Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Canon
87 Overall Score
vs
Panasonic LUMIX S S-S35 35mm

Panasonic LUMIX S S-S35 35mm

Panasonic
62 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 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

Panasonic LUMIX S S-S35 35mm

85 out of 100 medium confidence 12 reviews

This 35mm f/1.8 lens is widely praised for its sharpness, fast and quiet autofocus, and lightweight build, making it a versatile choice for both photo and video work. Users highlight its excellent value, especially when bundled with Lumix bodies, and its ability to produce clean images in low light. However, one verified review warns of extreme distortion when used with the Ronin 4D gimbal, which may be a dealbreaker for videographers relying on straight lines.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Fast and quiet autofocus
  • Lightweight and compact build
  • Excellent value for money
  • Great low-light performance
Cons
  • Extreme distortion with Ronin 4D
  • Requires lens profile for raw correction
👍 Image quality 8
👍 Autofocus performance 6
👍 Build quality 5
👍 Value for money 5
👍 Low light performance 3
👎 Distortion issues 1

Scores

Budget
Canon
94
Panasonic
54
Street
Canon
80
Panasonic
59
Portrait
Canon
78
Panasonic
44
Video Cinema
Canon
78
Panasonic
58
Travel
Canon
74
Panasonic
59
Landscape
Canon
74
Panasonic
59
Wildlife Sports
Canon
71
Panasonic
49
Macro
Canon
68
Panasonic
70
Professional
Canon
69
Panasonic
62

Specifications

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STMPanasonic LUMIX S S-S35 35mm
Optics
Typetelephotoprime
Focal Length Min55 mm35 mm
Focal Length Max250 mm35 mm
Elements1511
Groups129
Aspherical Elements03★
ED Elements13★
CoatingSuper Spectra coatingMulti-Coated
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4f/22
Min Aperture4-5.6f/1.8
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountCanon EF-SL-Mount
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.38 kg0.29 kg★
Filter Thread58 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM★Autofocus
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance250 mm240 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x1:4.55★

Pros & Cons

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 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

Panasonic LUMIX S S-S35 35mm

  • Strong social proof (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong build (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong optical (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
  • Strong macro (78th percentile)
  • Below average aperture (21st percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (24th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM is ¥42,444 cheaper (1.6x less).

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Panasonic LUMIX S S-S35 35mm

Verdict

★ Winner: Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Scores 87 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 22 specs.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM Better at:

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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