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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Canon EF-S 55-250mm VS Canon EF 75-300mm
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09/04/2011 01:44:43 PM · #1
I have a small budget for a new lens. Under $300 CAN.

- Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III
//www.dpchallenge.com/lens.php?LENS_ID=17
$200

- Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
//www.dpchallenge.com/lens.php?LENS_ID=1604
$260

One has the USM (75-300mm), the other has the image stabilization (55-250mm).
I don't mind the EF VS EF-S. I don't plan to change to a 5D MkII for now.
300mm can be a bit too much for me, so I don't mind the 250mm.

I would like to use it for portraits and wildlife.

I also care about the image quality.
I saw the best images on DPC for both lenses, and they are all very good.

Do you have an opinion?

Thanks!

ETA: Change the URLs

Message edited by author 2011-09-04 13:45:31.
09/04/2011 01:55:23 PM · #2
Is there any way that you could wait a little longer and save up some money to buy this: Canon 70-200 f/4

The image quality is amazing and will be better than the two lenses you are looking into right now.

If you really want great image quality, this is the lens I would get...

Message edited by author 2011-09-04 13:57:14.
09/04/2011 02:13:12 PM · #3
Originally posted by slickchik:

Is there any way that you could wait a little longer and save up some money to buy this: Canon 70-200 f/4

The image quality is amazing and will be better than the two lenses you are looking into right now.

If you really want great image quality, this is the lens I would get...

Yeah, I saw that lens... It would be much better, but at almost 3 times the price of the others, this is not something I can affort.
I'm really looking for something under $300,

But thanks for the suggestion :)
09/04/2011 02:25:12 PM · #4
Responded to your PM. Definitely the 55-250, imo. It's hard to outdo that for a budget telephoto.
09/04/2011 02:49:55 PM · #5
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Responded to your PM. Definitely the 55-250, imo. It's hard to outdo that for a budget telephoto.
Yeah, thanks a lot for that! I really appreciated. You can copy it here if you think it could be useful for someone else.
09/04/2011 02:58:25 PM · #6
Originally posted by tholmir:

You can copy it here if you think it could be useful for someone else.

Not a bad idea at all.

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

I can highly recommend the 55-250, especially for a budget lens. Nice and sharp, even at full reach. The areas where Canon cut corners to keep the price down were not related to image quality. It does not have a USM focus motor, though nothing at that price will. The focus can hunt some in marginal or difficult lighting conditions, and the build is not as robust as some more expensive lenses. The mount is plastic rather than metal. Not much of an issue for most of us that treat our gear with some care. The build is actually a positive if you want to keep your bag as light as possible. Make sure to buy a lens hood for it. Canon's is about $25 USD, but you can get perfectly good third party hoods for under $10 USD.

I've actually upgraded a while back and the 55-250 is on semi-permanent loan to tgbooklover. I bought a Tamron 70-300 VC, for the faster focusing, better stabilization and 50mm more reach. It was also twice what I paid for the Canon, after a rebate. A bit better for the airshows that I like going to. The 55-250 has brought me some very nice airshow shots, however.

The user group for that lens on Flickr has a gallery thread for 250mm photos, because so many people question what a lens in that price range is capable of. You might find some useful discussions in that group as well.
250mm gallery on Flickr

I had the mk.II version of that 75-300 for a short time. Sharpness was iffy at the long end, and the lack of stabilization didn't help. I upgraded that to a Tamron 28-300, also non stabilized. My own experience once I went to the stabilized 55-250 was that I was getting better shots at 250mm than the others gave me at 300. The better glass and stabilization made a noticeable difference in the amount of keepers I got.

I just realized I have gone through quite a few telephoto zooms. I think I have gotten to the final one, however.


09/04/2011 03:55:09 PM · #7
I love my 55-250- I got rid of my 75-300 because I never used it after i got the 55-250
09/04/2011 04:01:08 PM · #8
The 55)250 is IS, the 70-300 isn't. Get the 55-250.
09/04/2011 10:56:30 PM · #9
Carrie, Mike, thanks a lot for your input :)
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