Sony may have focused a lot recently on its full-frame range of optics, but it's now showing APS-C users some love with the announcement of the compact and lightweight E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS.
The 46th E-mount launched by Sony features a compact design, measuring 67.2mm x 88mm, while weighs in at a modest 325g (11.5oz).
With a magnification of 7.5x it offers a versatile zoom range, covering a wide-ranging focal length equivalent to 27-202.5mm on APS-C sensor cameras like the Alpha A6000 and A6500. This makes it suitable for a range of subjects including portraiture, landscape, nature and travel photography.
The new lens (with the catchy model name SEL18135) features Sony's Optical SteadyShot image stabilization technology, though the level of compensation on offer hasn't been provided just yet.
The E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS promises to deliver outstanding corner-to-corner sharpness throughout the entire zoom range. This is in part due to one aspherical lens and two Extra-low Dispersion glass elements that minimise aberrations.
This lens also allows photographers to produce close-up images with pleasing ‘bokeh’ or background defocus as a result of its maximum magnification ratio of 0.29x and minimum focus distance of 0.45m.
Thanks to a linear motor, the E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS should offer fast, precise, quiet autofocus, making it suitable for both stills and video shooting.
The SEL18135 will be available from February 2018, priced at approximately £570/$ 600 – Australian pricing is still to be confirmed.