Canon EF-M 55-200mm IS Lens Review And User Guidance

[@sanwong3180]

Thank you so much for your information and for sharing your experience with the 55-200mm lens! I've been stuck for so many years that I haven't used it!!! Your video has helped me better understand and clear the deadlock from now on release. you're my angel, Phil UK Net, Sincere thanks again! 🤩👍

[@PhilUKNet]

Kind words, indeed, thank you! I'm out shooting at the moment, actually, but the EF-M 55-200 is at home. I only really use it for travelling when I want my gear to be as light as possible. For its small size and light weight it's a good little lens.

[@ovidiuvatafu]

informative video! - the newer M's have an ISO cap option in the menu "Max for Auto", so you just set it once at a value of your choice and know the camera won't go pass that in auto. - also, them having a newer processor (like the digic8 in m200 or m50) may filter out a bit better noise at higher ISO.

[@PhilUKNet]

Excellent points! I've never bothered with the ISO cap parameter, but it would be a good idea with this lens. I haven't experienced Digic 8 yet, but with each iteration Canon reduce noise. Thanks for your comment!

[@SonnyGreenwichJr]

Thank you for that, very informative. I've got the lens coming at the end of the week and this gave me good insight! Thanks! I've smashed all the smashers! Salutations from astonishingly grey, cold & still relatively locked down Ireland! ☘️☮️🤘🏽🤠👍🏽☮️☘️

[@PhilUKNet]

Thank you and congratulations! It's not the greatest lens in the world, but if used within its limitations it is capable of good results. Don't make my mistake. Avoid auto ISO, select a low ISO and let the very effective IS take care of slow shutter speeds. The lockdown situation seems to be improving in the UK and Ireland, but it's just about to get a lot worse in Thailand ☹

[@SonnyGreenwichJr]

@@PhilUKNet Oh no! Take care! Thanks, I'll mostly be using the lens for video so hopefully, it will at least do for my purposes. I also like the cheap price!

[@PhilUKNet]

@@SonnyGreenwichJr I normally use wider lenses for videos, but I have used this one and it's fine. The price, as you say, is a bargain. I paid 6,000 Thai Baht which, at current exchange rates, is about 158 Euros.

[@zenarobinson3851]

thank you for this! i have this lens - collecting dust on a shelf! i've been thinking of getting it out again, which is why i came to this video. (now i'll go back & have a better look at your photos!)

[@PhilUKNet]

I didn't have high expectations for this lens and my initial mistake was using auto everything and letting the camera select an ISO that was way too high. The lens has limitations, but if you keep the ISO low and use it within its limitations it's capable of very good IQ. I now like it! Thanks for your comment!

[@riccardogriffini3134]

buongiorno, ho visto tutto il suo video e mi è piaciuto tanto soprattutto il detto che dice: OGGI PUOI AVERE QUALSIASI COSA MA NON PUOI AVERE TUTTO. fantastico.

[@PhilUKNet]

"hello, I saw all your video and I liked it so much especially the saying that says: TODAY YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING. fantastic." Thank you! I'm quite old and I have heard a lot of sayings, but this is probably the most useful saying I have ever heard because it's so true. I've known many people in life who seem to think they can have everything. They can't. If you think you can have everything you will only end up disappointed. And this isn't always about money, some things are simply incompatible. For example, you can't raise a family in a stable environment AND travel around the world. Even if you are very rich you can't do both, you have to choose whichever is more important to you.

[@mcgarry_92]

Very impressed with the image quality, SOLD! Thanks for the review. Although, it goes without saying, you should always shoot at the lowest ISO you can.

[@PhilUKNet]

You're right, but I just got lazy! I didn't have a lot of success with auto ISO on DSLR's so I never used it. When I moved to EOS M, auto everything worked great with the lenses I had (22mm, 18-55mm, 11-22mm) so I got into a (bad) habit of leaving everything on auto. I carried on this way when I got the 55-200, but started to notice soft images. Some analysis showed that the camera was using very high ISO values with auto in an effort to increase shutter speed. The IS on this lens is so good that those high shutter speeds aren't required and you can wind down the ISO a lot. I still tend to use auto with the other lenses, but I always fix the ISO for this lens.

[@mcgarry_92]

@@PhilUKNet Yeah i’ve been there myself plenty of times, taken a lot of photos and return home only to find out they didn’t turn out how you wanted. The image stabilisation you displayed was impressive! Looking forward to trying out the Lens! 😎

[@PhilUKNet]

@@mcgarry_92 When you review them on the camera they look great, but not on the computer! I've been quite pleased with the lens, but I've noticed that prices have increased recently. On-line prices now are about twice what I paid. I've also been looking for a reasonably priced EOS M6 Mark 2, but these are also expensive. It seems that Canon won't be doing any more EOS M development, so that's maybe why. It's EOS R/RF or nothing. Sad.

[@mcgarry_92]

@@PhilUKNet So you aren’t impressed with the image quality or sharpness of this lens?

[@PhilUKNet]

@@mcgarry_92 I was referring to when I let the camera use high ISO values. With low ISOs the IQ and sharpness of the lens is fine.

[@christopherfothergil]

I have this very system and so long as you take into consideration it limitations which are not many in my opinion then it is a brilliant system. Don't change lens often, then you wont wear the mount and make sure it is fitted properly before turning and locking it into place. Also make sure you put end caps onto the lens then dust and grit wont get onto the lens mount.

[@PhilUKNet]

I like it too! It's not blazing fast, it's not weatherproof, there is only one card slot and there aren't many native lenses, however, none of those things bother me unduly. Canon has always designed lens mounts in a way that the mating surfaces don't rotate against each other, even though the lens is locked with a rotating action. Therefore, wear shouldn't be a problem.

[@johnchastain4351]

On my M50 Mark 2 I use auto ISO, but I set the maximum to 400 or 800 most of the time. That provides a great deal of flexibility. I can get a good image at ISO 1600 but I need to make sure the shutter speed and aperture are in the proper range.

[@PhilUKNet]

That's sound advice. The original problem that I had was entirely my own fault. For a long time, setting everything to Auto had worked very well, but it caused me to become lazy. With this particular lens, the camera wanted to use a fast shutter speed because it is quite long, but to get the right exposure it set a very high ISO value. Interestingly, the EOS M6 Mk2 that I have now seems to be a bit cleverer, but I now check more closely when using Auto modes. Also, since I started using the M6 Mk2, I've been using Fv mode a lot. This mode didn't exist on my previous cameras, but I love it because it makes so much sense to have control of the exposure triangle in one place. Thanks for your feedback 🙏

[@Rob-dr4gc]

I recently bought this camera and lens, this was super helpful to understand the lens better, thank you!

[@PhilUKNet]

Thanks. Auto everything works so well with the other EF-M lenses that I got lazy, bit causes issues with this particular lens!

[@tomtd]

Can’t have everything so like you propose: prioritise size and weight and work to the advantages designed into the kit, in this instance excellent stabilisation. Thanks for a good video backed up by examples. I will endeavour to emulate your strategy to max out the lens.

[@PhilUKNet]

Tom, thanks for your kind comment. Children arriving nine years ago necessitated a small, light system and the EOS M system has been a blessing. However, with all things in life there are compromises. In the case of camera gear: small/light vs IQ. I have retained all of my old EF lenses even though I no longer have a working DSLR. In the near future I will probably end up with two separate systems. The EOS M system for general use and family travel, and a full-frame mirrorless system for when I want to do 'serious' photography with an emphasis on IQ. That's why I've hung on to my EF lenses. The EF-M lenses are surprisingly good - even the cheap ones. I've just been doing some tests on the EF-M 15-45mm. I don't like the f/6.3 maximum aperture or the plastic mount (same criticisms as the 55-200mm), but the image quality is excellent. Regarding the 55-200mm Canon could probably have done a better job with the EOS M exposure program. The 55-200mm IS mechanism is excellent and the camera doesn't need to select such high shutter speeds when it knows that this lens is mounted. If it selected slower shutter speeds and lower ISOs you would get better IQ in auto mode. But because it doesn't do a good job in auto, you just need to manually set the ISO lower.

[@markopetre3583]

9:06 - masterpiece ! Congrats

[@PhilUKNet]

I wouldn't go that far, but thank you!

[@janwilson9485]

Beautiful photos and a really useful review - thanks

[@PhilUKNet]

I'm glad it was useful. Thank you for your comment!

[@marknongkhlaw1674]

I wonder if the advice applies to EF-S 55-250 IS STM too. Well, just need to try it out 😉

[@PhilUKNet]

It depends on your camera body as well. The EOS M6 Mk2 I use now is better. It was entirely my own fault for getting complacent and allowing the camera to do everything. The IS is so good with this lens that you don't need a very fast shutter speed, and therefore, you don't need to use high ISO settings.

[@messylaura]

Great video and review, When i got my M50 for my 50th last december 2019, i got it with the 55-200 as well as the 15-45, i was new to photograph and interchangeable lens cameras. Reason i chose the M50 and 55-200 was for wildlife, foxes and birds etc. i choose to shoot jpeg for a few reasons, mainly the raw files are too big for multi bursts of wildlife action and i dont want to upgrade software and probably fill up loads of storage with big raw files. I love the jpeg files from the M50 so i don't need to do much editing at all. As for the lens its been very good, very sharp right from the get go, i learnt right from the start to shoot Manual mode with iso either auto or manual at the press of a button so i never run into the boosted iso thing for the lens as i was switching to manual iso if the image and historam was off on the evf (evf on the m50 is a godsend for 50year old eyes!!) The IS on the 55-200 is very good too, more than makes up for the darker apature, in fact its so good i nearly sent my sigma 18-35 art back because the 55-200 was out performing it, well untill i learnt how to use the 18-35 properly yeah, thats a great lens. the one thing i would really love for the M line up is a native M-M mount x2 converter, i have used a x2 optic from a vintage lens inside the dorr af extension tube but it only works for part of the focal range so a proper one would be nice. A highly recommended lens to get esp if you can still get it in the double lens box. having discovered the 18-150 m lens just a month ago that is also a fab lens for single lens walk arounds.

[@PhilUKNet]

The EF-M 55-200 is a little slow for wildlife, but in good light I have taken some acceptable wildlife photos. When I was using DSLRs I shot RAW, but since moving to EOS M I have only shot JPG. It's fine for the type of photography I do, less storage, less mucking around, and with JPG you get all the in-camera lens correction. I've been shooting with film cameras since 1981 so I understand exposure, but I became lazy and started using auto everything. In most cases the camera does a great job - I only use a semi-automatic mode if I'm panning or deliberately want motion blur or something. However, this laziness caused problems with the 55-200 because the camera was setting the ISO too high. A 2x converter will lose you 2 stops of light and with a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/6.3 this will be very slow. I guess also that AF will have big problems. As far as I'm aware there aren't any extenders for EF-M, not even third party ones. At some stage I will probably get an 18-150! Good to hear from you!

[@robertludlam272]

Just watched this and will try your method next Saturday as I shoot cricket action pics for my club’s FB page which I upload on the day. Having only used the lens twice my images are very soft so I hope your advice will help. Regards Bob

[@PhilUKNet]

I used to take photos at my cricket club too back in the film days! I recently purchased an M6 Mk2 and the exposure computer seems to do a better job than my M6. It was a silly mistake on my part and I just got lazy leaving everything on Auto, but the high ISO was causing soft images. You'll need quite a fast shutter speed for action shots and unless you have very short boundaries I would normally want something a bit longer than 200mm for cricket. Anyway, see how it goes.

[@robertludlam272]

@@PhilUKNet I used to have a dslr with a 70-200m which I then attached a x2 extender but it was so heavy to lug around so I’m hoping this new set up will do the job

[@PhilUKNet]

@@robertludlam272 That's exactly the reason why I moved to EOS M from DSLR's. Well, a 200mm lens with an APS-C sensor is equivalent to 320mm - not quite the 400mm you had with your extender, but close. And you won't lose any light. Those 2x extenders cost you two stops.

[@glockman9c]

You can set the max ISO in a lot of cameras. This would allow auto ISO without the issues.

[@PhilUKNet]

True. There are various ways around it. I never had any similar problems with EF-M lenses before getting this lens and I became lazy and complacent. Auto everything just seemed to work so well, that's how I left it and just got on with taking photos. Initially, I was disappointed with the 55-200, but then I figured out why! The camera was using high ISO's when it was unnecessary. So, my fault, but a warning to others who are in the habit of using auto everything. Thanks for pointing this out.

[@matiasmazoni6009]

Hola amigo cuál me recomiendas el EF 55-20 o 28-80 ultrasonic?gracias.

[@PhilUKNet]

Lo siento. No tengo experiencia con el objetivo 28-80 ni con el EF 55-200. Solo el EF-M 55-200

[@miguelmonforte]

More quality with 70-200 f4.. more versatileand lighter 55-200 m.. but perhaps an old 135mm manual lens (Carl Zeiss jena, canon fd...) my choice... no IS, no automatic focus...

[@PhilUKNet]

Certainly more quality, but you'd expect it considering the price difference! I just wanted to show that when shooting in good light and making sure that the ISO isn't too high, the little EF-M lens will be perfectly good enough for a lot of people. Talking of old 135mm manual lenses, I recently recovered my Canon FD 135mm f/2 after leaving it in the UK 20 years ago. It's a lovely lens, but recently I've been taking photos of my son playing football and the lack of autofocus is a problem. It's very fast and I can live without IS, but trying to manually focus when shooting fast moving sports action is extremely difficult.

[@justjingerjosh6852]

Thank you, this was helpful

[@PhilUKNet]

You're most welcome. Thanks for letting me know!

[@ericdanthon2]

Great review and I am sold. I am dealing with this issue of buying this camera and lens right now used for 400.00. I have a canon 7D and I don't think the IQ can be much different than the EOS M. What does image quality really mean? I don't make money with Photography and also can print anything up to an 8 by 10 that looks great. I have the 70-200mm f4 like you have also. I would love to see a comparison between that and the 55-200 and look at both in an 8 by 10. I like a lot and get tires of using my 7D sometimes. Many times I leave it at home and only take it out occasionally. I think this small camera will put the fun back into photography.

[@PhilUKNet]

I went through exactly the same thing. I got fed up lugging heavy DSLR gear around, especially as it is very hot and humid where I live. EOS M has the same APS-C sensor as APS-C DSLRs and the native lenses are very good. The original EOS M was very slow, but the latest bodies are great. It did indeed put the fun back into photography for me. If you do birds in flight or sport you may miss your 7D, but for the type of photography I do I don't need blazing fast AF or frame rates and I love my EOS M system. I was thinking about doing a comparison video between those two lenses, and also the Canon FD 70-210. If I get some free time I will do it. I have compared some shots on my computer and although I thought the EF 70-200 f/4L IS would be far superior, the little EF-M actually produces some good results. Thanks for your comment!

[@ericdanthon2]

@@PhilUKNet Thanks a lot. I just bought the Eos M6 and an adapter and can't wait for it to arrive. I will test that 70-200mm f4. I may still purchase the 55-200mm because it is so small and cheap. I used to have a tamron 18-270mm when they first came out and pixel peepers hated it. lol. I hate to admit they I never wanted to take that lens off.

[@PhilUKNet]

@@ericdanthon2 It's all about compromises - you can have anything, but you can't have everything. This is the problem I see with many people. They want everything. Their camera gear has to be a Swiss Army Knife that will do everything in any situation. What's your biggest priority? Only you can decide, not someone in an Internet forum who isn't you. Ultimate image quality? Zoom range flexibility? An 18-270mm lens might not have the best IQ, but that zoom range will cover just about everything. A light and small system? I anticipate ending up with two completely different systems. The EOS M system is great for travel, family outings and general stuff. At some stage I will plan to build another system for better IQ (even though the EOS M system is no slouch with IQ), but it won't be anywhere near as light and portable. Thanks for your comment and happy shooting!

[@andreaalvarezgarcia5574]

Can you focus on both the background and your subject at the same time with this lens? Thank u!

[@PhilUKNet]

The ability to do that depends on the depth of field, which is related to focal length and aperture. With wide angle lenses you get a very deep depth of field and can focus on background and subject at the same time. With telephoto lenses such as this one the depth of field is a lot narrower, therefore it is more difficult to focus on subject and background at the same time.

[@yinon500]

9:42 Words of wisdom! There are no perfect solutions, only tradeoffs. Would you recommend getting this lens even though Canon might ditch the ES-M platform in the future (and so it won't be practical to keep as I'll upgrade my camera one of these days)?

[@PhilUKNet]

This is a concern for me too. Canon DSLR's and EF lenses are already dead. Mirrorless EOS R and RF lenses are the future for Canon, but will they also kill off EOS M? In many ways it would make sense to put all their R&D effort into just one mount, but many people love the small form factor of EOS M and EF-M. I hope they don't kill it off. The rumour sites tell me alternately that EOS M will end soon and then that there will be another EOS M body this year. The truth is that no one knows. Even if Canon does end EOS M, there is a lot of stock out there and new and used bodies and lenses will be available for many years to come. I guess my question would be how important is a small and light form factor to you? If it is important, I don't think you will have any problems with EOS M for the next five years at least, so buy this lens. If it's not really that important - and if you are taking a longer term view - I would buy an EOS R body and start investing in RF lenses. Forget EOS M. Thanks for your comment!

[@PhilUKNet]

@Sweener I hope so! I occasionally look at a rumor site and haven't seen anything EOS-M related for ages. I've been using the system since 2013 and really like it.

[@hcp0scratch]

TY!!! Why not Auto ISO w/ max 800 set?

[@PhilUKNet]

If you use auto ISO it's advisable to set an upper limit. The IS is so good with this lens that it's rarely necessary to go as high as 800 unless it's really dark or you are shooting some fast action. I find that ISO 100 or 200 is fine most of the time, but left in auto ISO my camera will select ISOs over 1000.

[@tizofficial3021]

Can I use this pensé with a A7ii?

[@PhilUKNet]

I have no experience with Sony cameras, but as fast as I'm aware you can't use this lens. I believe there are adapters for EF and EF-S lenses, but not EF-M.

[@andresalgadomarques]

Great video! 👍

[@PhilUKNet]

Thank you! 👍

[@dude1diligence]

U cannot ask for a better review of this lens though. Three cheers.

[@PhilUKNet]

Praise indeed! Thank you.

[@SandyMartinelliSullivan]

Thanks! 😊

[@PhilUKNet]

Pleasure!

[@punjaroon80]

thailand

[@PhilUKNet]

ประเทศไทย!

[@cursedfox4942]

If only they had a 300

[@PhilUKNet]

If they did, it would probably be f/7.1 or slower. I was looking at the EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM, which looks like a good lens and not too big. I still feel sad that Canon has stopped development on M and EF-M.

[@cursedfox4942]

@@PhilUKNet ya I thought they were doing a re release of the m50 in quarter 3 last year but looks like they fully gave up canon does a lot of stupid shit tho I mean look how popular the m line has been Hopefully they’ll make an m500 lol but it looks like they are done with lenses Sony seems to be crushing the small camera market now

[@PhilUKNet]

@@cursedfox4942 I can understand Canon wanting to put all their resources into just one line, but simply adding a couple of APS-C models into the R line isn't a replacement for M. People love the M series for its small form factor and light weight. Anyway, what do I know? Canon has been in this game a long time and understands the camera market far better than I do.

[@cursedfox4942]

@@PhilUKNet personally I think they take guesses and stop sales for dumb reasons like an m50 with no upgrades isn’t gonna sell well they did a really bad job with the m50 2. But they do take a few year pauses in between ms so maybe we’ll get a refreshed line like the m500 m300 etc lol