The EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, is a zoom lens that lets you enjoy full-fledged telephoto photography at a reasonable price. This is the one lens I would recommend if mobility is a key concern when you’re looking for a telephoto zoom lens. Read on as I review the lens with the EOS 80D. (Reported by: Ryosuke Takahashi)

 

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Key Benefits

- Weighing about 375g, this is a compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lens that’s easy to handle
- Also great for telephoto macro photography, with its minimum shooting distance of 0.85 m

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250mm

EOS 80D/ EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM/ FL: 250mm (400mm equivalent)/ Aperture-Priority AE (f/5.6, 1/400sec, EV-1)/ ISO 100/WB: Auto
Although it is by no means a bright lens, it is sharp from maximum aperture. There is also no chromatic aberration in the rim of the glasses. One thing that makes this lens so special is that the STM carries out focusing in almost complete silence, which means you don’t have to be selective about the scene you’re using it for.

 

84mm

EOS 80D/ EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM/ FL: 84mm (134.4mm equivalent)/ Aperture-Priority AE (f/5, 1/2,000sec, EV-1)/ ISO 100/WB: Auto
The wide angle range is useful when you want to get moderately close enough to a subject slightly in the distance. When shot at maximum aperture, a corresponding bokeh can be obtained with the subject fully isolated from the background. With a rich power of expression that belies its price, this lens is a real bargain.

 

A lightweight telephoto zoom lens boasting outstanding mobility

Equipped with a lead-screw type STM, the EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is a telephoto zoom lens that boasts excellent usability. A rear focusing system is employed in its optical design, which lets it achieve a minimum shooting distance of 85cm. The lens is easy to handle even indoors, where you would have a hard time shooting at a longer shooting distance, letting you capture the natural expressions of people and pets. With its excellent responsiveness, the STM can also focus sharply at high speed from a large bokeh, making it great for instant changes in composition as well. In any case, although people tend to talk only about the brightness of the f-number and length of the focal range when it comes to lens performance, I would recommend this lens if mobility is a key concern when you’re looking for a telephoto zoom lens.

With an equivalent focal length range of 88 - 400mm, you can have fun playing with ultra-telephoto lens effects at the telephoto end. It probably goes without saying how useful a weight of a mere 375g is despite having such a large zoom ratio.

The picture quality in the entire zoom range is also kept at a high level, letting you create a large bokeh effect that exceeds expectations when you approach the subject with the telephoto end. Manual focusing using the electronic focus ring is also easy, allowing you to operate it at the touch of a finger. The image stabilizer provides up to 3.5 stops worth of shake correction, so you can take handheld shots even with a shutter speed close to 1/30 - 1/40 sec at the telephoto end.

Tip: Suppress subject shake with [ Minimum shutter speed – Auto ]

Although camera shake can be compensated with the image stabilizer, a fast shutter speed is necessary to suppress subject shake. When using Program AE or Aperture-priority AE mode, select [Auto] from the [Min. shutter spd.] menu under the [ISO speed settings] and set the speed to “Faster” to change the program line, and make it stronger against subject shake.

 

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Ryosuke Takahashi

Born in Aichi in 1960, Takahashi started his freelance career in 1987 after working with an advertising photo studio and a publishing house. Photographing for major magazines, he has travelled to many parts of the world from his bases in Japan and China. Takahashi is a member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society (JPS).

 

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