Canon 55-200, How good is it?

[sathyaki]

Hi, Planning to buy a new digital lens. WOndering if anybody go to use

the new Canon 55 - 200 digital lens. Does anybody now about how it

compares to the similiar lens by Sigma. Thanks

[henry_minsky1]

I had a copy of the 55-200 and I think it was outstanding. It had excellent color and sharpness and contrast. I can send some links to photos if you like.

 

I think it is a good rival for the 70-200 F4L. Plus it is very light and small. Build quality is plasticy, but it's the images and focus performance that counts.

[henry_minsky1]

I misread your post, I meant the 55-200 USM II. I don't know about any newer 55-200 Canon lens.

[bobatkins]

I think it's essentially the same lens. It was originally brought out with the Canon APS SLRs. It's a low end, plastic lensmount, zoom. I think the "II" version just has cosmetic changes and slightly modified electronics. Optically it's the same as the original version.

 

I'm surprised you found it so good.

[ron c sunshine coast,qld,a]

Just recently i found some very well done lens comparisons which includes that lens.

<BR>Well,i think it's the right model..(the current kit lens)<P>

http://www.pbase.com/knickles/lenstests

<BR>These tests are done at equal magnification so different focal length lenses can be compared exactly

[isaac sibson]

The canon 80-200 (cheap, plasticy F4-5.6 one) was always very good optically for the money and build. I'm not about to trade my 70-200 F4L in for my old 80-200, but it really had no "right" to be that good. I wouldn't be surprised if the 55-200 was a similar story.

 

I think the truth is that canon have not produced a "bad" 50/70-200/210 lens in the EF mount. It's a fairly easy (by comparison, not saying that I could do it) range to design well without fancy glass. If you start using fancy glass, you end up with some of the very best zooms on the planet, like the 70-200Ls, 80-200L and the rare 50-200L.

 

From my experience with sigma lenses, I'd be much more inclined to go with the canon. No issue with the build or optics of the sigma, but the compatibility issues with newer canon bodies and the very clumsy operation (compared to ring USM canons... I guess there's not so much in it compared with the cheap canons) killed it for me.

[marcus_erne]

No personal experience from my end, but check this article here:

 

http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=342

 

There is also a link to SQF-data...