear list:kevindar's gear list
Canon EF 85mm F1.2L II USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM Sony a7R II Sony a6300 +25 more
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Telephoto zoom lens • Canon EF-S • 8546B002
Announced: Aug 22, 2013
kevindar's score
4.0
Average community score
4.4
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Canon EOS 70D
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Buchanan Senior Member • Posts: 1,124
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

Very nice shots.  Now you've got me second guessing whether to take my 70D with 100-400 v1 on my upcoming Costa Rica trip or instead go light with my SL1 and 55-250.  Still leaning to the former as likely will need all the reach I can get.

 Buchanan's gear list:Buchanan's gear list
Canon PowerShot S95 Canon EOS 60D Canon EOS 6D Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Canon EOS 70D +15 more
kevindar
OP kevindar Veteran Member • Posts: 4,625
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer
1

Buchanan wrote:

Very nice shots. Now you've got me second guessing whether to take my 70D with 100-400 v1 on my upcoming Costa Rica trip or instead go light with my SL1 and 55-250. Still leaning to the former as likely will need all the reach I can get.

thanks. dont get me wrong. the 100-400L is a better lens.  I think the 55-250 has a closer focus distance and greater over all magnification.  its a lot smaller and lighter.

Of course there is no substitute for reach.  400 is a fair bit more reach than 250.

 kevindar's gear list:kevindar's gear list
Canon EF 85mm F1.2L II USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM Sony a7R II Sony a6300 +25 more
MikeJ9116 Veteran Member • Posts: 6,957
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

I bought one a few months ago and it really surprised me with its performance.  Much better than the EF-S 55-250mm II it replaced and that lens wasn't horrible.

hotdog321
hotdog321 Forum Pro • Posts: 21,141
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

Your images are beautiful--I never would have guessed this lens could do this. Well done.

-- hide signature --
 hotdog321's gear list:hotdog321's gear list
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM +3 more
kevindar
OP kevindar Veteran Member • Posts: 4,625
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

hotdog321 wrote:

Your images are beautiful--I never would have guessed this lens could do this. Well done.

thank you for your kind words.

 kevindar's gear list:kevindar's gear list
Canon EF 85mm F1.2L II USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM Sony a7R II Sony a6300 +25 more
stratobill Senior Member • Posts: 2,081
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

kevindar wrote:

hotdog321 wrote:

Your images are beautiful--I never would have guessed this lens could do this. Well done.

thank you for your kind words.

Yes, I am thinking about traveling with an SL1 and 50-250STM, and the 6D for wide, and leaving the 70-300L at home.

 stratobill's gear list:stratobill's gear list
Canon EOS 6D Canon EOS Rebel SL2 Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM +4 more
1cb
1cb Regular Member • Posts: 398
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

Agreed! for anybody on a budget, this lens is a fine addition. I really enjoy this lens.

-- hide signature --

Thanks!
Chris
The best camera in the world is the one you know how to use.

 1cb's gear list:1cb's gear list
Canon EOS R7 Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Canon EF-S 24mm F2.8 STM Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM Macro +5 more
crashpc Veteran Member • Posts: 7,237
Re: Nifty two fifty. Likely the best value tele zoom lens by any manufacturer

Hi.
Very nice images.
I agree on all this. Very good lens, and my piece seems to be sharpest wide open when set at 250mm. Once I stop down to f/8, it gets worse. But guess what... I can put a teleconverter on that, and it at least evens out the old II version image quality, and while that old lens needed to be stopped down to f/8, I don't even have less light. So it is very usable at "350mm f/8(5.6+TC)" compared to old 250mm at f/8. I tried to put two teleconverters on it, and it still can output VERY decent image for 2560p resolution at 950mm of FF equivalent. And while it is on APS-C format, it still gets more light on the sensor than what other 1000mm compact cameras get.

Very nice lens indeed. If they ever made 400mm lens with this image quality...

 crashpc's gear list:crashpc's gear list
Canon EOS M10 Canon EF-M 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM
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