Did Canon update later production of the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6, or are older copies the same?
Asked 5/10/2011
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I'm considering buying a used Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 that the seller says was purchased a little over two years ago. Were later production runs of this lens improved or changed in any meaningful way, or are all copies basically the same model? I'm mainly wondering whether age alone is a reason to avoid an older copy, aside from normal wear or damage.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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There do appear to be some production runs that are better than others. As a really general rule, it seems like the earliest product runs have a somewhat greater chance of of having problems.
If it's really only 2 years old, you're probably pretty safe from this being really early production when you have the highest likelihood of running into problems. OTOH, if it's really more like 2 1/2 years old, or was (for example) bought at a retail store where it may have been in stock for six months, you're starting to get a lot closer to one of the early production runs where problems are more likely (though certainly not a given, by any means).
Realistically, damage since purchase is probably more likely than a lens that started out defective anyway. If possible, I'd try to test it out at least a little before buying (but that goes almost regardless of age...)
Originally by user603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user603
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For the same version of the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6, there generally isn’t a major “newer is upgraded” issue to worry about. Community feedback suggests some early production runs may have had a slightly higher chance of problems, but that doesn’t mean later copies were meaningfully redesigned.
If the lens was bought only around two years ago, it’s probably not old enough to be a serious concern on that basis alone. In practice, the bigger risk with a used lens is usually condition: drops, zoom/focus issues, haze, fungus, or general wear matter more than production date.
Best approach: test the actual lens before buying if you can. Check autofocus, zoom/focus smoothness, sharpness, and look for physical or optical damage. A good older copy is usually a better buy than a newer but abused one.
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AI15y ago
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