Sony SAL18135 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens

I love this lens, this is my "go-to" lens and my "walk around" lens. First of, its one of the few Alpha lens that is made in Japan. The Quailty is there, and I like that it matches the black finish of my Sony A77. Unlike other lenses I've tried, this one balances very well with the Magnesium alloy body of the A77. (not heavy, not light either-just right!) I'm a hobby photographer, and this lens well exceeded my expectations. I'm also very amazed of how QUIET the SAM motor is compared to the SAL 18-250 lens. This translates to a very usable lens for video using AF or Manual mode. I also like the fact that you can go from AF to Manual focus without using the switch, by simply adjusting the lens focus ring.(not a lot of lenses have this feature)

I think it would be unfair to give it less than 5 stars. To be fair, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the lens that I can tell. To 95% of the people shooting with it, you wouldn't know the difference between this and a more expensive lens. The pictures are great, the focusing is quiet and it isn't too heavy. For the price range it is a 5. This review is based on the value and quality compared to the price. If it were a lot more expensive, it might be a 4 because you could get better options for the money. I have no complaints.

Bought it used in Mint Condition for about half the price and must say I'm beyond pleased with this lens. Made in Japan (amazing optics) Very good focal length, SAM(Smooth Autofocus Motor) Very silent compared to my other lenses such as the 50mm f1.8 Metal Mount, rubber focus ring and zoom ring. I shoot professional and this lens with my a77 works amazing. The quality in the photos is astonishing. I would definitely recommend this lens. Worth ever penny!

Much more useful than the 18-55mm kit lens. I do have to disagree with some other reviewers about where this lens is least sharp. From my images I find that a small range at about 22mm is worst for loss of edge sharpness. I find that at 135mm, where some other reviews say it's worst, I have no problems whatsoever, even using Clear Image Zoom (2X enhanced digital). The only negative so far, and it's a VERY small one, is that the release clips on the lens cap are not as easy to grip as on the 18-55mm, risking dropping the cap every time it is handled. I'm not sure why the design had to be different, except that the two lenses are made in different factories in different countries. I may hunt for a generic one that's easier to handle. The things I like over the kit lens (besides the extended zoom reach) are the much larger and longer lens hood (the one for the kit lens is much too small to be useful), and the fact that the front of the lens does not rotate when focussing, enabling easy use of circular polarizers and graduated ND filters. This lens is a much better pairing with the SLT Alphas: too bad the M kits are not available in North America for the SLT-a58, (the kit which includes the 18-135mm), or even a "body-only" instead of wasting even $100 on the 18-55mm (the K kit) which I will never use. I know the more advanced models in the Alpha series can be purchased with the 18-135mm, but I was trying to keep my costs down. Having read three detailed reviews/tests of this lens online from Britain, Germany, and Australia, I felt it was worth buying, as it was not available to try at local shops. However, even with all that, I am TOTALLY happy with the SLT-a58 / 18-135mm combo. I now try to create more photo opportunities just to use this equipment as much as possible (and it's been a long time since I felt that way). Probably since the 1980's using my Canon A-1 with 35-105mm f/3.5 taking Kodachromes !!

Sony lens is ok but, wanted something f2.8 my falt but here,s the not a happy camper,try to get the seller to talk to but no help there came in white box with little wrap.I would have paid more a lot more if sell would work with me didn,t happen.So guess what called one of the other dealers and got the sony 70-200mm f2.8 for a new one no tax no shipping for under 2000.00 with a nice sony case and thy gave free 77mm UV haze filter has well happy happy camper now but still got the 18-135 setting in the box it came in.

This lens comes close to rating 5 stars for anything except professional landscape scenes on full frame cameras. I was lucky enoughto get a good used copy on Amazon. It's as sharp as the best of them in the center and along the sides (camera in landscape orientation) of the image. Only the corners are slightly soft if you "pixel peep" at 100% magnification, but in normal use this will never be noticed. It focuses much more quickly and easily than my Sony Zeiss 16-80Z lens or the Sony 55-210 E mount lens I had (and returned). Colors and contrast are excellent. It has no internal image stabilization, but that's not a serious limitation unless you feel the need to hand-hold the lens at shutter speeds "slower than the focal length". For shutter speeds equal to the focal length (example - focal length 100mm, shutter speed 1/100th second), I can hand-hold this lens and get sharp images reliably. I'll be 80 years old in a few weeks, so if I can hand hold it, so can you. Highly recommended.

I used this to photograph a friend's wedding. I am very happy that I bought it. The photos came out great and the zoom range (18-135) was perfect. Not too skimpy, not too large. Just right. The lens is substantial. Does not have that "cheap" feeling that some other lenses (including some SONY models) have. To top it off, it was MADE in JAPAN - Bravo! I think Japanese optics are the best. I don't know if all copies of this model are made in the same factory, but mine was made in Japan. I recommend getting a 62mm UV filter to protect the front of this valuable investment.

I prefer to travel light and this fits the bill perfect. If the lens was any faster the weight would be to much for carry all day. I carry a lightweight monopod and can use with my a55 low shutter speeds. I do outdoor most of the time and hike or bike around its nice to carry. Its smooth and quick to focus. No technical analysis but my photos are sharp.

The lense is simply amazing. Auto focus is very smooth, you can barely hear the motor sound. I had few problem with the price. The box had 34K as the price but I bought it for 38K. Amazon not ready to pay the difference neither the seller. All they could do is return the product for refund. I wouldn't have bought it if I wanted refund, they need to understand that.