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
Nikon NIKKOR 20mm f/2.8D 20mm

Nikon NIKKOR 20mm f/2.8D 20mm

Nikon
66 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 20mm f/2.8D 20mm

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Budget
Canon
90
Nikon
62
Travel
Canon
85
Nikon
54
Street
Canon
82
Nikon
79
Portrait
Canon
80
Nikon
79
Wildlife Sports
Canon
78
Nikon
50
Video Cinema
Canon
77
Nikon
69
Landscape
Canon
74
Nikon
47
Professional
Canon
68
Nikon
66
Macro
Canon
62
Nikon
51

Specifications

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STMNikon NIKKOR 20mm f/2.8D 20mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min55 mm20 mm
Focal Length Max250 mm20 mm
Elements1512
Groups129
Aspherical Elements01★
ED Elements1★—
CoatingSuper Spectra coatingSuper Integrated Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4f/2.8
Min Aperture4-5.6f/2.8
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountCanon EF-SNikon F
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✗✗
Weight0.38 kg0.16 kg★
Filter Thread58 mm62 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM★Autofocus (for Nikon Cameras with an Autofocus Motor)
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance850 mm249 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x★0.12x

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)

Nikon NIKKOR 20mm f/2.8D 20mm

  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong build (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong social proof (69th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average macro (34th percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Pricing

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is €375 cheaper (2.1x less).

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM0.246score per dollar
vs
Nikon NIKKOR 20mm f/2.8D 20mm0.091score per dollar

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM offers 2.7x better value for money

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

Nikon NIKKOR 20mm f/2.8D 20mm

Verdict

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

Scores 86 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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