Product Reviews

I'm a beginner and this was an option with an a6700. I find the lens is perfect for me, as it has a decent zoom but can use it for the wider angles while I learn more about how to improve the quality of my shots. The lens itself is not heavy at all but feels sturdy.

You should not buy this lens if you are concerned about applying lens corrections to your photographs. At the wide end of 18mm a RAW file will show significant vignetting, not just at the maximum aperture of f3.5 but also throughout the aperture range to at least f22. The vignetting is visible right up to a focal length of around 22mm. The Adobe lens correction profile removes most but not all of the vignetting at 18mm but restricts the effective field of view to that of a 22mm lens. My other lenses consist of the 16-50mm kit lens supplied with the A6600 and the 70-350mm f4.5-6.3 G OSS super telephoto for wildlife. I had found both lenses to be very satisfactory although the kit lens does have a small amount of vignetting at 16mm, easily dealt with by the lens profile corrections available in Lightroom and automatically applied in camera for JPG's. I bought the 18-135mm to provide greater versatility in use for landscape and architectural photography but also for its capability to replace the weight of the 70-350mm at the shorter end of its range. Initially I attributed the vignetting to the lens hood, particularly as the top right and bottom right black corners of a DNG image were much bigger than those in the other 2 corners. Sadly - that does not seem to be the case as the vignetting is just as severe with the lens hood removed. It appears that this lens does not cover the full width of the sensor of the A6600. Enabling Adobe's lens profile at 18mm is insufficient to remove the vignetting completely and even then results in restriction of the image to approximately 22mm. More extensive but simplistic testing has shown that the vignetting is significant until the focal length reaches at least 23mm and the extent of the vignetting is virtually identical at all apertures. Subjectively the lens definition of the 18-135 does seem to be marginally better than that of the 16-50 at the wide end and significantly so at 50mm. The asymmetry of the vignetting seemed to be consistent with poor assembly of the particular example of the lens but this has been effectively dismissed by Sony Customer Service personnel by their total lack of comment on my experience. I was disappointed that, having documented my experience in detail including sending 9 images with the vignetting clearly visible, I received no comment at all other than the issue of a refund authorisation with instructions for the lens return procedure. This confirms to me that Sony are FULLY AWARE OF THE FAULT in the lens, that it is universal to all specimens and that they have no interest in making improvements. However, somewhat reluctantly I have decided to retain the lens and to rely on Adobe lens corrections to obtain acceptable images as I cannot find an alternative make of E-mount lens as a substitute.

This lens is so versatile! It’s clear, sharp, fast. It’s usually the only one I take on most vacations. It’s perfect for cities, wide angle to some telephoto

I like this lens a lot, the only problem in the minimum aperture, its not fast enough. But the lens is very good for the price.

Got this lens as part of a kit with A6400. Overall really impressed with sharpness and size and portability of this lens. For a kit lens it is really impressive.

I bought this recently as a kit lens for my a6700 and have absolutely no regrets. It is lightweight, compact and well made. In real world use it produces well rendered, lovely, sharp images at all focal lengths and at all apertures. It is barely noticeable on the a6700.

This is a great all round lens. I have been using it now for a couple of months. Sharp focus in all scenarios. No hesitation recommending it

Recently bought this lens after purchasing the A6700 camera (also fantastic!) as a travel lens for this camera. Have to say it is wonderful, very light quick focus and great image quality

I bought this nearly a year ago for a holiday of a lifetime when I didn't want to be changing lenses. I missed the wide end of my Sony 16-70 a little, but since most scenics were shot at around 20mm it wasn't a problem. I also appreciated the 135mm long end. This lens spends most of its time on my camera body as it is used more than other lenses and if I am going out I will often take the camera with this attached rather than risk missing a shot. The image quality is very acceptable.

Sony 18mm to 135mm really nice lens feels quality takes great photos & good price

Purchased 3 weeks ago still working progress on what best shots I can get ,what I have taken so far very good

Bought this to replace my 16-50 kit lens. It has much more reach (not massive) and is much better in picture quality than the standard 16-50 kit lens.

Bought this as an upgrade to the kit lense on my a6400. I know it’s still a kit lens but it seems much better quality. It produces nice images with a lot more reach on the zoom for more scope in shooting on your day out.

Had this lens for only a couple of weeks but I amlready really impressed with the quality and detail of the photos taken with it

Great Sony Zoom lens with 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS. The build quality is very good as you would expect from Sony, and technically it ticks all the boxes, especially with the fast quiet Auto focus and optical steady shot stabilization.

I decided to get this lens as an addition to the 16-50mm lens included with my A6400. I find this lens an excellent 'walkaround' lens and only swap to another for specific reasons. I have taken sharply focussed photographs, being able to zoom very quickly. The size and light weight mean that it feels superb when attached as the camera feels well balanced and I have good grip. I did look at several reviews before buying and I almost bought the 18-105mm but the 18-135mm has that extra reach which suits my needs better and I don't feel I'll miss the PZ feature. I have not noticed a loss of focus while zooming. All controls feel smooth and there's no play / backlash. This lens feels really solidly built and that gives me confidence to maintain it's use as my first choice. I have no regrets in picking this lens.

This is a super lens producing outstanding results on the Sony A6500 body.

I brought this lens a couple of years ago and found it quite useful with the wide angle and zoom facilities.

Just handy for everyday use instead of using a small and telephoto lenses

I chose this as the kit lens for my new A6600, great choice, I’ve been using Sony since 2001 and have many lens, I usually use an 18-250 on my A77 and was worried I would miss that zoom length, but so far using this lens which is really good, I’ve realised that 18-135 is the range I usually work within, only occasionally using the full 250. I’m really impressed with this set up A6600 with 18-135 perfect choice

This lens covers an effective range of 27 to 202 mm which I have found more than sufficient for travel as I can do close-ups of flowers or capture fine details and also do portraits, wildlife, landscapes and architecture. Focusing seems fast and very precise. It’s a lens that can be used for videography as well as photography. I do wish it included the focus hold button as I find that a useful feature to have.

I brought these E-mount zoom lens, a year ago, since September 2020. I been demonstrated and taught how to use these lens depending on the focus a picture. Attached are some examples of how I use different focal lengths on Tynwald Hill:

I did a lot of research before getting this, and it was a close call between this and the 18-105f4. I decided that the bulk and limit did not make up for what amounts to a very slight advantage in brightness. This lens is hardly off my body. Very, very pleased.

Very good lence for filming. As most of sony products especially in Photo industry. Very high quality!

I was looking for a lens that I could do close up work with as I wasn’t getting the use out of my macro lens but still wanted to be able to shoot clos-up. A fellow Sony shooter recommended this as an option but one that was also suitable as an all round travel lens. Viewing his gallery I was pleased to see that the images were sharp overall for closeup, wide angle and zoom. Now I have it myself, I am not disappointed. I have got some great close up shots due to the short focus distance and keep this lens on my camera most of the time. Great all round lens.

I took the lens on my A6600 to a National Trust property in overcast and drizzly conditions. The lens performed well with the OSS. The results were clear and AF worked effectively in both wide area and point focus modes.

I like this lens,Super sharp and light weight. Great lens

This is a versatile len that is able to perform well in different kind of environments.

I have had these lens for a few months now and I'm extremely pleased with the image quality. It really compliments my Sony A6000.

Its a plus for the versatility of wide range focal length (wide to telephoto) accompanied with such a light and small easy to carry form factor. Suitable for travel and standard daily use. Although it may not be produce really good results compared to those high end kit lens but its a decent upgrade from your standard 16-50mm kit lens if you want a further reach.

Easy to focus light weight It’s a really good all around lense and works well with don’t a6500

Overall a good fit as a travel companion. Decent image quality.

I bought this 3 week ago because I needed to zoom lens and this did not disappoint. It is sharp, quiet and easy to carry. Great zoom range for such a compact body.

Sony would give an extended warranty on a body but not the lens when the bought as a boxed kit from a Official Uk Retailer. Sony would not rectify this when contacted

It is performing exactly as I thought it would. So am very pleased.

Had this lens for a month or so and very happy with it. Very good range and good quality images.

I bought this to replace my 16-50 & 55-210 lens, found it hard to constantly switch lens, which made me mostly shoot with the 16-50mm. This lens is so versatile, giving me the extra range I need while providing a much improved image quality and sharpness.

I have been using this lens for a couple of months, it's not too heavy on my A6000 and has a very useful zoom range. It would have been nice to have a fixed aperture like the 18-105 but I tested that lens and found it to not be as sharp as the 18-135

Excellent quality. I also own the Sigma 56mm fixed lens as it’s supposed to be better for portraits, but the Sony 18-135mm is just as good.

I p bought the item and haave used it with very good results.

I got this lens a few weeks ago to use with my Sony a6400. So far, I am totally happy with the performance of this lens. I am getting nice sharp captures and the lens is light weight and compact which is very nice. The zoom range works perfectly for me as an every day lens. It was a good purchase.

I own an a6500 that I used mostly with a very good Sigma 30mm 1.4 but wanted to add a more versatile lens. I think the 18-135 is a great option. Maybe not perfect at it’s widest but covers most bases. Also, it’s lightweight and compact. A good buy.

I've used this lens 2 mo, on an A7Riii and it gives me a great 18 Mpx walkabout option. This lens is extremely sharp and the range is very useful (28-200 or so) with the exceptional sensitivity and low noise of the sensors, I don't miss much with this lens.

I have had the lens three months now and the results have been disappointing. I'm thinking of trading it in

This lens is good for landscape but is not Best for Portrait .

Really pleased with the lens the oss works well and the sharpness of the images is very good The lens is a bit on the expensive side though

Out of the box, this lens looks good, feels good, and has an attractive set of features. However, when you put it on a camera body and take a few photos you have to start wondering what Sony was thinking when they marketed this product. Extreme vignetting at the widest angle setting is surprising. Engineers at Sony should be able to design a better product, especially at this price point. On the basis of the features listed for this product, this should be a great general purpose lens. But, the performance just isn't there.

This came as the kit lens with my a6500. I’ve been using it for about a month, and love it. It’s not particularly great in low light, but it’s other benefits outweigh that by far. It’s light, sharp, extremely versatile, and probably the best travel option for an APSC camera. It does most things 90% as well as other high end lenses at a fraction of the cost. Is it an 80-400 f4 G series Ziess? No. But it’s $450 bucks, and for most hobbyists, you won’t appreciate the difference. Highly recommend.

Got this lens as my kit lens for an A6500. My daily driver for street photography.

Great fit with the 6500. Comfortable to use even in the hands of an old man. Terrific image quality. Just wish the zoom was longer.

I bought it a month ago, I feel it isn’t worth for the price.

Some samples day and night shots. Minimum post process using Capture One Express.

I purchased this lens a month ago to be my all purpose travel and around town lens. It balances well on the camera and feels very comfortable to hold. Image quality has been excellent for this lens series. I really like how it feels on my A6500 and I like the flexibility it gives me to shoot a variety of scenes and subjects.

This is a perfect lens for all occasions. Fit it and you won’t need another.

Bought this lens as a one lens alternative for travel and couldn't be more pleased, lightweight, not too big and easy to carry......

I took these picture at the Japanese garden in Van nuys CA. I used my Sony A7RIII with the Sony 18-135mm

Anyone buying this lens probably wants to consolidate the two kit lenses into one all around lens. You get exactly what you're looking for and even get a little better quality. I'm no pro but I know when my pictures look good and I have no complaints about this lens. The zoom lens only sticks out about an inch and a half and works very smooth. The focus wheel also works well. It doesn't feel bulky at all and the optical stabilization is included. My prime lens (nifty 50) gets better low light photos but if you only want to carry one lens this is it.

First use of the lens today. Seems sharp at most focal lengths using aperture of f9. Only downside is slight lag in auto focus when compared with my Zeiss 16-70 which has been my normal standard lens. The extra focal length however more than comoensates for the slight focus lag. Will make an ideal travel lens for Apsc cameras giving a range around 28mm to 200mm.

I bought this lens yesterday and couldn't wait to try it out. The lens performs as advertised. Clear, crisp photos even when zoomed all the way in. Low light is another story but I knew that going in. The ability to manually switch between Auto and Manual focus was a big selling point for me (the 18-105mm E Mount didn't have this feature). The lens is extremely light and focusing is smooth. Highly recommend.

I have an a6300. I bought the 18-135mm e-mount lens to have a single lens with nearly the range of my separate 16-50mm kit lens and 55-210mm tele lens. I was at first negatively struck by the weight of the new lens compared to my tiny kit lens and even the tele. However, that negative impression was overwhelmed by the difference in picture quality. My other two lenses, especially the kit lens at its high end, have trouble with focus and stability. I lose a decent percentage of pictures with these, again especially with the kit lens. The new 18-135mm is focusing well and seems to me to have much better stability. My success rate of quality pictures is past 95%.