In May 2009 Sony replaced its 18-70mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 DT with a new 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 as a standard kit lens featuring the SAM in-lens autofocus motor. It is ideal for a wide range of snapshots, portraits, and general-purpose photography.

This compact and lightweight lens was designed to fit only the APS-C sensor, and will show distinct vignetting if used on a Sony full-frame dSLR camera. It produces an effective field of view of 27-83mm similar to that of the human eye.

The 18-55mm offers minimum focusing distance of 0.25m and a maximum magnification ratio of 0.34, so it can be as well used for macro shooting. Quick and quiet AF operation is assured by a newly developed Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) that responds instantly to AF drive control signals from the camera.

As to its optical construction the lens incorporates two aspherical elements and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element are to assure high image quality with excellent contrast and resolution. In addition, a circular aperture produces smoother and more beautiful background defocusing.

Lens Reviews:

SLRgear.com:
For a kit lens, the Sony performs quite well - sharp wide open at 18mm, reaching its best performance when stopped down to ƒ/5.6 or ƒ/8.

Rivals/Alternatives: Sony 18-70mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 DT, Sigma 17-70mm ƒ/2.8-4.5 DC Macro, Tamron 17-50mm ƒ/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical IF SP AF.

Sony 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 DT - Specifications:

• Image Circle: APS-C
• Type: Standard Zoom
• Focal Length: 18 - 55mm
• Focal Length APS Equivalent: 27 - 82.5mm
• Max Aperture: ƒ/3.5 - 5.6
• Min Aperture: ƒ/22 - 36
• Diaphragm Blades: 7 (circular)
• Lens Construction: 8 elements in 7 groups, including 2 aspheric and 1 ED glass elements
• Diagonal Angle of View (Based on image circle): 76 to 29 degrees
• Front Focusing
• Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM)
• Front Element Rotation
• Rotary Zoom System
• Closest Focus: 0.25m / 9.8 in.
• Magnification Ratio: 0.34x / 1:2.9
• Filter Size: 55mm
• Dimensions (L x D): 69mm x 69.5mm / 2.7 in. x 2.7 in.
• Weight 210g / 7.4 oz
• Typical Online Price: US$200

Related Posts:

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
Sony Launches 3 New DSLR Cameras and 4 New Lenses
Sony Alpha A500 DSLR Camera

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 6:43 am and is filed under Lenses, Sony Lenses. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.