Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mm

Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mm

Samyang
55 Overall Score
vs
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

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

Sony
92 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mm

No customer feedback yet

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

Scores

Budget
Samyang
53
Sony
96
Street
Samyang
65
Sony
89
Portrait
Samyang
44
Sony
89
Travel
Samyang
63
Sony
89
Wildlife Sports
Samyang
58
Sony
84
Video Cinema
Samyang
49
Sony
82
Landscape
Samyang
66
Sony
76
Professional
Samyang
57
Sony
74
Macro
Samyang
49
Sony
68

Specifications

Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mmSony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Optics
Typewide-anglezoom
Focal Length Min12 mm18 mm
Focal Length Max12 mm135 mm
Elements1216
Groups1012
Aspherical Elements2★1
ED Elements3★2
CoatingUMC Ultra Multi-Coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/22f/3.5
Min Aperturef/23.5-5.6
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountSony ESony E
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✓★✗
Weight0.21 kg★0.33 kg
Filter Thread62 mm55 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear STMLinear motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance190 mm★450 mm
Max Magnification0.09x0.29x★

Pros & Cons

Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mm

  • Strong build (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong optical (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (74th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average macro (34th percentile)

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

Pricing

Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mm is €413 cheaper (1.8x less).

Samyang AF SYIO12AF-RFS 12mm

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

Verdict

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

Scores 92 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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