The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 100-400mm and the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Canon RF 100-400mm is the longer of the two lenses at 165mm. The Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM with a length of 111mm, is 54mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon RF 100-400mm also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM's 70mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM weighs 375g, 40% (260g) lighter than the Canon RF 100-400mm's weight of 635g.
Filter Threads
The Canon RF 100-400mm has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon RF 100-400mm:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM:
Lens Mounts
The Canon RF 100-400mm has the Canon RF lens mount whereas the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM has the Canon EF-S lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon R100, Canon R8 and Canon R50 for the Canon RF Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Focal Range
Canon RF 100-400mm has a focal range of 100-400mm and
4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160 - 640mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM has a focal range of 55-250mm and 4.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 88-400mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.