Although mirrorless cameras are small, they can be bulky when fitted with a long lens. Canon EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS ST ($349.99), is one of smaller telezooms for APS-C mirrorless cameras. The compact EOS M3 is able to balance it well, while the telezoom itself is quite lightweight. The zoom is not as efficient as we expected and the narrow aperture means that you will need to use the ISO setting in low light. The lens doesn't offer as much value as the EF-M11-22mm f/4-55.6 IS STM, but is a great telezoom.
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Design
The 55-200mm measures just 3.4 by 2.4 inches (HD) at its shortest position, but it does extend when zoomed. It is quite light considering its zoom range of 9.2 ounces. However, I would prefer a metal mount to it. Canon should have included a lens cover. The bayonet-style hood, which matches the lens at $29, is an accessory. Samsung's similar 50-200mm F4-5.6 EDOIS III lens, which captures light better across its range, includes a hood and is larger at 4 by 2.8 inches and 14.3 ounces.
It occupies most of the barrel. The textured surface makes it easy to spot and gives it a little more grip for a comfortable turn. The manual focus ring sits at the front of the barrel—it's narrow, but finished with a similar texture. Supported front filters are 52mm in size.
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Optics
Canon's Rebel SLR-like EOS M system is also an APSC system. You may be used to looking at lenses in full frame terms. The 55-200mm lens covers the same field as a full-frame zoom, which is 88-320mm. A minimum focal distance of 3.3 feet is required to achieve a magnification of 0.21x. This is not macro territory. A telezoom can be used for both portraiture and distant action.
Imatest was used to test how sharp the lens looks when it is paired with EOS M3. It scores 2,073 lines per image height with a center-weighted sharpness score of 55mm f/4.5. This is better than the 1,800 lines that we want in a photograph, however the outer third of a frame has 1,502 lines. While reducing the aperture to f/5.6 increases sharpness to 2,281 lines but does not improve edges detail, it can be done to increase edge detail. You'll need to stop down to f/8 for that—it scores 2,372 lines there with edges that manage 1,858 lines.
Maximum aperture at 85mm is f/5. The lens scored 2,073 lines in the center-weighted testing when taken wide open. The performance is good throughout the entire frame but it drops to 1,638 line at the edges. The overall score is increased to 2,207 lines by reducing the aperture to f/5.6. Edges are also very good at 1,917 lines. The lens at f/8 is sharp in the center-weighted and edges tests (2,479 lines) as well (2,265 line).
The f-stop is reduced to f/5.6 when the zoomed in to 135mm. The lens is a solid performer wide open—it notches 2,208 lines on the center-weighted test with edges that top 2,000 lines. At f/8, the performance of this lens is almost identical. The lens's f/6.3 rating is achieved when zoomed in all the way. However, sharpness remains strong.
The center-weighted test scores it 2,069 lines, while the edges score a little lower at 1,816. At f/8, the story remains about the same. This zoom doesn't have much distortion, however, it exhibits the pincushion effect which causes horizontal straight lines to bow inward when zoomed in all the way. It's noticeable, but not overly distracting—about 1.4 percent according to Imatest.
The M3 adjusts JPG images to ensure that all edges are evenly lit. Raw photography shows that the lens' true nature includes dimmed corners. The lens drops 2.3EV to the corners at 55mm, which makes them appear darker than the centre of the frame. The drop at f/5.6 is 1.4EV but it's still evident. A lower f/8 aperture shows corners that are more comfortable with a -1EV light source.
The remaining zoom range shows that the corner illumination drops by 2EV when the lens is wide open. However, the effect decreases to f/8 for a smaller aperture. You can easily adjust the peripheral lighting with a Raw converter. If you use Lightroom, you can also correct both distortion and falloff with one click.
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Conclusions
Canon's compact telezoom has been made available at a reasonable price with the EF M 55-200mm f/4.5 -6.3 IS STM. But the lens is not without issues—notably softer edges and some fall-off, both when shooting wide open. These problems can be fixed by slowing down, or using software to correct the falloff.
The build quality is a downer—the plastic barrel and mount make the lens feel a little cheaper than a metal one like the wide-angle EF-M 11-22mm zoom. It balances better than a Canon EF telezoom or EF-S telezoom when attached using an adapter. This makes it a good choice for EOS M users.