Canon's amazing budget zoom lens...further review of the 55-250mm lens

I have had the 55-250mm IS II lens from Canon for almost a year, and I have to say it is an amazing lens, especially for the price of the lens. I love it so much that my wife (who bought me mine) had to go out and buy herself the newer STM version. The lens is the one that spends the most time on my camera, along with the amazing 50mm f1.8 lens. I won't get into all the technical details about the lens, I will leave that more gear orientated sites and reviewers. This will be just my general opinions of this amazing lens. Take into account that I am also using this lens on a budget DSLR camera, the Canon T5.



















The lens could be a little faster at a max aperture of f4 and a little sharper wide open but it is nice and sharp at anything over f5.6. The lens doesn't have a constant aperture when wide open, meaning that it is at f4 at 55mm and stops down to 5.6 at 250mm. This means if you are using this for video you should start at aperture f5.6 to avoid the exposure dropping down as you zoom in.  It is not a lens that one would use for sports or moving objects but it is great for just about everything else. The Image Stabilization (IS) is amazing for such a inexpensive lens, that I would have no problem using this lens for portraits, which I have done with it. One downside of this lens is that the Image Stabilization is loud with an audible clicking sound that could be heard on the video if you are not using an external microphone. For video I would recommend upgrading to the newer STM version that has a lot quieter image stabilization.

I have used this lens for landscapes, 

wildlife,

macro, 

portraits, 

                              

                                     

and artistic shots.

                         

All and all Canon's 55-250mm lens for EF-S cameras is an amazing lens, definitely don't let the "cheap" price tag on it scare you away. The lens' quality and the quality of the pictures you will get with it make the lens feel like it should be way more expensive. It is a lens that I would highly recommend to anyone with a Canon crop sensor camera who is looking for a good zoom lens.

Working with an experienced model....finally!

I recently had the opportunity to attend a local photographer and model meet and greet.The meet and greet happened along the waterfront of Barrie, which is the biggest city in the area I live. It was the first time I had gone to one of these, and I didn't know what to expect. Would it be just a bunch of people hanging out and talking about photography? Would it they be passing around their portfolios for everyone to see and critique? I had no idea of what was going to happen at one of these.

I was pleasantly surprised when I got there (I was about fifteen minutes late because I wasn't sure till the last minute if I wanted to attend or not) and saw a bunch of people with cameras taking pictures of an amazingly beautiful model. I watched for a few minutes before pulling out my camera (and was so glad I did bring it) and started taking my turns taking my own pictures of the model. Over the next two to three hours we moved around the waterfront park taking pictures in different locations. Eventually another model showed up but I didn't get as many pictures I liked of her because she got there late.

As for equipment I was using my Canon T5 DSLR. I started with my 50mm lens, but quickly realized that with so many photographers trying to get their shots that the 50mm wasn't going to work because I couldn't get close enough so I switched to my 55-250mm lens. I was worried at first that I was going to be the only one with "beginner" equipment. But as I looked around saw some other people using Canon "Rebel" cameras so I started to feel a little better about my equipment.

I forgot to bring my reading glasses so when I checked my pictures on the camera's screen they would look blurry and out of focus. I was starting to worry that I wasn't getting any good shots. I was very happy when I got home and downloaded the pictures onto my computer. The pictures looked really good, especially considering that I haven't really worked with a model before.

I really enjoyed my first experience working with a model. The more comfortable I got as the day went on I started to suggest poses and locations and eventually got creative with my angles. The experience really helped to affirm that I do have some photography skills. Considering that my confidence had been suffering lately because of a wedding I shot recently that the couple were not happy with the pictures they received. I told them I wasn't an experienced wedding photography when they asked me to shoot their wedding. The brides mother is a friend of my wife's and had asked me to shoot her daughter's wedding. So this shooting experience with the model was just what I needed to lift my confidence as a portrait photographer. All and all it was a very enjoyable and enlightening experience, and one I can't wait to do again.