How does the Tamron 55-200mm LD macro lens compare to the Canon 55-250mm IS?

Question

I have a Canon 1100d, the standard 18-55mm lens kit, and the 50mm f1.8 lens. I want to buy a zoom lens as I would like to be able to get closer to far away subjects.

I have been looking at both the Tamron and Canon lens. The Tamron is a lot cheaper but the Canon has IS. Could you give me advice on which one to buy?

possible duplicate of How do I choose a telephoto zoom lens? — mattdm, Jan 19 '12 at 23:51
for what kind of photography? outdoors, wildlife, sports, travel? — MikeW, Jan 19 '12 at 23:51

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 20 '12 at 01:33

The Canon model has image stabilization which can come quite in handy when handholding and not using a tripod. It also has a UD element which may improve the chromatic aberration on that lens. The Canon has 50mm longer reach, which is a benefit.

The Tamron has full time manual focus which is nice to have.

One thing to point out, is that the Tamron is not a macro lens by any stretch, either is the Canon. I believe Tamron markets this lens as such, but don't buy into that.

From what I am looking at, the Canon is about $25 more on Amazon, so for the image stabilization alone I would say that is worth it. I don't see any compelling reason not to choose the Canon in this situation.

These are the two lenses I am looking at:

How does the Tamron 55-200mm LD macro lens compare to the Canon 55-250mm IS?

1 Answers1