The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR and the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II 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. Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 123mm. The Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II with a length of 108mm, is 15mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II'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 II weighs 390g, 26% (140g) lighter than the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR's weight of 530g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR and the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II have the same Filter thread size of 58mm.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II has the Canon EF-S lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has a focal range of 55-300mm and
5.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
82.5-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II 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.
