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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Sony |
Focal Length Description | f/4.0 OSS PZ Zoom Lens |
Lens Type | Wide Angle, Telephoto |
Compatible Mountings | Sony E |
Camera Lens Description | 7 |
About this item
- High performance E mount lens with excellent contrast; Minimum Aperture (F): 22
- Minimum Focus Distance : 1.48 (Wide) 3.12 ft (Tele), Maximum Magnification ratio : 0.11x, Focal Length : 18 105 mm
- Versatile 27 158mm (35mm equiv.) zoom range. Angle of view (APS C): 76° 15°. Number of aperture blades are 7
- Constant F4 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range. Filter diameter (mm):72 mm
- It is recommended that you use a lens hood to reduce flare and ensure maximum image quality.Focal Length (mm) 11/16 4 1/8 35 mm equivalent focal length (APS C) 1 1/16 6 3/16 inches
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Price | -15% $548.00$548.00 Typical: $648.00 | $1,098.00$1,098.00 | $1,298.00$1,298.00 | -21% $949.95$949.95 New Price: $1,198.00 | -10% $494.00$494.00 List: $549.00 | $1,698.00$1,698.00 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | — | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 22 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Image stabilization | 4.4 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 3.3 | — |
Auto focus | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | — |
Picture quality | 4.2 | 4.5 | — | 4.5 | 4.8 | — |
Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | SSE Photo & Video | Digital Village | PROCAM |
lens type | Wide Angle, Telephoto | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Telephoto |
compatible mountings | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E |
lens design | Zoom | Zoom | Prime | Prime | Prime | Zoom |
focus type | Stepper motor | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Manual Focus | Auto Focus | automatic |
minimum focal length | 18 millimeters | 20 millimeters | — | 24 millimeters | — | 70 millimeters |
max focal length | 105 millimeters | 70 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 105 millimeters | — | 200 millimeters |
fixed focal length | 105 millimeters | 70 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 105 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 200 millimeters |
real angle of view | 76 degrees | 94 degrees | 47 degrees | — | — | — |
From the manufacturer
Compatible Models
ILCE-6600/ILCE-6100/ILCE-7RM4/ILCE-6400/ILCE-6400L/ILCE-6400M/ILCE-7M3/ILCE-7M3K/ILCE-7RM3/ILCE-9/ILCE-6500/ILCE-6500M/ILCE-6300/ILCE-6300L/ILCE-6300M/ILCE-7SM2/ILCE-7RM2/ILCE-5100/ILCE-5100L/ILCE-5100Y/ILCE-7M2/ILCE-7M2K/ILCE-7S/ILCE-6000/ILCE-6000L/ILCE-6000Y/ILCE-3500J/ILCE-5000L/ILCE-5000Y/ILCE-3000K/ILCE-7/ILCE-7K/ILCE-7R/NEX-5T/NEX-5TL/NEX-3NL/NEX-5R/NEX-6/NEX-F3K/NEX-5N/NEX-5NK/NEX-7/NEX-7K/NEX-C3K/NEX-3A/NEX-5A
Depending on the model, the operation may be restricted or additional accessory products may be required. Please refer the manufacture site for details.
Recommended Cameras
ILCE-6500 | ILCE-6400 | ILCE-7M3 | ILCE-7RM2 | ILCE-7SM2 | ILCE-7M2 | |
Customer Reviews
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
290
|
4.7 out of 5 stars
1,367
|
4.7 out of 5 stars
1,367
|
4.6 out of 5 stars
550
|
4.1 out of 5 stars
131
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
1,027
|
Price
| $645.00$645.00 | $898.00$898.00 | $1,498.00$1,498.00 | $836.00$836.00 | $719.99$719.99 | $628.00$628.00 |
Product Name
| α6500 Premium APS-C Camera | α6400 with APS-C Sensor | α7 III WITH 35 MM IMAGE SENSOR | α7R II with 35 mm image sensor | α7S II with Full-Frame Sensor | α7 II E-mount Cam with 35mm |
Lens compatibility
| Sony E-mount lenses | Sony E-mount lenses | Sony E-mount lenses | Sony E-mount lenses | Sony E-mount lenses | Sony E-mount lenses |
Sensor type
| APS-C type Exmor CMOS sensor | APS-C type Exmor CMOS sensor | 35 mm Exmor R CMOS sensor | 35 mm Exmor R CMOS sensor | 35 mm Exmor CMOS sensor | 35 mm Exmor CMOS sensor |
Megapixels
| Approx. 24.2 megapixels | Approx. 24.2 megapixels | Approx. 24.2 megapixels | 42.4 megapixels | Approx.12.2 Megapixels | 24.3 megapixels |
Weight
| Approx. 1 lb, Approx. 453 g | Approx. 14.3 oz / 403 g | Approx. 1 lb 7.0 oz / 650 g | 20.53 oz (body only) | 20.6 oz (Body Only) | 19.61 oz (body only) |
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Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS [Review]
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Comparing Sony 28 vs 18-105mm lens #thisorthat
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Comparing Sony 16-50mm vs 18-105mm lens #thisorthat
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 4.33 x 3.07 x 3.07 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 15.1 ounces |
ASIN | B00ENZRQH8 |
Item model number | SELP18105G |
Batteries | 1 Product Specific batteries required. |
Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #56 in SLR Camera Lenses |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | August 26, 2013 |
Manufacturer | Sony |
Language | English |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
What's in the box
Product guides and documents
Product Description
Product Description
True to its high-end G Lens heritage, the SELP18105G lens features two ED glass elements and three aspherical elements for high resolution and contrast throughout the entire zoom range. The first Sony G Lens created specifically for E-mount cameras is true to its heritage, achieving outstanding resolution and contrast throughout the zoom range thanks to an advanced optical design incorporating two ED glass elements and three aspherical elements. From wide angle to medium telephoto, this power zoom lens covers approximately a 6x zoom range with a constant F4 aperture. When changing your aperture to defocus the background, the light sources appear blurred. This ‘bokeh’ effect of the blurred background can be enhanced with circular aperture blades used in this lens. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides creating unappealing polygonal shaped defocussed points of light. α lenses overcome this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result. As focal lengths get longer, lenses built with conventional optical glass have difficulties with chromatic aberration, and as a result images suffer from lower contrast, lower color quality, and lower resolution. ED glass dramatically reduces chromatic aberration at telephoto ranges, and provides superior contrast across the entire image, even at large aperture settings. Super ED glass provides enhanced compensation for chromatic aberration. Aspherical lens design dramatically reduces spherical aberration while also reducing lens size and weight. Spherical aberration is a slight misalignment of the light rays projected on the image plane. This is caused by differences in refraction at different points on conventional spherical lenses which degrade image quality in large-aperture lenses. Specially shaped “aspherical” elements near the diaphragm restore alignment of light rays at the image plane, maintaining high sharpness and contrast even at maximum aperture and can also be used at other points in the optical path to reduce distortion. Well-designed aspherical elements can reduce the total number of elements required in the lens, thus reducing overall size and weight. Advanced Aspherical (AA) elements are an evolved variant, featuring an extremely high thickness ratio between the center and periphery. AA elements are exceedingly difficult to produce, relying on the most advanced molding technology to consistently and precisely achieve the required shape and surface accuracy, resulting in significantly improved image accuracy and quality. Gyro sensors built into the lens detect even the slightest movement, and the stabilization lens is precisely shifted to counteract any image blur that might occur. The use of precision, quiet linear motors and technology inherited from high-end Sony professional camcorders results in exceptionally quiet, effective image stabilization that contributes to high-quality movies as well as stills. Only the middle groups of the optical system move to achieve focus, so the overall length of the lens does not change. Other important benefits include fast autofocusing and a short minimum focusing distance. Also, the filter thread at the front of the lens does not rotate, which is convenient if you’re using a polarizing filter. 2013 Sony Electronics All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony is not responsible for typographical and photographic errors. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. Sony, the Sony logo, Alpha, (a) and Super SteadyShot are trademarks of Sony. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.
From the Manufacturer
E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS Power Zoom Lens
The first Sony G Lens created specifically for E-mount cameras is true to its heritage, achieving outstanding resolution and contrast throughout the zoom range thanks to an advanced optical design incorporating two ED glass elements and three aspherical elements. From wide angle to medium telephoto, this power zoom lens covers approximately a 6x zoom range with a constant F4 aperture.
Technology
Circular Aperture
When changing your aperture to defocus the background, the light sources appear blurred. This ‘bokeh’ effect of the blurred background can be enhanced with circular aperture blades used in this lens. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides creating unappealing polygonal shaped defocussed points of light. α lenses overcome this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result.
ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass
As focal lengths get longer, lenses built with conventional optical glass have difficulties with chromatic aberration, and as a result images suffer from lower contrast, lower color quality, and lower resolution. ED glass dramatically reduces chromatic aberration at telephoto ranges, and provides superior contrast across the entire image, even at large aperture settings. Super ED glass provides enhanced compensation for chromatic aberration.
Aspherical lens elements
Aspherical lens design dramatically reduces spherical aberration while also reducing lens size and weight. Spherical aberration is a slight misalignment of the light rays projected on the image plane. This is caused by differences in refraction at different points on conventional spherical lenses which degrade image quality in large-aperture lenses. Specially shaped “aspherical” elements near the diaphragm restore alignment of light rays at the image plane, maintaining high sharpness and contrast even at maximum aperture and can also be used at other points in the optical path to reduce distortion. Well-designed aspherical elements can reduce the total number of elements required in the lens, thus reducing overall size and weight. Advanced Aspherical (AA) elements are an evolved variant, featuring an extremely high thickness ratio between the center and periphery. AA elements are exceedingly difficult to produce, relying on the most advanced molding technology to consistently and precisely achieve the required shape and surface accuracy, resulting in significantly improved image accuracy and quality.
Lens-based optical image stabilization
Gyro sensors built into the lens detect even the slightest movement, and the stabilization lens is precisely shifted to counteract any image blur that might occur. The use of precision, quiet linear motors and technology inherited from high-end Sony professional camcorders results in exceptionally quiet, effective image stabilization that contributes to high-quality movies as well as stills.
Additional Features
Internal focusing
Only the middle groups of the optical system move to achieve focus, so the overall length of the lens does not change. Other important benefits include fast autofocusing and a short minimum focusing distance. Also, the filter thread at the front of the lens does not rotate, which is convenient if you’re using a polarizing filter.
2013 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony is not responsible for typographical and photographic errors. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. Sony, the Sony logo, Alpha, (a) and Super SteadyShot are trademarks of Sony. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, power zoom and sharpness of the camera lens. They mention that it's an excellent all-around lens, that zooms smoothly and that it remains sharp in the center even when zooming in. They also like the appearance, value, and performance. Opinions are mixed on picture quality and focus.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the lens. They mention it's a decent lens, excellent all-around lens, and great for non-professional demands. The glass is great and produces sharp images. The lens is also highly rated and perfect as an everyday lens.
"...offer the zoom capabilities of this lens while offering the high quality construction and pictures in a smaller package, I can't give this lens..." Read more
"...The depth of field is deep and the lens is a sharp lens, not soft...." Read more
"...For the price, this is a decent lens, but if you’re planning on shooting more at night the 50mm (w/ Image Stabilization) may be a better option...." Read more
"...And on the business end of the lens is a wide, beautiful lens element...." Read more
Customers like the power zoom of the camera lens. They say it has a good zoom, it zooms smoothly, and the pictures are sharp. The manual zoom ring provides good level of control, and it doesn't extend out. Overall, customers are satisfied with the zoom range and ease of use.
"...However, the tradeoff is for high quality pictures with good zoom and I don't think you can get that without adding a significant amount of bulk..." Read more
"...It is fast to focus, the contrast and color is good and the range of the zoom is great...." Read more
"...The photos this thing produces are decent and the zoom feature does help; paired with a variable ND/CPL Filter you’ll have more than decent results,..." Read more
"...The zoom ring is smooth and predictable. The feel and build of the lens feels pro level to me. The sharpness and general color accuracy is good...." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the lens. They say it's a great buy especially for the price, and the best value for money zoom lens for Sony a6xxx. They also mention that the price point and picture quality work for them. The lens is very light and the zoom range and price are perfect for APS-C shooters and A7rii videographers. The DOF even for an F4 is pretty decent, and it has a good OSS.
"...shots, shots of kids playing sports, wildlife, etc... The price seems justified so far and I am happy with my purchase over the other zoom lenses..." Read more
"...Sony's E-mount APS-C lenses, this lens (SELP18105G) is the best value for the price. I tested this lens on my Sony NEX-6 camera." Read more
"...lenses as often because this is a great lens, its a great buy especially for the price!" Read more
"...The mirrorless cameras are cool because they are inexpensive and light weight...." Read more
Customers generally like the sharpness of the product. They mention that it is excellent, and sharp in the center but the corners are a little soft. They also say that it remains sharp throughout all the zooming, and is wire sharp at all focal lengths.
"...The pictures I got were very clear and sharp throughout all the zooming...." Read more
"...The feel and build of the lens feels pro level to me. The sharpness and general color accuracy is good...." Read more
"...The lens was sharp and I was able to get some great shots. Focusing was spot on and I love the fact that the zoom didn't extend out...." Read more
"...The lens is sharp, especially stopped down a bit. Not at the same level as 50/1.8 but sharper than 18-55. Nice colors and very good bokeh...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the lens. They mention that the bokeh is surprisingly nice, impressive, and great. The lens has very good color and clarity, great contrast, focus, and dynamic range. The colors are smooth and vibrant without being oversaturated. They also say that it looks good on a small mirrorless camera.
"...They were clear, crisp and the auto focus was fast...." Read more
"...Nice colors and very good bokeh. Great range. The manual zoom ring provides good level of control, definitely a better feel than 16-50...." Read more
"...Would recommend polarizer, with lens, it helped capture colors really well. Also...." Read more
"...Definitely helps make videos look more professional. Especially since I can keep the F4 across the range...." Read more
Customers are happy with the performance of the lens. They mention it works well for general photography, produces great results, and is superb in performance. Some say it's not super fast, but good enough for most situations.
"...This lens works great on a gimbal with the zoom motor and produces pretty solid video…that is, if you’re shooting during the day...." Read more
"...Works exceptionally well for most applications...." Read more
"...It’s actually heavier than the APS-C bodies, but it is so superb in performance that it is THE lens I will have on if I go out with just a body, lens..." Read more
"...All of these cameras record in the AVCHD format it it works great. If you are using a fs100 or fs700, I would be careful...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the focus of the lens. Some mention that it has really fast focusing, great autofocus performance, and spot on focusing. However, others say that the autofocus is slightly slower, the zoom is slow, and the minimum focus distance is too long.
"...The 18-105mm zoom does not disappoint in the least. It is fast to focus, the contrast and color is good and the range of the zoom is great...." Read more
"...They were clear, crisp and the auto focus was fast...." Read more
"...The AF is good but not awfully fast, at least on Nex 6 (it may be different on A6000). In challenging conditions, expect to use DMF...." Read more
"...OSS optical stabilization, 6x zoom (27-157mm 35mm equivalent), internal focusing (lens length remains constant for easier handling), power zoom..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the picture quality of the lens. Some mention it produces crisp photos with abundant detail, and is an excellent travel lens that takes the resolution to the next level. However, others say that the image quality is subpar, and half their footage wasn't crisp.
"...Do I like the lens? Absolutely. The quality of the images is superior to the glitches in usability.Do I recommend it? Absolutely...." Read more
"...You're gonna want a good amount of light as the quality of pictures dropped significantly in poorer lighting situations but with a good amount of..." Read more
"...bokeh at f4, feels great in the hand, zooms smoothly, and the pictures are sharp...." Read more
"...I think it is that good as a general purpose lens. The images are sharp! Sharp enough for the average client...." Read more
Reviews with images
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UPDATE: updating to 5 stars. The more I use the lens the more I see how all of the benefits outweigh the bulk. Until a lens can offer the zoom capabilities of this lens while offering the high quality construction and pictures in a smaller package, I can't give this lens anything but 5 stars.
This is going to be a brief initial impressions of this lens as I've only had it for a few hours. It came nicely packaged and despite knowing that it was going to be fairly big compared to the kit lens and the Sony 35f1.8, it was a little heavier than I expected Went onto my NEX 5T easy enough and then it was ready to go. The camera with the lens is much more bulky and heavy as expected but the lens has a good quality heft to it and seems well constructed.
I took some test shots in moderate sunlight as well as mild indoor lighting. I did full 105mm and 18mm shots. My 35f1.8 takes noticeable crisper shots and the 1.8 aperture has outstanding background blur and bokeh, but I didn't buy this lens expecting it to rival that lens. I bought this lens as a versatile lens with good glass and good zoom and I believe I got it. I opted for this lens instead of more zoom with the 18200 and 55210 due to price and concerns with some criticisms from online reviewers. This lens has generally favorable reviews and didn't quite break the bank like other zoom lenses could do. The pictures I got were very clear and sharp throughout all the zooming. At full zoom the pictures remained surprisingly crisp and clear and I am very satisfied with the results so far.
You're gonna want a good amount of light as the quality of pictures dropped significantly in poorer lighting situations but with a good amount of light you can expect fantastic quality shots. I knocked off a star because my personal preferences. The lens is big and bulky and while it is meant as a versatile travel lens, it is just nowhere near as travel friendly as my other lenses. However, the tradeoff is for high quality pictures with good zoom and I don't think you can get that without adding a significant amount of bulk and weight to your setup. I think this will be great for travel, outdoor landscape shots, shots of kids playing sports, wildlife, etc... The price seems justified so far and I am happy with my purchase over the other zoom lenses available for this line of cameras. As it stands, I can easily recommend this lens to others and will update my review after I have more experience taking it on a trip shortly.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2015
UPDATE: updating to 5 stars. The more I use the lens the more I see how all of the benefits outweigh the bulk. Until a lens can offer the zoom capabilities of this lens while offering the high quality construction and pictures in a smaller package, I can't give this lens anything but 5 stars.
This is going to be a brief initial impressions of this lens as I've only had it for a few hours. It came nicely packaged and despite knowing that it was going to be fairly big compared to the kit lens and the Sony 35f1.8, it was a little heavier than I expected Went onto my NEX 5T easy enough and then it was ready to go. The camera with the lens is much more bulky and heavy as expected but the lens has a good quality heft to it and seems well constructed.
I took some test shots in moderate sunlight as well as mild indoor lighting. I did full 105mm and 18mm shots. My 35f1.8 takes noticeable crisper shots and the 1.8 aperture has outstanding background blur and bokeh, but I didn't buy this lens expecting it to rival that lens. I bought this lens as a versatile lens with good glass and good zoom and I believe I got it. I opted for this lens instead of more zoom with the 18200 and 55210 due to price and concerns with some criticisms from online reviewers. This lens has generally favorable reviews and didn't quite break the bank like other zoom lenses could do. The pictures I got were very clear and sharp throughout all the zooming. At full zoom the pictures remained surprisingly crisp and clear and I am very satisfied with the results so far.
You're gonna want a good amount of light as the quality of pictures dropped significantly in poorer lighting situations but with a good amount of light you can expect fantastic quality shots. I knocked off a star because my personal preferences. The lens is big and bulky and while it is meant as a versatile travel lens, it is just nowhere near as travel friendly as my other lenses. However, the tradeoff is for high quality pictures with good zoom and I don't think you can get that without adding a significant amount of bulk and weight to your setup. I think this will be great for travel, outdoor landscape shots, shots of kids playing sports, wildlife, etc... The price seems justified so far and I am happy with my purchase over the other zoom lenses available for this line of cameras. As it stands, I can easily recommend this lens to others and will update my review after I have more experience taking it on a trip shortly.
Day 1 living with the lens: I received the delivery of the 18-105 F4 lens last night and today I had the opportunity to venture out on a sunny day, with snow on the ground in Central Oregon shooting with my Sony A6000 and 18-105mm F4 G zoom lens. I have the 10-18mm F4 lens as well that is very sharp and used for landscapes and architecture. I needed another lens but wanted a zoom to cover a range without having to carry a lot of lenses or bother to change lenses.
After considering Zeis lenses (and cost), kit lenses and all others for the Sony, I decided on this one, which I could return if I had to. I should mention I had purchased the Fotodiox adapter to mount my canon lenses to the Sony A6000. However, I discovered that the weight ratio of the heavy Canon lenses to the light body weight of the Sony A6000 was uncomfortable and defeated the purpose of going to a mirrorless camera. I returned the adaptor, which by the way was way too slow to autofocus and will be selling my Canon lenses. Here is why:
The 18-105mm zoom does not disappoint in the least. It is fast to focus, the contrast and color is good and the range of the zoom is great. The depth of field is deep and the lens is a sharp lens, not soft. I can't tell you whether the corners are soft or not, I don't go that far but I do tend to be a pixel peeper as it is my business as a photographer to pay attention to details.
If you have spent hours of researching and the negative reviews throw you off just about the time you had made your decision, my advice would be to buy from a vendor that will accept returns. No risk to you other than possibly having to pay return shipping. Amazon is great for this.
Here are some sample photos from today's shoot. Did I post process? Yes. But then I post process just about everything I shoot and I typically shoot in RAW. Did I take three exposures at 0, -2 and +2...yes and blended them to control the highlights and shadows. I make no apologies as if the photos can stand up to processing and not lose quality, then why not?
BTW, the shot of the geese flying in the sky was taken from the ground and the geese were about 100-200 feet in the air, flying over my head. I aimed, the camera focused, I followed them as I tripped the shutter. That's easier than trying to use a high ISO to stop the action.
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2016
Day 1 living with the lens: I received the delivery of the 18-105 F4 lens last night and today I had the opportunity to venture out on a sunny day, with snow on the ground in Central Oregon shooting with my Sony A6000 and 18-105mm F4 G zoom lens. I have the 10-18mm F4 lens as well that is very sharp and used for landscapes and architecture. I needed another lens but wanted a zoom to cover a range without having to carry a lot of lenses or bother to change lenses.
After considering Zeis lenses (and cost), kit lenses and all others for the Sony, I decided on this one, which I could return if I had to. I should mention I had purchased the Fotodiox adapter to mount my canon lenses to the Sony A6000. However, I discovered that the weight ratio of the heavy Canon lenses to the light body weight of the Sony A6000 was uncomfortable and defeated the purpose of going to a mirrorless camera. I returned the adaptor, which by the way was way too slow to autofocus and will be selling my Canon lenses. Here is why:
The 18-105mm zoom does not disappoint in the least. It is fast to focus, the contrast and color is good and the range of the zoom is great. The depth of field is deep and the lens is a sharp lens, not soft. I can't tell you whether the corners are soft or not, I don't go that far but I do tend to be a pixel peeper as it is my business as a photographer to pay attention to details.
If you have spent hours of researching and the negative reviews throw you off just about the time you had made your decision, my advice would be to buy from a vendor that will accept returns. No risk to you other than possibly having to pay return shipping. Amazon is great for this.
Here are some sample photos from today's shoot. Did I post process? Yes. But then I post process just about everything I shoot and I typically shoot in RAW. Did I take three exposures at 0, -2 and +2...yes and blended them to control the highlights and shadows. I make no apologies as if the photos can stand up to processing and not lose quality, then why not?
BTW, the shot of the geese flying in the sky was taken from the ground and the geese were about 100-200 feet in the air, flying over my head. I aimed, the camera focused, I followed them as I tripped the shutter. That's easier than trying to use a high ISO to stop the action.
Top reviews from other countries
It is sharp and impressive for the price! It is a little slow at focusing on full auto compared to other lenses I’ve used. It’s amazing for video and the smooth zoom is quite the weapon for documentary style footage.
For the price this is a very impressive hybrid lens and I would recommend it for anyone with a cropped sensor Sony!
I used it with a A6700 I was very impressed with the results. All photos are on auto.
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2024
It is sharp and impressive for the price! It is a little slow at focusing on full auto compared to other lenses I’ve used. It’s amazing for video and the smooth zoom is quite the weapon for documentary style footage.
For the price this is a very impressive hybrid lens and I would recommend it for anyone with a cropped sensor Sony!
I used it with a A6700 I was very impressed with the results. All photos are on auto.
Reviewed in Brazil on June 24, 2022
Insgesamt habe ich dieses Objektiv schon 3x gekauft und nun bleibt es auch, zumindest bis Sony dafür vielleicht mal einen Nachfolger bringt.
Sicherlich gibt es Objektive die a) mehr Schärfe abliefern oder b) eine leichtere Bauweise mit sich bringen, aber für mich liegt der Charme bei diesem Objektiv in der Vielseitigkeit und der dem innenliegenden Zoom. Das Objektiv bleibt immer auf gleicher Länge, da der Zoome innenliegend erfolgt.
Beim Filmen hat es den Vorteil das man den Gimbal nur einmal ausrichten muss, egal welche Brennweite man filmt und auf Reisen hat es den Vorteil, dass dieses Objektiv wieder anfällig ist, als Objektive die mechanisch und außen ein- und ausfahren.
+ Der Autofokus an der A6400 und ZV-E10 ist mit dem Objektiv schnell genug
+ Die Brennweite von 18-105 an APSC ist so wunderbar variabel
+ Man kann im hohen Telebereich sehr gut freistellen und das Bokeh ist ruhig
+ Die Lichtstärke mit F4 ist kein Lichtwunder, aber ermöglicht mit modernen Kameras inzwischen viel mehr,
als man denkt. Denn das Rauschverhalten der modernen APSC-Kameras, ist einfach enorm gut.
+ Die Bildqualität ist für mich auch gut. Klar ist eine Festbrennweite schärfer oder besser in der jeweiligen Brennweite, aber den Trade-off von etwas Bildqualität tausche ich gern, wenn ich dafür immer bereit bin und keinen Moment mehr verpasse, weil 18-105 immer sofort startklar ist. Ein Bild haben ist immer besser, als es zu verpassen. Auch hier gibt es so viele Möglichkeiten in Post, was Schärfe, Rauschen etc betrifft. Daher bevorzuge ich im Alltag diese Vielseitigkeit mit einer guten Bildqualität
+ Tolles Objektiv um zu filmen. Es ist optisch stabilisiert und ob mit oder ohne Gimbal, das Objektiv macht eine sehr gute und ebenfalls vielseitige Figur dabei.
+ Für den Preis von ca. 400€ +/- ist es immer noch ein tolles G-Serie Objektiv
Die neuen linearen AF Motoren die Sony aus dem FF nun auch für APSC Objektive übernommen hat, wie z.B. beim 70-350G würde ich hier auch gern in einer neuen Version von einem 18-105 sehen. Mal sehen was Sony in der Zukunft überlegt, denn dieses Objektiv ist ja schon lang, aber eben auch sehr erfolgreich auf dem Markt und wertstabil.