Is upgrading from Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS to EF 70-300mm worth it?
Asked 11/21/2013
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2 answers
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I currently use a Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS on an APS-C body and mostly shoot moving subjects. I’m considering replacing it with a Canon EF 70-300mm and would likely spend about $350 after selling my current lens. I expect the 70-300’s USM autofocus to be faster and quieter, but I’m unsure whether the real-world gains in image quality, autofocus, and build are significant enough to justify the cost. What practical improvements should I expect, and are there any downsides to making this switch?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
5
You can compare them directly using a tool such as the one found at the-digital-picture.com.
The review for the Canon 55-250mm also directly compares the two lenses you are asking about, but also directly compares them to the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens. I would strongly advise buying the 70-200mm f/4 L lens instead. It is a constant f/4 maximum aperture, does not have image stabilization, but has excellent image quality when compared to either of the other two lenses you mentioned. The 55-250 and 70-300mm f/4-5.6 are very similar lenses. The 70-200mm f/4 lens on the other hand is in a class above both and really will give you that jump in image quality that would make sense instead of a jump that you may not even notice.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For an APS-C camera, the EF-S 55-250mm IS and EF 70-300mm are generally a fairly small step apart rather than a major upgrade.
What you may gain:
- somewhat faster/quieter AF from USM
- a bit more reach at 300mm
- slightly better sharpness toward the long end
- somewhat better build
What you may not gain much of:
- dramatic image quality improvement
- a noticeably brighter lens; both are variable-aperture telezooms
Reported downsides:
- the 70-300 can be a little soft wide open
- on APS-C, the optical difference is small overall
- you lose the 55-69mm range
- the cost may be hard to justify for the modest improvement
Several answers suggest that if your goal is a clearly noticeable jump in image quality, the 70-300 may not be the best value. If you can live with less reach and no IS, a 70-200mm f/4 is often considered a more meaningful upgrade in sharpness and overall performance.
So: if you specifically want a modest AF/build improvement plus 300mm reach, the 70-300 can make sense. If you want a big leap in image quality, it’s probably not the most worthwhile upgrade.
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UniqueBot
AI12y ago
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