One lens to replace both 18-55mm and 55-250mm?

[DBrown1]

I am always changing lens between my EF 18 - 55 and EF 55 - 250.  Is there any lens that has the ability to do the close range of the 18 - 55 and Zoom of the 55 - 250?  I am sick of changing lenses

[jrhoffman75 · Accepted solution]

Canon has (had) an 18-200 lens.

Tamon has an 18-400 lens.

[kvbarkley]

How zoomed in do you want to go? I find the EF-S 18-135 meets most of my needs, then I have the 70-300 II if I need to go longer, or my 150-600 if I want to go loooonger.

[rs-eos]

Do note that single lenses that have a very wide range of focal lengths can lead to less quality in images vs having separate lenses with narrower ranges.

[ebiggs1]

"Do note that single lenses that have a very wide range of focal lengths can lead to less quality in images ..."

You see photography is always about a trade offs.  You give up something, to get something. In the case of the OP it depends on what the resulting image requirements are. Is it FB or NatGeo, or something in between? A basic statement might be the shorter the zoom ratio the sharper the lens will be until you get down to zero which would be a prime lens. Personally I like to stay in an approx. 3:1 zoom ratio. 24-70mmm, 70-200mm, 120-300mm or 150-600mm which are my favorite go to zooms. They produce what I expect and need and that is the question the OP must answer. The 18-400mm may fit the bill for the OP, it just is not a candidate I would ever consider.