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

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

Sony
86 Overall Score
vs
7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

7Artisans
41 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

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

72 out of 100 high confidence 30 reviews

The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 is a budget-friendly manual focus lens that many users find fun and engaging, especially for street photography and everyday carry. Image quality is praised in the center but criticized for softness and color fringing at the edges, particularly wide open. While some find the controls cumbersome or the build lacking compared to pricier alternatives, most agree it offers great value for the price and a unique, vintage feel.

Pros
  • Great value for money
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Fun manual shooting experience
  • Beautiful bokeh at f/1.4
  • Sharp center image quality
Cons
  • Soft edges with color fringing
  • Cumbersome manual controls
  • Not suitable for full-frame sensors
  • Focus and aperture rings too close
  • Build quality not premium
👍 Value for money 8
🤔 Image quality 10
🤔 Build quality 6
👍 Ease of use 7
👍 Manual focus experience 8
👍 Bokeh 4

Scores

Budget
Sony
99
7Artisans
45
Street
Sony
88
7Artisans
45
Portrait
Sony
87
7Artisans
41
Travel
Sony
85
7Artisans
41
Wildlife Sports
Sony
84
7Artisans
26
Video Cinema
Sony
83
7Artisans
35
Landscape
Sony
76
7Artisans
34
Professional
Sony
74
7Artisans
34
Macro
Sony
68
7Artisans
47

Specifications

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min18 mm35 mm
Focal Length Max135 mm35 mm
Elements168
Groups125
Aspherical Elements1★—
ED Elements2★—
Coating—Multilayered Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/16
Min Aperture3.5-5.6f/1.4
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony ESony E
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✗—
Weight0.33 kg0.23 kg★
Filter Thread55 mm49 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear motor★manual focus only
Stabilization✓★✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance450 mm350 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x★—

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 (80th percentile)80th %ile

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

  • Strong build (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (70th percentile)
  • Strong macro (65th percentile)
  • Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (35th percentile)

Pricing

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm is $739 cheaper (13.6x less).

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS0.108score per dollar
vs
7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm0.699score per dollar

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm offers 6.5x better value for money

Verdict

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

Scores 86 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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