Sony AF DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM A-mount lens review by QuietOC
 QuietOC#23466 date: Jan-3-2016 | |
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| sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony DT 16-50 F2.8 SSM Sony E 16-50 F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS Sony DT 16-80 F3.5-4.5 Vario-Sonnar Sony DT 16-105 F3.5-5.6 Sigma 17-50 F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Tamron SP 17-50 F2.8 Sony E 18-55 F3.5-5.6 OSS Sony DT 18-55 F3.5-5.6 SAM II Sony DT 18-70 F3.5-5.6 Sony DT 18-135 F3.5-5.6 SAM Canon EF 22-55 F4-5.6 USM Sony FE 28-70 OSS |
| price paid: | 28 USD (used) |
| positive: | Good image quality Best at the long end Good semi-macro |
| negative: | Zoom mechanism sticks at the long end Focus shift from slop in the zoom mechanism Problems on the wide end (18-22 mm): -Significant barrel distortion -Very soft corners -Heavy purple fringing -Focus shift when stopping down |
| comment: | My first copy of this lens came with a used Sony SLT-A65. The second copy was purchased used off of eBay. A third copy came with the second A65. "Made in Thailand" This lens is nearly identical in optical performance to the newer SAM II version. The extending lens barrel wobbles a little more, and the zoom mechanism is much more uneven especially past about 40 mm on the long end. I don't know if that is due to a construction change or just wear related. This version more closely resembles the Easy Choice primes while the II version resembles the 55-300. I like the size and weight of this lens. It is definitely larger than the Minolta kit lenses, but it also covers a broader range of focal lengths along with starting much wider. It performs quite well from 24-55 mm. It does perform poorly at the widest extreme, but not as badly as the longer 18-xxx lenses. It actually compares well with the 28/2.8, and 50/3.5 primes as far as image quality at the same apertures. Besides the SAM motor, the design operates similar to the older 18-70 and Minolta full-frame kits lenses. The SAM avoids the weak plastic gear teeth which often fail in the older kit lenses. The zoom and focus controls don't operate as smoothly as the newer SAM II version. There is a considerable amount of hysteresis in the zoom mechanism. The lens seems like it might be almost parfocal except for play in the zoom mechanism which results in a focus shift when changing zoom directions. If you move the zoom control in just one direction the focus seems fairly well maintained. Aberrations are best controlled at the long end of the zoom range. Corners are sharp at 55 mm with very little purple fringing. The 18-55 has substantial image quality improvements over the older 18-70 on the long end. It has a bit less raw distortion than the older 18-70 kit lens, and the distortion is well corrected by the in-camera compensation. It has very little distortion at 24 mm and above. Image quality seems to be optimized for the long end of its range which is good for macro or portraiture. The more expensive Sony DT 16-105 is a better choice for wide angle shots. The older 18-70 is mostly inferior though that lens does not suffer from focus shift at 18 mm when stopping down. The larger 18-135 SAM has more center sharpness but also a much more curved focus plane. Overall the 18-55 is a very good kit lens. The changes in the II version don't seem to be optical or SAM related though perhaps the zoom and focus mechanism were made smoother. |
; 24MPrating summary
- total reviews: 103
- sharpness: 4.20
- color: 4.30
- build: 3.40
- distortion: 3.88
- flare control: 4.14
- overall: 3.98