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

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

Canon
86 Overall Score
vs
Sony FE SEL20TC

Sony FE SEL20TC

Sony
48 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

Sony FE SEL20TC

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Budget
Canon
90
Sony
45
Travel
Canon
85
Sony
43
Street
Canon
82
Sony
54
Portrait
Canon
80
Sony
60
Wildlife Sports
Canon
78
Sony
48
Video Cinema
Canon
77
Sony
50
Landscape
Canon
74
Sony
39
Professional
Canon
68
Sony
49
Macro
Canon
62
Sony
28

Specifications

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STMSony FE SEL20TC
Optics
Typezoomtelephoto
Focal Length Min55 mm—
Focal Length Max250 mm—
Elements158
Groups125
Aspherical Elements01★
ED Elements1★—
CoatingSuper Spectra coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4—
Min Aperture4-5.6—
Constant✗—
Diaphragm Blades7★—
Build
MountCanon EF-SSony E (Full-Frame)
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.38 kg★0.40 kg
Filter Thread58 mm—
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM★—
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops4 stops★2 stops
Focus
Min Focus Distance850 mm★—
Max Magnification0.29x2.0x★

Pros & Cons

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

  • Strong stabilization (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong versatility (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Below average macro (31st percentile)

Sony FE SEL20TC

  • Strong build (71st percentile)
  • Strong aperture (71st percentile)
  • Strong bokeh (70th percentile)
  • Strong stabilization (69th percentile)
  • Below average macro (12th percentile)12th %ile
  • Below average social proof (21st percentile)
  • Below average optical (33rd percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)

Pricing

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is £278 cheaper (2.0x less).

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM0.318score per dollar
vs
Sony FE SEL20TC0.087score per dollar

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM offers 3.7x better value for money

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

Sony FE SEL20TC

Verdict

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

Scores 86 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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