Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 Field Test: A compact, all-in-one zoom lens that’s ready for your next vacation
posted Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 4:40 PM EDT
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 Field Test
Despite all the attention towards Sony full-frame cameras these days, they still make some darn good APS-C cameras. With the recent announcement of the E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens, the E-mount system is still alive and kicking all around. This new travel zoom lens joins a crowded field among other versatile Sony zooms, but with a fairly low price point and an impressively compact design, the new 18-135mm paired with a camera like the A6500 makes a fun, lightweight combination.
Recently, I had the opportunity to take this lens out for a spin in beautiful Hawaii during a Sony-organized press trip. Mounted to an A6500, this compact zoom was easy to travel with throughout the day, and the versatile focal length range let me easily capture wide landscapes, portraits, close-ups, and far-off subjects. Though I only spent a few days with the new lens -- our in-depth lab review will be forthcoming once we get our hands on the lens again -- I found the image quality to be generally impressive. The lens captures sharp results throughout its zoom range, though distortion issues are apparent at various focal lengths, especially at the wide-end.
Check out my just-published Field Test for all the details on how this lens performed, and be sure to browse the Gallery page for a variety of real-world photos (with RAWs and JPEG, of course)!