The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens is a compact and lightweight telephoto zoom lens that is specifically designed for the range of EOS digital SLR cameras that use the smaller EF-S lens mount. Combining powerful performance with high image quality, this lens offers the equivalent of 88-400mm in 35mm format, and is ideal for photographers seeking an affordable, versatile lens for general-purpose telephoto photography.

The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens incorporates Canon’s 4-stop compensation Image Stabilizer technology. This allows the use of shutter speeds up to 4 times slower with no perceptible increase in image blur. Automatic panning detection automatically turns off the Image Stabilizer in either the horizontal or vertical direction when following moving subjects.

Image Stabilizer
4 step Image Stabilizer (IS) extends low light options to previously unavailable levels. Photographers normally shooting handheld at 1/250 sec can switch on IS to obtain a similarly steady and blur-free result with a shutter speed of just 1/15 second.

Superior Image Quality
One UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) lens element is used to suppress the effects of secondary chromatic aberrations – for crisp, sharp, high-contrast images without fringing throughout the zoom range.

Super Spectra Coatings
Optimized Super Spectra lens coatings and lens element shaping, suppress flare and ghosting – more prone to occur with digital cameras due to reflection off the image sensor. Coatings also help achieve true color balance and increase contrast for vivid hi-fidelity images.

Reviews

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS – Review by photozone.de

Technically the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS is a tiny lens with a great performance potential. The resolution is very good across the range.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens Review by the-digital-picture.com

My recommendation is to get the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens over the 55-250. I think you will appreciate the better image quality as well as the high end physical features – the extra cost is worth it in my opinion.