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
Pentax HD Pentax-DA 21387 16-85mm

Pentax HD Pentax-DA 21387 16-85mm

Pentax
55 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

Pentax HD Pentax-DA 21387 16-85mm

82 out of 100 medium confidence 21 reviews

The Pentax DA 16-85mm lens is widely praised for its sharpness, weather sealing, and versatile zoom range, making it a favorite walk-around lens for outdoor and travel photography. Users appreciate the solid build and consistent image quality, though some note slower autofocus in low light and a variable aperture as minor drawbacks. A few isolated reports of inconsistent quality exist, but overall sentiment is very positive.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Weather sealing
  • Versatile zoom range (16-85mm)
  • Solid build quality
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
  • Variable aperture (f/3.5-5.6)
  • Slow autofocus in low light
  • No distance scale on focus ring
  • Relatively expensive
  • Inconsistent quality control in some units
👍 Sharpness 8
👍 Weather sealing 4
👍 Build quality 6
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👍 Zoom range 7
👎 Low light performance 4

Scores

Budget
Sony
96
Pentax
59
Street
Sony
89
Pentax
52
Portrait
Sony
89
Pentax
41
Travel
Sony
89
Pentax
69
Wildlife Sports
Sony
84
Pentax
53
Video Cinema
Sony
82
Pentax
44
Landscape
Sony
76
Pentax
70
Professional
Sony
74
Pentax
54
Macro
Sony
68
Pentax
49

Specifications

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSSPentax HD Pentax-DA 21387 16-85mm
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min18 mm16 mm
Focal Length Max135 mm85 mm
Elements1616
Groups1212
Aspherical Elements13★
ED Elements2★1
Coating—HD Coating, SP (Super Protect) Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.522-38★
Min Aperture3.5-5.63.5-5.6
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountSony EPentax K
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.33 kg★0.49 kg
Filter Thread55 mm72 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear motor★DC
Stabilization✓★✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance450 mm350 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x★0.26x

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

Pentax HD Pentax-DA 21387 16-85mm

  • Strong versatility (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong optical (89th percentile)89th %ile
  • Strong build (71st percentile)
  • Strong social proof (68th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Pricing

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

Pentax HD Pentax-DA 21387 16-85mm

No current pricing available

Verdict

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

Scores 92 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

Also Consider