Shall i get a 55-250 or save more for a L lens?

so guys, i want to get a telephoto lens.
right now I'm at a budget in which i can get a 55-250mm.
Never had a L lens. heard its too good to have one.
so thinking that i should save more n get a L lens with 70-200 or something.
I guess it costs almost double then one 55-250.
if you are in my shoe, what would you do ?
Suggestions please

I have the 55-200 (got it for 200 bucks new). It's a very good performer when there is good light. Where there isn't enough light it's not so good anymore.
It depends mostly on what do you shoot. If it's daylight, outdoor stuff than you'll be fine. If it's indoor action, you better get a fast prime like a 100 f2 or 85 1.8.

You might want to look into third party glass (Sigma 70-200 2.8 HSM II). Solid IQ and also a good price (some 500-600 euros).

I'd say, looking at your gearlist, get the 55-250 for now, it's a good starter lens for your kit, learn how to use it, take good pictures.

Then upgrade later when you know why you need to upgrade.

Get the 55-250 now, used if possible. It is a good lens. See if you use the focal length enough that you still want the L. Use is with IS on and off so if you do upgrade, you will know if you definitely need IS or not. (Though I think now I will always go IS if available on a lens.)

I bought a 55-250 used locally to see if I liked the focal length as I didn't want to drop $2500 on a lens I wouldn't use. Played with it for a week and went down and got a new 70-200 2.8 is II. The only other lens I own is an EF-S 17-55 and as soon as I saw the 55-250 I new it probably wouldn't satisfy my needs.

Not sure where you're from but I got my used 55-250 for $150.

If I were in your shoes, I'd find the best deal on this lens and buy it. I have two, the first one went to my girlfriend with the T2I, seeing the results it's the only lens she wants to shoot with. Got the second one at BB for $150. I think this lens is one of the best canon lens values going, you won't like this lens you'll love it! There's only one draw back to this lens, it may lead you down " L " glass avenue.

Get it now; see if those focal ranges are something you're going to use...and then, if so, start saving for one of the 70-200s. Comparatively, the price is minimal and isn't going to, significantly, impact your saving up for an "L" lens...especially if you do as the others have suggested and find a reasonably priced, used one.

ekfaysal wrote in post #15146013
so guys, i want to get a telephoto lens.
right now I'm at a budget in which i can get a 55-250mm.
Never had a L lens. heard its too good to have one.
so thinking that i should save more n get a L lens with 70-200 or something.
I guess it costs almost double then one 55-250.
if you are in my shoe, what would you do ?
Suggestions please

spend $169 and get the 55-250IS - it's a nice sharp lens with "IS"
http://www.adorama.com​/CA55250AFSR.html

I'd save for at least the 70-200mm f/4L ....

When you start thinking like this, stop. Yes, the L lenses in that focal length range (there are a bunch of them) are all very good. At least two of them are truly outstanding. However:

A 70-200 L with IS will cost you MUCH more than twice as much. The 70-200 f/4 IS costs about $1300.

More important, for most purposes, unless you are very experienced, you are not going to see a huge difference in image quality. I know; I've owned both the 55-250 and the 70-200 f/4 IS. Until you have a lot of experience, most of the variation in image quality will be you: how well you compose the shot, how well you choose settings, how carefully you use the various AF options, and how well you post-process the image.

So I am with most of the others: get yourself a 55-250. It is an inexpensive lens, and it feels like it, but it can take very good images, and it is an excellent lens for the price. Then practice a lot, and when you get to the point where that lens is holding you back for some reason, consider upgrading.

And when you do get to that point, there is nothing magical about L lenses. There are lots of superb lenses that are not Ls, and many of them are much cheaper. I have been shooting for decades and currently have 5 lenses, of which only 2 are Ls. When you get to the point where an upgrade makes sense, shop around and ask for specific advice here. In some cases, you will find good, much cheaper options; in other cases, you may not.

It's hard to beat the price on the 55-250. Worth getting now. If you feel the need for a bit higher quality and more range, consider the Tamron 70-300 VC.

CountryBoy wrote in post #15146161
I'd save for at least the 70-200mm f/4L ....

A refurb model just might meet the savings price range. But it won't have IS

paddler4 wrote in post #15146253
When you start thinking like this, stop. Yes, the L lenses in that focal length range (there are a bunch of them) are all very good. At least two of them are truly outstanding. However:

A 70-200 L with IS will cost you MUCH more than twice as much. The 70-200 f/4 IS costs about $1300.

More important, for most purposes, unless you are very experienced, you are not going to see a huge difference in image quality. I know; I've owned both the 55-250 and the 70-200 f/4 IS. Until you have a lot of experience, most of the variation in image quality will be you: how well you compose the shot, how well you choose settings, how carefully you use the various AF options, and how well you post-process the image.

So I am with most of the others: get yourself a 55-250. It is an inexpensive lens, and it feels like it, but it can take very good images, and it is an excellent lens for the price. Then practice a lot, and when you get to the point where that lens is holding you back for some reason, consider upgrading.

And when you do get to that point, there is nothing magical about L lenses. There are lots of superb lenses that are not Ls, and many of them are much cheaper. I have been shooting for decades and currently have 5 lenses, of which only 2 are Ls. When you get to the point where an upgrade makes sense, shop around and ask for specific advice here. In some cases, you will find good, much cheaper options; in other cases, you may not.

Solid advice right here..... go for the 55-250

Get the 55-250 and then decide which 70-200 you really want. You can get it for under $200 regularly so don't stress yourself out over it.

paddler4 wrote in post #15146253
More important, for most purposes, unless you are very experienced, you are not going to see a huge difference in image quality. I know; I've owned both the 55-250 and the 70-200 f/4 IS. Until you have a lot of experience, most of the variation in image quality will be you: how well you compose the shot, how well you choose settings, how carefully you use the various AF options, and how well you post-process the image.

So I am with most of the others: get yourself a 55-250. It is an inexpensive lens, and it feels like it, but it can take very good images, and it is an excellent lens for the price. Then practice a lot, and when you get to the point where that lens is holding you back for some reason, consider upgrading.

And when you do get to that point, there is nothing magical about L lenses.

I disagree. Lenses make a difference and in Canon's lineup, L lenses make a difference pretty much every time. I have the 55-250 and I've rented the 70-200 f2.8ISII. There's no comparison. My photos were much better with the 70-200 and I can guarantee you it wasn't me. The 55-250 is a great value and under good light and stopped down it is an excellent lens. But it's AF is extremely slow compared to the 70-200 so much so that if you're not under good light you'll miss a ton of shots with the 55-250 in comparison to having a 70-200.

The 55-250 is like a blunt knife compared to the 70-200. When you're able to cut with the 55-250, you'll find that it works pretty well compared to the 70-200. But in cases where you're having trouble cutting with the 55-250, the 70-200 makes life a whole lot easier. The person behind the camera always matters but the tool does the person uses does too.

How about a 3rd-party lens in the middle of the price range, like the Tamron 70-300 (i.e. Tamron SP AF70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD). There's a $100 rebate right now, so you can get it for $350. Excellent lens.