The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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. Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 137mm. The Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM with a length of 111mm, is 26mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 also has a larger diameter of 79mm 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, 63% (645g) lighter than the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6's weight of 1020g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a filter size of 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM:
Lens Mounts
The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has the Canon EF 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 Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is also available in the Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a focal range of 80-400mm and
5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
128 - 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.
