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

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

Sony
92 Overall Score
vs
Panasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical

Panasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical

Panasonic
69 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

Panasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Budget
Sony
96
Panasonic
64
Street
Sony
89
Panasonic
80
Portrait
Sony
89
Panasonic
66
Travel
Sony
89
Panasonic
74
Wildlife Sports
Sony
84
Panasonic
66
Video Cinema
Sony
82
Panasonic
67
Landscape
Sony
76
Panasonic
65
Professional
Sony
74
Panasonic
65
Macro
Sony
68
Panasonic
65

Specifications

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSSPanasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min18 mm14 mm
Focal Length Max135 mm42 mm
Elements169
Groups128
Aspherical Elements14★
ED Elements22
Coating—Nano Surface Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/5.6
Min Aperture3.5-5.63.5-5.6
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountSony EMicro Four Thirds
FormatAPS-C★micro-four-thirds
Weather Sealed✗—
Weight0.33 kg0.10 kg★
Filter Thread55 mm37 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear motor★stepping motor
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance450 mm200 mm★
Max Magnification0.29x0.34x★

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

Panasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical

  • Strong build (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong versatility (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Strong stabilization (79th percentile)
  • Below average social proof (27th percentile)

Pricing

Both products are similarly priced.

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS0.183score per dollar
vs
Panasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical0.139score per dollar

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS offers 1.3x better value for money

Panasonic LUMIX G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical

Verdict

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

Scores 92 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 2 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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