Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
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
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD lens is widely praised for its sharpness, versatile zoom range, constant aperture, and effective stabilization, making it an excellent all-around lens for APS-C cameras. Users appreciate its solid build quality and value for money, though many note it is noticeably heavier and larger than typical kit lenses, which can feel unbalanced on smaller camera bodies. A few reviewers mention minor issues like chromatic aberration at the longer end and noise from the aperture blades at certain settings, but overall sentiment is very positive.
Pros
- sharp image quality across zoom range
- constant f/2.8 aperture
- effective image stabilization
- fast and quiet autofocus
- versatile 17-70mm focal range
Cons
- heavy and large for APS-C body
- chromatic aberration at 50-70mm
- aperture blade noise above f/5.6
- short zoom throw initially stiff
- no aperture ring on Fuji version
Scores
Specifications
| Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 18 mm | 17 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 135 mm | 70 mm |
| Elements | 16 | 16 |
| Groups | 12 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 | 3★ |
| ED Elements | 2 | 2 |
| Coating | — | Fluorine Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | 3.5-5.6 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | Nikon Z |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Weight | 0.33 kg★ | 0.54 kg |
| Filter Thread | 55 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Linear motor★ | RXD Stepping AF Motor |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 450 mm | 70 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | 0.29x | 1:4.8★ |
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 (80th percentile)80th %ile
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Strong macro (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong optical (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
- Below average social proof (17th percentile)17th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average bokeh (25th percentile)
Pricing
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS offers 1.4x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 90 overall, wins 6 of 9 usage categories and 2 of 21 specs.
