EF-S 55-250mm IS or EF 70-300mm IS?

[gunjankv]

Assume that I would only use crop body, and I cannot afford any L series lens for now. My max budget is $500.

My preference is sharp images most of the time, I would not crop too much.. most of my prints would be 8x10 max..

image quality and having IS is my top most preference.

 

Based on all these, any suggestion on which lens should I go for? I have read all kind of reviews of both, both

are great as per those reviews.. so confused.. and putting this on forum to come out of confusion..

 

Thanks

[colin carron]

The major difference you would notice is that at full aperture the 55-250 vignettes more than the 70-300 as it has a smaller image circle desined for crop factor cameras.while the 70-300 is designed to cover full frame. So if you don't crop much then the full frame lens is perhaps your best bet.

 

The other man difference is that the 55-250 has a micro motor for AF while the 70-300 has USM. That means the 70-300 should focus faster and more quietly.

 

But these are marginal issues. They are both very good lenses. I

[paul_russell1]

A commonly asked question, as recently as the other day on this very forum, heres the link:

 

http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00RcTV

 

I have the 70-300 and am able to use it on my full frame film EOS and my cropped sensor EOS. It has a metal mount and more reach.

I gather the 55-250 is a decent enough lens, but I personally felt it would limit my scope for use with film and any full frame Digital EOS I

may buy in the future. The plastic mount was a turn off as well.

 

If you do go for the 70-300 IS make sure it is the 70- and not the older, inferior 75-300 IS

[chinmaya]

I read good reviews about 55-250mm IS. Mechanical quality seems to be the big downside of it. Based on reviews I read 70-300mm scores up. But you have note that there is 250$ price difference also.

 

Other option would be 70-200mm F4 (about 600$). If you are in USA you can save about 30% using live.com and ebay cashback offer, later you can add Kenkos 1.4x to get 280mm. This lens and the combo will be very verhy sharp, but you don't have IS and you are 20mm short of 300mm.

 

If you ask me prioritize ... here is the order (top one is highest priority)

 

1. 70-300mm IS

 

2. 70-200mm F4 + 1.4x converter

 

3. 55-250mm IS

[juans eye]

BTW, the EF 70-300 IS was just supported by DPP 3.5.1

 

Now it automatically adjusts for vignetting and distortions :)

 

/bing

[davidhay]

I have both. Image quality is virtually identical. The 55-250 is smaller, lighter and cheaper but does have darker corners at full aperture. IS performance is claimed to be slightly better on the 55-250 but I don't think you would notice a difference. Despite the USM motor in the 70-300 (the micro version) it does not focus faster or quieter than the 55-250.

 

For 8x10 prints I would choose the 55-250.

[gunjankv]

Thank you guys. I am going for 55-250IS for now. I would spend 6 months to 1 year on field whenever time permits.. and then once I start realizing need for more focal length, I think I would either go for 70-300 IS or 100-400 IS (L?). I should have some savings by that time.

[gregg.smith]

<p>I have a bunch of L series glass, but I bought my daughter the 55-250 to use in her yearbook / journalism class

at school.  I use it on on XT and an XTi and it really does a nice job.  She has won Texas state UIL

photo contests using the 55-250.  It is really nice for the price.</p>

<p>Then when you get rich, grap the EF70-200 L IS USM and never look back.</p>