Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-f/6.3 IS STM Mirrorless Lens Review

Canon EF-M Metal Lens Mount

• Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
• Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
• Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
• Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM
• Canon EF-EOS M Mount Adapter

Canon EF-M Plastic Lens Mount

• Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-f/6.3 IS STM
• Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/4.5-f/6.3 IS STM
• Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 IS Macro STM
• Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-f/6.3 IS STM

 

Introduction

I have always been happy with my first three mirrorless EF-M lenses, the Canon EF-M 18-55mm STM IS, Canon EF-M 11-22mm IS STM Lens, and Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM. I am also very happy now with the Canon EOS M6 because it is such a big improvement on the original Canon EOS M.

When travelling I would like to use only EF-M lenses for their small size and light weight, however, the lenses above only give me a maximum focal length of 55mm and, ideally, I would like a little more. That was the reason for buying this lens. The only concern is whether it will deliver sufficient image quality.

The cost was about one-seventh the cost of my EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens. Obviously, I don't expect it to have the same performance, but if the image quality is disappointing then I will be forced to carry some larger, heavier lenses.

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User Impressions

My first impression was one of disappointment because of the plastic lens mount. My first three EF-M lenses had metal mounts, but every EF-M lens after that has had a plastic lens mount. This cost saving just makes me feel that the standard of lens construction is low.

The inner lens barrel is fully retracted at 55mm and fully extended at 200mm. The lens is light and well-balanced on an M body.

As with all EF-M lens, the manual focus ring is small and probably won't be used by the majority of users.

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Focusing

The lens uses new stepper motor (STM) technology for its autofocus mechanism. This is all part of Canon's drive to implement silent continuous autofocus tracking in movie mode. To do this requires an appropriate body with a hybrid CMOS sensor and contrast detection AF technology, and a lens with an STM designation.

Autofocus is maybe not as fast as some other lenses, but in most situations it works well without any problems. For videographers the continuous autofocus in movie mode is a very welcome feature.

It also appears to work perfectly well when the camera is in AI Servo mode tracking an object coming towards the camera. I tested this on passing motorbikes and the results were quite satisfactory.

There is no direct physical connection between the manual focusing ring and the internal focusing mechanism as there is on other lenses. If you turn the ring with the camera off nothing happens. Turning the ring sends a signal to the stepper motor which then focuses the lens electronically.

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Manual Focusing

Unlike my Canon EF and EF-S lenses, manual focusing isn't as easy with the EOS M system as simply turning the lens focus ring, or manually switching the lens into MF mode first and then turning the lens focus ring.

There is no AF/MF switch on the EF-M lenses and, because of the stepper motor technology and a lack of any physical connection between the focus ring and the focusing mechanism, nothing happens most of the time when you turn the focus ring.

To enable manual fousing, first you must go into the menu system and find 'Focus mode' (the camera icon with two dots). This mode has three options:

1. AF (Auto Focus). When in this mode the focus ring is completely inoperational.
2. MF (Manual Focus). In this mode the Auto Focus is completely inoperational and turning the focus ring controls the focusing mechanism whenever the camera is switched on.
3. AF+MF. This allows the Autofocus to operate and also allows the user to focus manually after the autofocus has activated. However, you can only focus manually while pressing the shutter release halfway down after the Autofocus has activated.

While holding the shutter release halfway down and turning the focus ring ring, you will see 'MF' blinking on the rear LCD. If the camera is in AF+MF mode and simply switched on, turning the focus ring does nothing. You must hold the shutter release halfway down before manual focusing will operate in AF+MF mode.

When the camera is put into MF mode a small magnifying glass icon appears on the rear LCD in the bottom right-hand corner. Tapping on the icon cycles through 1x, 5x and 10x magnification with an accordingly larger image shown on the display. This is very similar to the Liveview feature on Canon SLRs.

In cases where the Autofocus mechanism won't do what you want it to do, such as with close macro work, this is very useful. Saying this, I have never used MF on my EOS M, which stays permanently in AF mode. The only time I use manual focusing is for macro work and the EOS M body isn't my first choice for macro.

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Image Stabilisation

As with all of Canon's IS lenses in recent years, the Image Stabilisation system works very well.

Most EF-M lenses have IS, but with the shorter focal length lenses it isn't too important. It is with this one. The maximum focal length is the equivalent of 320mm on a full-frame camera and when you are composing using a rear display and holding the camera at arms' length it is difficult to keep steady.

At the maximum focal length there was a fair amount of camera shake at 1/15s, but at 1/30s the image was very sharp. See the sample image above, which was handheld at 1/30s.

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Focal Length

This lens is roughly the equivalent of a 88-320mm lens on a 35mm (full frame) camera.

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Birding

When you get close to birds you can be very still and very quiet and you can fool yourself into believing that the bird doesn't know you're there. Wrong. Birds always know when humans are present and they will allow you to get within a certain safe distance. As soon as you exceed the safe distance they fly off. A few species aren't too bothered about humans getting close, but what I have written applies to most birds.

If you could get close enough with the EF-M 55-200mm it would produce great images of birds but, in my experience, you can't. I get as close as I can without them flying away and then I always start wishing that I had packed my EF 400mm f/5.6L.

The following shots were taken in Phattalung province, southern Thailand. I have never seen as much birdlife anywhere as I have in this province. Chinese Pond Herons are one of the species that don't mind you getting too close, and they are fairly easy to photograph but I still couldn't get close enough. There were also some Asian Openbills in the same area and this species has a big aversion to humans getting close.

The closest I could get to the Openbills was nowhere near close enough and with the bird being so small in the photo - and having to crop so much - it meant that there was seriously little detail in the image.

If you're in a hide, or if you are fortunate enough to be able to get near, or if you are photographing birds that aren't skittish the EF-M 55-200mm can be used to photograph birds. However, it's far from being the ideal lens and if you really want to photograph birds get a lens that is 400mm or longer.