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 SEL35F18F 35mm

Sony FE SEL35F18F 35mm

Sony
52 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 SEL35F18F 35mm

85 out of 100 high confidence 303 reviews

The Sony FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA is widely praised for its exceptional sharpness, compact size, and lightweight design, making it an ideal walk-around lens for Sony A7 series cameras. Users consistently highlight its fast and accurate autofocus, natural color rendition, and solid build quality, though some note moderate vignetting and a relatively high price. A few reviewers mention a stiff focus ring or minor build inconsistencies, but overall sentiment is strongly positive, with many calling it a versatile and reliable prime lens.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Compact and lightweight design
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
  • Natural color rendition
  • Solid build quality
Cons
  • Moderate vignetting
  • Relatively high price
  • Stiff focus ring on some units
  • Build quality inconsistencies on some units
  • Long minimum focus distance
👍 Sharpness 35
👍 Size and weight 30
👍 Autofocus performance 20
🤔 Build quality 15
👎 Vignetting 8
👍 Value for money 12

Scores

Budget
Canon
90
Sony
48
Travel
Canon
85
Sony
56
Street
Canon
82
Sony
50
Portrait
Canon
80
Sony
39
Wildlife Sports
Canon
78
Sony
43
Video Cinema
Canon
77
Sony
43
Landscape
Canon
74
Sony
52
Professional
Canon
68
Sony
49
Macro
Canon
62
Sony
42

Specifications

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STMSony FE SEL35F18F 35mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min55 mm35 mm
Focal Length Max250 mm35 mm
Elements157
Groups125
Aspherical Elements01★
ED Elements11
CoatingSuper Spectra coatingZEISS T* Anti-Reflective Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4f/22
Min Aperture4-5.6f/2.8
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountCanon EF-SSony E
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.38 kg0.28 kg★
Filter Thread58 mm49 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM★Linear Autofocus Motor
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops4 stops
Focus
Min Focus Distance850 mm221 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x★0.24x

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 SEL35F18F 35mm

  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong build (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (66th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Pricing

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is ¥62,924 cheaper (1.8x less).

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

Sony FE SEL35F18F 35mm

Verdict

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

Scores 86 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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