Which telephoto upgrade is best from a Canon 55-250mm for birds and nature on a Canon 700D?
Asked 11/10/2020
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I use a Canon EOS 700D and want to replace my EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM. I mainly shoot nature and birds while walking, and I’m usually at the long end of the zoom range. In low light—such as cloudy weather, early morning, or birds in trees and bushes—I often find my current lens too slow.
I’m considering these options:
- Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
- Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX APO DG OS
- Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
My questions are:
- Since I’m usually at 250mm now, would a 200mm prime make more sense than a zoom?
- Is f/2.8 worth prioritizing over f/4 for birds and wildlife on the 700D?
- How important is image stabilization if I often use fast shutter speeds for moving subjects?
- Will a high-quality 200mm lens still be a meaningful upgrade over my current 55-250mm, even though it’s shorter?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
2
As a former long time Canon 700D user that did wildlife and amateur sport photography with some of the lenses that you listed as your options, I recommend you go with the 200mm f/2.8. It is a prime lens, it's much sharper than zoom lenses, and also lets in more light due to the f/2.8 aperture. I used the same combo (700D + Canon 200mm f/2.8 + 1.4x teleconverter) for most amateur soccer games I photographed and also managed to get some amazing bird and deer shots with nice background separation.
I also had the opportunity to test the 70-200 f/4. Although it has amazing image quality, the f/4 aperture will force you to increase your ISO, and the 700D isn't the best at high ISOs.
On your doubts:
- go with the prime lens so you keep better image quality
- with birds definitely go with the f/2.8 version on that body
- image stabilization at high shutter speeds is unnecessary, and sometimes has the opposite effect, but still the f/2.8 will allow you to shoot at higher speeds.
But again this is very subjective since I can only recommend you from my experiences.
Originally by user58872. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user58872
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the replies, f/2.8 is the key upgrade for your 700D if low light is the main problem. It gives you more light than f/4 or f/5.6, helping keep ISO lower and improving subject separation.
If you mostly shoot near the long end and want the best image quality, the Canon 200mm f/2.8L II is the strongest recommendation. The community answer says it’s sharper than the zoom options and works well for birds, wildlife, and sports; a 1.4x teleconverter can also help if you need more reach.
If flexibility matters more than maximum sharpness, a 70-200mm f/2.8—especially the Tamron mentioned—offers much more versatility while still giving you the f/2.8 advantage.
The 70-200mm f/4L has excellent image quality, but on a 700D the slower aperture may force higher ISO in the conditions you described.
Image stabilization is less critical when using fast shutter speeds for moving subjects, though it can still help for static shots.
So: choose the 200mm f/2.8 if sharpness and low-light performance matter most; choose a 70-200mm f/2.8 if you want framing flexibility.
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