Canon's 55-250mm "Budget" lens

I received Canon's 55-250 mm is II EF-S lens (for Canon APS-C sensor cameras only)for Christmas this year from my wife. It is a cheaper alternative to the 75-200 mm lens that is so popular with sports, photojournalists and wildlife photographers. The 55-250 mm lens is a really good lens that is far better than what the price would lead you to believe, it usually runs under $200 (the newer STM version runs closer to $300). The focal range is great, with the shorter end of 55 mm taking over where the 18-55 mm kit lens ends and the 250 mm is actually further than the "pro" zoom lens of 200 mm. The lens is pretty sharp and so far I don't have any complains about the quality of the pictures taken with this lens.

This is a shot I took just of our Christmas tree, using the Canon T5 at 250 mm, f5.6, 1/6 sec,  iso 1600. I have no complaints with the sharpness and the bokeh is nice, even at f5.6.

This is a picture I took out my back door of a neighbours birdhouse in a snow storm. I took it using my Canon T5 at 250 mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec, iso125.

I took this picture of a sunrise over Lake Simcoe in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. I took it at 123mm at f5, 1/1000 sec using iso100. This is a picture right out of camera with no editing. I love the colours.

If I were to have any complaints about the lens there would be two. Firstly, the max aperture is only f4 at the 55 mm end of the zoom and drops to f5.6 at the 250 mm end. I would have preferred a larger aperture, at least one of f2.8 and for it to be a constant aperture.

Another complaint, well not so much for me but it will for others, and that is that the Image Stabilization is on the loud side. There is an audible clicking sound from the I.S. and for anyone wanting to use this lens for video will have a problem with the clicking sound being heard on the video. If anyone is shopping for one of these lenses for video I would recommend they spend the extra money for the newer STM version, the STM (short for STepping Motor) is a quieter image stabilization mechanism that Canon designed with video in mind. However if you are like me and only take photos, then the "is II" version is a good options, the clicking noise is a bit annoying but if not doing video then it is a minor annoyance.

So all and all I am very happy with the 55-250 mm is II lens. It is a great "budget" zoom lens that doesn't behave or shoot like a cheap lens. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good zoom lens for their Canon APS-C sensor cameras. It is great lens for general landscape and still wildlife photography. I would not recommend it for sports or moving animals, it just isn't a fast enough lens for that. However for most other types of photography it is a very good zoom lens.