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

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

Sony
91 Overall Score
vs
Viltrox AF 85/1.8 II XF 85mm

Viltrox AF 85/1.8 II XF 85mm

Viltrox
52 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

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

Viltrox AF 85/1.8 II XF 85mm

78 out of 100 medium confidence 26 reviews

This 85mm f/1.8 lens from Viltrox is widely praised for its sharpness, beautiful bokeh, and solid build quality, especially given its affordable price. Many users find it comparable to much more expensive Nikon or Sony lenses for portrait work. However, some reviewers report issues with chromatic aberration, occasional slow autofocus, and a notable problem with the lens hood being stuck in the reverse position. A few also note slight softness at the edges and an abrupt bokeh transition, but overall it is considered excellent value for the money.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Beautiful bokeh
  • Solid build quality
  • Great value for money
  • Fast autofocus
Cons
  • Chromatic aberration issues
  • Occasional slow autofocus
  • Lens hood stuck in reverse position
  • Slight edge softness
  • Abrupt bokeh transition
👍 Sharpness 8
👍 Bokeh 5
👍 Build quality 5
👍 Value for money 7
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Chromatic aberration 2

Scores

Budget
Sony
100
Viltrox
58
Street
Sony
87
Viltrox
57
Portrait
Sony
86
Viltrox
57
Travel
Sony
85
Viltrox
48
Wildlife Sports
Sony
84
Viltrox
61
Video Cinema
Sony
83
Viltrox
50
Landscape
Sony
76
Viltrox
50
Professional
Sony
73
Viltrox
54
Macro
Sony
68
Viltrox
42

Specifications

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSSViltrox AF 85/1.8 II XF 85mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min18 mm85 mm
Focal Length Max135 mm85 mm
Elements1610
Groups127
Aspherical Elements11
ED Elements2★1
Coating—HD Nano multi-layer coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/16
Min Aperture3.5-5.6f/1.8
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony EFujifilm X
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.33 kg★0.48 kg
Filter Thread55 mm72 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear motor★STM
Stabilization✓★✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance450 mm★800 mm
Max Magnification0.29x★0.13x

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 (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile

Viltrox AF 85/1.8 II XF 85mm

  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong social proof (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Strong build (71st percentile)
  • Below average macro (28th percentile)
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Verdict

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

Scores 91 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports