Sony E 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 OSS

The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS is a versatile wide-angle to telephoto zoom lens for Sony APS-C E-mount mirrorless cameras such as the latest A6500, offering a 7.5x zoom range that provides a 28-202.5mm equivalent focal range. It features 16 elements in 12 groups including one aspherical lens and two Extra-low Dispersion glass elements that minimise aberrations. It also has a near-circular 7 blade diaphragm which creates an attractive blur to the out-of-focus areas of the image, 0.45m minimum focusing distance, and a linear AF motor that delivers fast and quiet auto-focusing. The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is available now for around £569 / $599 in the UK and the US, respectively.

The Sony E 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 OSS is a compact, lightweight and versatile general-purpose zoom for its cropped-frame mirrorless bodies, including the A6000, A5000 and NEX series. The 7.5x range takes you from wide-angle to respectable telephoto and while the focal ratio of f3.5-5.6 isn't anything unusual, it does allow some shallow depth-of-field effects at the long-end, especially at closer distances. And thankfully after a string of disappointing general-purpose zooms for their cropped-frame bodies, the E 18-135mm delivers crisp results across the frame and throughout the range. For the money the E 18-135mm is a no-brainer for all A6000, A5000 and NEX owners looking for a general-purpose zoom or an upgrade from the 16-50mm.