Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
What Buyers Say
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
This budget telephoto lens receives mixed reviews. Many users praise its value for the price, noting clear focus and decent image quality for occasional use like moon photography. However, several verified buyers report issues with soft focus, dust contamination, and poor build quality, especially with the 2x teleconverter. It is best suited for those with realistic expectations who are willing to use a tripod and manual focus.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Clear focus for occasional use
- Decent image quality on tripod
- Good for moon and eclipse photography
- Solid adapter and converter machining
Cons
- Soft focus on some units
- Dust contamination from 2x teleconverter
- Requires lots of light (f/8 max aperture)
- No image stabilization
- Adapter lacks back cover
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
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
| Big Mike's SLY500 500mm | Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | telephoto | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 500 mm | 18 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 1000 mm | 135 mm |
| Elements | — | 16 |
| Groups | — | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | — | 1★ |
| ED Elements | — | 2★ |
| Coating | multi-coated | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/8 | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/8 | 3.5-5.6 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 7★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | T Mount | Sony E |
| Format | — | APS-C★ |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✗ |
| Weight | 1.16 kg | 0.33 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | 55 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | Linear motor★ |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 500 mm | 450 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.29x★ |
Pros & Cons
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
- Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Strong versatility (72nd percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average build (15th percentile)15th %ile
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 (81st percentile)81st %ile
Pricing
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
No current pricing available
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Verdict
Scores 91 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 8 of 21 specs.
