Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM review

According provided by Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM many thanks to Sergey Grigoriev.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM review

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM review

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM is a simple 3,6x telephoto lens released in the fall of 2003. In fact, this is a modification of the Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 USM, so the first and second versions do not differ in appearance. The lens is suitable for full frame and cropped Canon cameras, but most often it came as an optional lens in the standard kit for Canon APS-C cameras. There is now a more attractive solution for EF-S mount cameras in the form of Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 55-250mm 1: 4-5.6 IS STM.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Canon EF 55-200mm II USM is lightweight and compact, weighs only 310 grams and uses the most common 52mm filters. You have to pay for the ease with the build quality - despite the fact that the lens is made in Japan, on my copy there is a backlash of the zoom ring and the lens trunk, if you shake a copy from my review, you can clearly hear how its 'insides' are shaking. Also Canon EF 55-200mm II USM has a plastic mount.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Not the best build - it's only half the trouble. Believe it or not, the Canon EF 55-200mm II USM doesn't have a focus ring. For manual focusing, rotate the lens barrel. At 55 mm focal length and when focusing at infinity, the trunk of the lens is almost completely hidden; it is difficult and inconvenient to grab onto the small protruding part. When focusing, the lens trunk, together with the front lens, rotates and extends forward. This is the first time I encountered the complete absence of a focusing ring on modern full-frame lenses :(.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

The Canon EF 55-200mm II USM features an 'AF / MF' focus mode switch. You cannot focus manually in AF mode, because the focusing mechanism can be broken. In manual mode, the focus ring (or what it has become) rotates just 90 degrees.

Auto focus speed is highly dependent on the focal length used. So at 55 mm, the auto focus speed is high, and 200 mm below average. When focusing, the lens is noisy despite the presence of a USM motor. The minimum focusing distance is 1.2 meters, the macro ratio is 1: 4.7.

When zooming, the rear lens significantly sucks / pushes out air. The trunk of the lens protrudes under its own weight, there is no zoom lock on the lens.

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM

Everything else the lens is weak aperture and no image stabilizer. The diaphragm consists of only 6 blades and closes to F/22@55mm and F/29@200mm. The lens can use Canon ET-54 lens hood (same as for Canon 80-200 4.5-5.6 II). When used on Canon APS-C cropped cameras EGF lens will be 88-320 mm, and on Canon APS-H cameras - 71,5-260 mm.

The lens has a weak sharpness on open apertures, especially 200 mm. Chromatic aberrations and vignetting (on crop) is not particularly strong. It tolerates backlight and gives good contrast. In general, we can confidently say that image quality is directly proportional to its value.

Here link to the archive with the originals - 200 MB, 28 photos, photo parameters in the archive are indicated here. You can find more examples of photos on this lens in the review Canon EOS-1D Mark II.

Lens prices in popular stores can look at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


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Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1: 4.5-5.6 II USM is a simple full-frame telephoto lens with a simplified design. Given its low cost on the secondary market, the lens could be an affordable alternative to its more expensive siblings.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 19, on the topic: Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm 1 review: 4.5-5.6 II USM

  • Oleg

    Thank you Arkady for interesting reviews in our not calm time

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Not at all :) there is reason to be a little distracted from what is happening.

  • Nicholas

    Arkady, what's going on there?

    • anonym

      read the internet and watch Ukrainian online tv
      it is the most objective source of information

  • Oleg

    Eternal memory to the fallen. Lugansk. Sorry, not on our topic

  • Grigoryev Sergey

    Arkady thank you very much for the review.
    I’d like to add a little from myself since I am the owner of this lens and use it directly.

    So ………. A flimsy and dangling design says that this is a budget telephoto. Lathers, but at F8 and at a tighter aperture - everything is more or less acceptable, but shooting in cloudy or just cloudy weather is already problematic, I'm not talking about shooting in the evening, sharpness only at aperture F8-F11 and that, by the way, does not shine , the contrast is low.

    The advantages will be: low price due to the construct, light, tenacious autofocus, no glare from the sun i.e. I do not see any hares in sunny weather, by the way the lens will be like a good addition to the whale 18-55mm, for beginners and poor students this is an ideal option.

    As a result, this is a budget zoom, but a bit dark, but lathers, and you can hardly ever lower ISO below 400, but for the price they ask for it (which is $ 70-110) - yes, for this ridiculous money, the lens works 100%.

  • ANONYM 999

    Like Arkady wrote all the same :)

  • Alexander

    I would like to add that for those who are considering buying a glass, for me it’s not bad for the money, but only in good weather, in order to get acceptable pictures, you need to close the hole, it’s all said above,
    these are the parameters at which the picture is the highest quality, and the sharpest;
    55mm = f / 8-12
    100mm = f / 12-16
    200mm = f / 12-16
    if the aperture value is set higher than f / 16, the sharpness drops noticeably, and of course, to f / 8 is also not very, at least on my copy, this is the conclusion.

  • Vladimir

    And still, no matter how inferior the lens, the cat in the photo came out wonderful.

  • ---

    We must take an example from Russia - we shoot slowly at 18-55 and don't dream of any 70-200. But it's quiet!

  • Dmitriy

    That "example from Russia", then the barricades and the Maidan. People want to come here to take a break from politics and other dregs. Leave this little photographic corner intact, please.

  • Artem

    Judging by the article Nikonovsky 55-200 vr ed looks better.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      No need to mix a cropped lens with a stabilizer here.

  • Yuriy75

    Thanks to the author, when viewing the review, it seems that everything is not so bad, the picture is good. The case of the master is afraid.

  • anonym

    How can this lens fit a full-size camera? It’s not even suitable for the middle one. Only on Canon small format and crop. Moreover, Canon does not produce either full-format or medium format cameras.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Fixed

    • SERGOS

      Well, we agreed - Canon does not produce full-length cameras. Well, let's wait another year

      • anonym

        Yes, he doesn’t produce full-format ones, the Boot has only small-format cameras

    • Lev

      Unfortunately, I will disappoint the adherents of full-format cameras: It will not work for either full-format or medium-format cameras! For small format (full frame) and semi format (crop) only. Maybe you should figure out the formats? As with focal lengths. Whichever camera you put the lens on, the focal lengths remain unchanged. Another thing is that the lens for small format cameras (full frame) on half format (crop) creates an image larger than the sensor. And vice versa. Note that Canon EF-S lenses for semi-format cameras should not be attempted on small format cameras (full frame). Other manufacturers do not provide lenses with EF-S. Even for semi-format cameras. Good pictures to everyone!

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