Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 ZE 18mm
Sony SEL18135
What Buyers Say
Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 ZE 18mm
The Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 is widely praised for its exceptional sharpness, minimal distortion, and superb build quality, making it a top choice for landscape and astrophotography. Users highlight its excellent micro-contrast and flat field, though some note sample variation issues and vignetting wide open. A few concerns about weather sealing and fungus development were raised, but overall it is considered a high-performance manual focus lens.
Pros
- Exceptional sharpness
- Minimal distortion and CA
- Superb build quality
- Excellent micro-contrast
- Flat field
Cons
- Sample variation issues
- Vignetting wide open
- Weather sealing concerns
- Fungus development reported
- Expensive
Sony SEL18135
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
Scores
Specifications
| Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 ZE 18mm | Sony SEL18135 | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | prime | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 18 mm | 18 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 18 mm | 135 mm |
| Elements | 14 | 16 |
| Groups | 12 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2★ | 1 |
| ED Elements | 4★ | 2 |
| Coating | ZEISS T anti-reflective coating | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/22 | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | 3.5-5.6 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 7★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E |
| Format | full-frame★ | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.72 kg | 0.33 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 77 mm | 55 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | Linear motor★ |
| Stabilization | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 250 mm★ | 450 mm |
| Max Magnification | 1:7★ | 0.29x |
Pros & Cons
Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 ZE 18mm
- Strong optical (89th percentile)89th %ile
- Strong macro (78th percentile)
- Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Sony SEL18135
- Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
Pricing
Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 ZE 18mm
No current pricing available
Sony SEL18135
Verdict
Scores 90 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.
