Verdict
Pros
- Quiet, fast AF.
Cons
- No focus ring, chromatic aberration.
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £189
Canon Compatible
Canon’s EF 55-200mm has an Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and quiet autofocus and provides an imaging circle suitable for full-frame and APS-C sensors, so it will work on any Canon EOS camera. If using a model with an APS-C sensor such as the EOS 400D, the lens offers the focal equivalent of 88-320mm.
Fiddly Manual Focus
The lens is constructed of 13 elements in 13 groups and incorporates optimised lens coatings to reduce flare and ghosting. The all-plastic, two-piece barrel, including a plastic lens mount, is lightweight but the zoom ring is quite loose. The USM-driven AF system, however, is quick and reasonably quiet, if a little juddery. What it’s lacking though is a gripped manual focus ring – you need to rotate the inner barrel, which is awkward, especially at 55mm.
Performance
The lens displays reasonable sharpness which, if not the best, is certainly consistent. Apertures up until f/11 maintain similar degrees of sharpness, with a rapid drop in sharpness at f/16 and f/22.
Chromatic aberration is among the worst in this category, with good central control but a consistently high pixel rise at the corners.
Verdict
Really a budget or starter lens, reasonably priced, but lacking the fast maximum aperture and expensive glass of more professional lenses.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Value 9
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Design 8
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Image Quality 8
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Features 8
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
