The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD 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. Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD is the longer of the two lenses at 194mm. The Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II with a length of 108mm, is 86mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD also has a larger diameter of 90mm 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, 70% (940g) lighter than the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD's weight of 1330g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II 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 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD has the Canon EF 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 Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV for the Canon EF Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD has a focal range of 70-200mm and
2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
112 - 320mm.
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.