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
Nikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm

Nikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm

Nikon
49 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

Nikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Budget
Canon
93
Nikon
52
Travel
Canon
81
Nikon
29
Portrait
Canon
80
Nikon
49
Street
Canon
79
Nikon
44
Wildlife Sports
Canon
78
Nikon
34
Video Cinema
Canon
77
Nikon
47
Landscape
Canon
70
Nikon
37
Professional
Canon
67
Nikon
45
Macro
Canon
62
Nikon
48

Specifications

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STMNikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min55 mm105 mm
Focal Length Max250 mm105 mm
Elements1514
Groups129
Aspherical Elements00
ED Elements13★
CoatingSuper Spectra coatingNano Crystal Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4f/16
Min Aperture4-5.6f/1.4
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountCanon EF-SNikon F
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✗✗
Weight0.38 kg★0.98 kg
Filter Thread58 mm82 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM★Autofocus
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance850 mm★1.00 m
Max Magnification0.29x1:7.7★

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 (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Below average macro (32nd percentile)

Nikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm

  • Strong social proof (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong optical (75th percentile)
  • Below average build (18th percentile)18th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is €1,464 cheaper (5.4x less).

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM0.251score per dollar
vs
Nikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm0.027score per dollar

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM offers 9.3x better value for money

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

Nikon NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED 105mm

Verdict

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

Scores 84 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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