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Product Description
Built with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer, the EF-S 55-250mm Lens is a compact, lightweight telephoto lens that is ideal for high-zoom ratios. It takes sharp photos with excellent image quality, and is an extremely reliable and versatile, all-purpose lens Read More
I’m with Dillman on this one. First off, this is a GREAT lens for anyone with an APS-C Canon (Rebels, 7D’s; it won’t work with the full frames). I got this from Amazon for $150 on a Black Friday several years ago and don’t regret it for an instant. MSRP is still $249 but MAP has dropped to $199, and USA versions from reputable retailers are held there. Refurbs go for $129 at B&H but I stay away from cheaper items that have broken once before. The STM’s you’re saying are $10-15 more are actually $40-60 more for lenses in comparable condition and/or from similar retailers (who is Celltime Inc.?).
Is the 55-250 IS II on my 7D as sharp or as fast as my EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS II? Of course not. But it competes when I use a 2x II converter to get to the same focal length with my 5D III . . . and it doesn’t weigh a freakin TON . . . and is inconspicuous . . . and I don’t have to worry about walking around with $5000 worth of gear (the results are great for a lens that is about 1/15 the cost). This is a perfect addition to kit lenses, and at f/4-5.6 is adequately fast enough, especially with newer cameras and their more capable high ISO’s. The bokeh is surprisingly pleasant, and background blur is possible at the longer zooms anyhow.
Bottom line: To me, this is a great deal on a great lens.
First of all, it is awesome to be seeing more Canon stuff on MD...but just like the 6D this is a lukewarm deal. Especially since Canon Online Shop quite frequently discounts their refurbished copies to ~$100 (with full 1 year warranty). Oh well, I will keep waiting :)
dgdillmanI am leery of refurbs as well and I don't know where you bought yours...but to me there is a difference between 3rd party refurbs and directly manufacturer ones with a full warranty and (IMHO) damn near best customer customer service in the photo industry...
...that said, I completely understand that to some people buying products new to know their exact history is completely worth the full retail price. Just like with new cars. To each their own.
Simple. It's affordable for people who are not making money from their photography, just starting out, or whatever. Not everyone can drop several hundred or a thousand dollars on a lens just because they want one.
This is a reasonable second lens for someone who just has the 18-55mm kit glass. It has image stabilization for a little extra image quality. You'll need that, as the relatively poor aperture will require as much light as you can shove through it.
If you're even an advanced amateur, or a semi-pro, of course this is not the lens for you, but you already knew that. Just because YOU don't want it doesn't mean it doesn't have a market of people who do.
I don' t understand why anyone would want this. It's is a mediocre at best kit lens that comes bundled with entry level Rebel cameras. The aperture is poor and the glass quality is meh