Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 56mm
What Buyers Say
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
Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 56mm
The Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 is a creative manual-focus lens that delivers soft, dreamy portraits and unique effects straight out of camera. Build quality feedback is split: some call it cheap and wobbly, while others praise solid construction. It works on many Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax mounts but requires patience with manual focus. Most users love the artistic results despite mixed feelings on build.
Pros
- Unique soft focus effect
- Fun and creative lens
- Solid build praised by many
- Beautiful portrait results
Cons
- Cheap build and wobbling reported
- Loose mount and barrel play
- Rear lens cap falls off
- Very soft wide open
Scores
Specifications
| Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 56mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | prime |
| Focal Length Min | 18 mm | 56 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 135 mm | 56 mm |
| Elements | 16 | 4 |
| Groups | 12 | 3 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1★ | — |
| ED Elements | 2★ | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 | f/16 |
| Min Aperture | 3.5-5.6 | f/1.6 |
| Constant | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | Nikon F |
| Format | APS-C | full-frame★ |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.33 kg★ | 0.41 kg |
| Filter Thread | 55 mm | 62 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Linear motor★ | manual focus only |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 450 mm | 127 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | 0.29x | 1:2★ |
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 (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong stabilization (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 56mm
- Strong macro (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Below average optical (0th percentile)0th %ile
- Below average user sentiment (8th percentile)8th %ile
- Below average af (13th percentile)13th %ile
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Verdict
Scores 90 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 20 specs.