Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm

Laowa
43 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

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm

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
Laowa
32
Sony
96
Street
Laowa
32
Sony
89
Portrait
Laowa
37
Sony
89
Travel
Laowa
26
Sony
89
Wildlife Sports
Laowa
21
Sony
84
Video Cinema
Laowa
34
Sony
82
Landscape
Laowa
34
Sony
76
Professional
Laowa
37
Sony
74
Macro
Laowa
70
Sony
68

Specifications

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mmSony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Optics
Typemacrozoom
Focal Length Min58 mm18 mm
Focal Length Max58 mm135 mm
Elements1416
Groups1112
Aspherical Elements—1★
ED Elements3★2
Aperture
Max Aperturef/22f/3.5
Min Aperturef/2.83.5-5.6
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades13★7
Build
MountSony ESony E
Formatfull-frame★APS-C
Weather Sealed—✗
Weight0.59 kg0.33 kg★
Filter Thread67 mm55 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typemanual focus onlyLinear motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance185 mm★450 mm
Max Magnification2:1★0.29x

Pros & Cons

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm

  • Strong macro (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong optical (70th percentile)
  • Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (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

Both products are similarly priced.

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm0.072score per dollar
vs
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS0.167score per dollar

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS offers 2.3x better value for money

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm

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 8 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 20 specs.

Laowa 58mm f/2.8 58mm Better at:

Macro

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

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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