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

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is a classic telephoto zoom for Canon's APS-C cameras. It gives you a ton of reach for the money, turning your kit lens into something that can actually get close to wildlife or sports. It's light, it's compact, and for a lot of folks, it's the perfect first step into longer lenses. Just don't expect it to be a low-light monster or have the snappiest autofocus in the world. That's not really its job. This lens is all about getting you from 55mm to 250mm without breaking the bank or your back. The image quality is solid for the price, and the STM motor keeps things quiet for video. It's a straightforward tool that does one thing really well.

Image quality lands in the 89th percentile, which is impressive for a budget zoom. It's sharp enough in the center, and the colors are classic Canon. The versatility score is a huge 95th, thanks to that useful zoom range. But the lowlights are exactly where you'd expect. The autofocus is in the 47th percentile, so it's not the fastest for tracking fast action. There's no stabilization, which hurts handheld shooting at the long end. And with a variable aperture that gets pretty slow, you're not shooting in dim light without cranking the ISO. It's a daylight lens, plain and simple.

At around $244, this lens is a steal if you need reach. You're getting a lot of lens for not a lot of cash. The image quality is genuinely good, and that zoom range is super practical. Sure, you're giving up a fast aperture and top-tier build, but that's the trade-off. For a beginner or a hobbyist on a budget, it delivers exactly what you pay for: solid telephoto performance without the premium price tag.

This isn't competing with those fast prime lenses like the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7. Those are for low light and blurry backgrounds. This Canon zoom is for reach. Compared to something like the Sony 55-210mm, the Canon often has better optics. The real question is whether to get this or save up for a lens with stabilization, like the newer Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS II. If you shoot mostly in good light or on a tripod, this STM version is the better buy for the optics. If you need to shoot handheld a lot in iffy light, the lack of IS is a deal-breaker.

Buy this if you're a Canon APS-C shooter who wants an affordable, lightweight telephoto zoom for daylight use. It's perfect for travel, casual wildlife, or kids' sports from the sidelines. Skip it if you shoot portraits (its 41st percentile bokeh score shows why) or need a lens for dimly lit indoor events. This is a specialist for reach, not an all-rounder.