Got a T3i with 18-135 IS. 55-250 a good compliment?

Hi All,

Just got a brand new T3i with the 18-135 IS kit lens. Though I wanted to have the 18-55 kit lens instead, a got an excellent deal with this package that I can't pass up.

So thinking of taking care of the slightly longer end of tele. Would the 55-250 complement the 18-135 well? Other than the rather wide overlap, you think it'll be worth? I can get the 55-250, used once only, for $150 so am considering to take it.

Am also gonna get the nifty-fifty, btw, in a few days.

Or ...... should I just save up and get something like a 70-300mm?

Thanks in advance.

Overlap, despite what you hear on POTN, can be useful.
The 55-250 is an excellent value for the money- you will not find any better lens for that price range.

Think of overlap as a value- if you had a 18-55/55-250 combo- if you had the 18-55 on- and you needed more telephoto- your only recourse is to swap lenses- which might mean missing the shot - or more constant lens swapping. An 18-135/55-250 combo means that often, you don't need to swap lenses as much. the 18-135 is also a much better lens for general walkabout, I think, than the 18-55. As a single lens by itself- it's a good choice for going out and about with only one lens on the camera.

I find the 18-55 suitable for relatively close range- like indoors- but- it's still fairly slow- and limited range.. The 18-135, on the other hand, handles indoors as well as the 18-55, but it's beauty is outside- it's more versatile- and often negates the need to swap the lenses out. Someday- take a look at the exif info on your pics and determine what ranges you are using.. Most of the time I had a 18-55, I found I was using the extremes of the two- 18mm and 55mm- which means I am butting the ends of the range. To me, that means I probably could use extra range out of the lens. To me, that would be either a 15-85, 24-105, or 18-135...

The new 18-135 STM is a completely different animal from the original 18-135 IS - btw.

I had this combo along with a 50 mm prime for a long time, it is a very good combination.

Thanks both. Your comments confirmed my plans of getting the 55-250mm.
I think the overlap is really desirable in our case since this is our first DSLR. Actually, my daughter will use it more that I would but of course, the dad has got to play with the T3i once in a while. (My daughter has not put it down at all since I picked it up at noon today LOL)