Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony
92 Overall Score
vs
Tamron All-In-One Zoom AFB028N700 18-400mm

Tamron All-In-One Zoom AFB028N700 18-400mm

Tamron
78 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

82 out of 100 high confidence 117 reviews

The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is widely praised as an excellent all-in-one travel and walkaround lens for APS-C E-mount cameras. Users consistently highlight its sharpness, compact size, light weight, and versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range. While many note it is not ideal for low light and some report significant vignetting at the wide end, the overall sentiment is very positive, with most considering it a great value kit lens upgrade.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range
  • Effective optical image stabilization
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
  • Significant vignetting at 18mm wide end
  • Not ideal for low light photography
  • Variable aperture limits brightness at telephoto
  • Some copies may have quality control issues
  • Slight autofocus lag compared to premium lenses
👍 Image quality 35
👍 Build quality 12
👍 Value for money 18
👎 Vignetting 6
👎 Low light performance 10
👍 Zoom range 25

Tamron All-In-One Zoom AFB028N700 18-400mm

88 out of 100 low confidence 8 reviews

The Tamron 18-400mm lens is widely praised for its incredible zoom range and versatility, making it an ideal all-in-one travel lens. Users highlight its sharpness, quiet autofocus, and close-focus capability, though some note minor compromises like weak image stabilization at long focal lengths and chromatic aberration at 400mm. Overall, it is seen as a fantastic value for those prioritizing convenience over absolute optical perfection.

Pros
  • Incredible 18-400mm zoom range
  • Excellent sharpness across focal lengths
  • Quiet and fast autofocus
  • Versatile all-in-one travel lens
  • Good close-focus / macro capability
Cons
  • Weak image stabilization at 300mm+
  • Chromatic aberration at 400mm
  • Slow aperture (slow lens)
  • Minor distortion at edges
  • Tripod collar cannot be mounted without affecting zoom
👍 Zoom range 8
👍 Image quality 7
👍 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Image stabilization 3
👍 Build quality 3
👍 Value for money 5

Scores

Budget
Sony
96
Tamron
72
Street
Sony
89
Tamron
55
Travel
Sony
89
Tamron
73
Portrait
Sony
89
Tamron
67
Wildlife Sports
Sony
84
Tamron
57
Video Cinema
Sony
82
Tamron
55
Landscape
Sony
76
Tamron
57
Professional
Sony
74
Tamron
54
Macro
Sony
68
Tamron
67

Specifications

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSSTamron All-In-One Zoom AFB028N700 18-400mm
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min18 mm18 mm
Focal Length Max135 mm400 mm
Elements16—
Groups12—
Aspherical Elements1★—
ED Elements2★—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/3.5
Min Aperture3.5-5.63.5-6.3
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades7★—
Build
MountSony ENikon F
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.33 kg★0.70 kg
Filter Thread55 mm79 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear motor★HLD
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance450 mm79 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x1:2.9★

Pros & Cons

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong aperture (83rd percentile)83rd %ile

Tamron All-In-One Zoom AFB028N700 18-400mm

  • Strong versatility (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong macro (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong aperture (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Below average optical (18th percentile)18th %ile

Pricing

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Tamron All-In-One Zoom AFB028N700 18-400mm

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Scores 92 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 20 specs.

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Better at:

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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