Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Rokinon AS UMC IO35AF-E 35mm
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
Rokinon AS UMC IO35AF-E 35mm
The Rokinon 35mm lenses receive generally positive feedback for their sharpness, compact size, and value for money, especially for travel and street photography. However, some users report issues with autofocus noise and hunting, particularly in video mode, and a few note build quality concerns. The f/1.4 version is praised for astrophotography but criticized for weight and softness wide open. Overall, it's a solid budget-friendly option with trade-offs in performance.
Pros
- Sharp image quality
- Compact and lightweight
- Great value for money
- Good for travel and street photography
- Fast aperture (f/1.4) for low light
Cons
- Noisy autofocus motor
- Autofocus hunts in video mode
- Build quality feels cheap
- Heavy for f/1.4 version
- Soft wide open at f/1.4
Scores
Specifications
| Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | Rokinon AS UMC IO35AF-E 35mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | wide-angle |
| Focal Length Min | 18 mm | 35 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 135 mm | 35 mm |
| Elements | 16 | 12 |
| Groups | 12 | 10 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 | 1 |
| ED Elements | 2★ | — |
| Coating | — | UMC Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | 3.5-5.6 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✗ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7★ | 6 |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | Canon EF |
| Format | APS-C | full-frame★ |
| Weather Sealed | ✗ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.33 kg | 0.09 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 55 mm | 77 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Linear motor★ | manual focus only |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 450 mm | 300 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | 0.29x★ | 0.12x |
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 aperture (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
Rokinon AS UMC IO35AF-E 35mm
- Strong build (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong optical (65th percentile)
- Below average bokeh (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average user sentiment (17th percentile)17th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
Pricing
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS offers 1.8x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 92 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.
