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

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

Canon
84 Overall Score
vs
Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm

Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm

Viltrox
42 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

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

82 out of 100 high confidence 331 reviews

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens is widely praised for its excellent sharpness, fast and silent autofocus, and lightweight design, making it a fantastic value for amateur photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. Many users highlight the impressive image quality at the long end and the effective image stabilization, though some note softness beyond 200mm and noticeable vignetting at full zoom. A few reviewers experienced quality control issues like blurry images or a non-functional focus ring, but the overwhelming consensus is that this lens delivers outstanding performance for its price point.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness for the price
  • Fast and silent STM autofocus
  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Effective image stabilization
  • Great value for money
Cons
  • Softness beyond 200mm
  • Noticeable vignetting at full zoom
  • Plastic build quality
  • Electronic manual focus requires camera power
  • Slow maximum aperture (f/5.6 at 250mm)
👍 Image quality 45
👍 Autofocus performance 30
👍 Value for money 35
🤔 Build quality 20
👍 Image stabilization 18
🤔 Sharpness at long end 25

Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Budget
Canon
93
Viltrox
39
Travel
Canon
81
Viltrox
26
Street
Canon
79
Viltrox
41
Wildlife Sports
Canon
78
Viltrox
39
Portrait
Canon
77
Viltrox
40
Video Cinema
Canon
77
Viltrox
37
Landscape
Canon
73
Viltrox
30
Professional
Canon
67
Viltrox
37
Macro
Canon
62
Viltrox
49

Specifications

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STMViltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min55 mm40 mm
Focal Length Max250 mm40 mm
Elements1510
Groups126
Aspherical Elements0★—
ED Elements11
CoatingSuper Spectra coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4f/16
Min Aperture4-5.6f/2.5
Constant✗—
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountCanon EF-SSony E
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✗✗
Weight0.38 kg★—
Filter Thread58 mm52 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTMSTM
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance850 mm340 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x1:7.14★

Pros & Cons

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

  • Strong stabilization (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong versatility (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong social proof (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Below average macro (32nd percentile)

Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 FE 40mm

  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong macro (66th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (30th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Verdict

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

Scores 84 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports