Forum Buying Advice & Reviews Education
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Klaus Berbig 13.11.2023, 20:00 #1

Education

Subject: Telephoto Lens for Canon EOS 200D Camera
Good evening.
I own an EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II telephoto lens and I'm looking to buy a more powerful, similar telephoto lens.
However, I haven't been able to find a stronger telephoto lens under this designation online. I’d prefer not to go straight to a camera store for advice.
Could someone in the forum provide me with the exact name of a more powerful telephoto lens?
Thanks in advance.
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Uwe Naumann 15.11.2023, 23:45 #2
Hi Klaus,

Could you clarify what you mean by "stronger": more focal length (higher mm number), greater aperture (lower f-number—not to be confused with a smaller aperture opening, which actually means a higher f-number), or both?

I can’t really comment on third-party lenses (Tamron, Sigma, etc.). Apart from two very specific Irix lenses, I’ve only used Canon and, after various negative experiences, I try to avoid third-party manufacturers.

Here’s an overview of all Canon’s own EF lenses: https://global.canon/en/c-museum/lens.html?s=ef

For EF-S lenses (designed for 1.6x crop sensors), there’s never been anything over 250mm focal length or with a larger aperture in that range. To get more focal length, you have to look at EF lenses. There are some zooms that go up to 300mm, but they don’t offer better aperture, and the extra 50mm doesn’t make a huge difference. So really, the main option is the current 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM II. Not the version I—the Mark II is optically better.

If you don’t need a zoom, you might consider the EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM. It’s an older lens, probably only available used, but optically very good. I used it myself for many years. The downside: no zoom, no image stabilization! For longer exposures, a tripod or monopod is essential. Another option worth considering is the EF 300mm f/4 L USM. Also no zoom and no stabilization, but it’s converter-compatible (at least with the 1.4x extender, which results in f/5.6), giving you 420mm. Using the 2x extender makes autofocus difficult due to the two-stop light loss (f/8).

Anything else with more focal length and wider aperture gets dramatically more expensive, even on the used market.

Alternatively, Canon’s new RF lenses are an option: https://global.canon/en/c-museum/lens.html?s=rf

The catch: you’ll need a new RF-mount camera.

There’s also an RF 100-400mm, but with an aperture of f/5.6-8—so it’s actually slower than the EF version! The lost aperture is compensated by the newer camera bodies with better sensors, but overall it’s not a real gain.

Next up is the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM. A fantastic lens—I’ve had it for about two years and wouldn’t want to be without it. It’s razor-sharp wide open, has excellent stabilization, and works well with extenders! With a 1.4x extender, you get 700mm! It’s not exactly light or cheap, though.

Just a few days ago, Canon announced the new RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM. I can’t say much about it yet, but I’m really looking forward to the first real-world reviews. Early YouTube videos with pre-production models—some compared to the RF 800mm f/11 and RF 800mm f/5.6—look very promising. A friend of mine, who’s quite knowledgeable, has already pre-ordered it.

Then there are the RF 600mm f/11 IS USM and RF 800mm f/11 IS USM lenses, which are relatively affordable (often found used for a good price in various forums). Both are aimed at beginners and have a fixed aperture of f/11. They’re really fair-weather lenses, but they perform quite well.

Best regards, Uwe
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Klaus Berbig 16.11.2023, 06:40 #3
Good morning, Uwe.
Until recently, I was focused on getting more zoom because I never got close enough to animals during my nature outings. Thanks to you and Ulf, I realized that photographing wildlife involves more than just waiting for luck to press the shutter at the right moment.
I want to thank you again for your analyses of the Canon lenses.
Today, once it’s light, I’ll be heading to Mücheln—let’s see what awaits me.
Best, Klaus
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