Review
Sony offers several lenses for the Nex camera system, and in this Sony lens review I’m going to cover the Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Autofocus Lens using both the Nex-C3 and Nex-5N. The Sony 18-55mm E-Mount Lens comes as an optional kit lens with all the Nex Cameras. The Sony SEL1855 is has 11 total elements in 9 groups with 4 aspherical surfaces so you get clear images without aberrations or distortion. This lens also has an internal motor which creates smooth and quiet autofocusing. The 35mm equivalent for this lens is 27mm – 82.5mm, which provides a very nice range!
I have over 1000 shots with this lens easily between the two of them and overall I am very satisfied with the results and performance!
Full Specs
- Aperture (Max.) : f/3.5 – 5.6
- Aperture (Min.) : f/22 – 32
- Filter Diameter : 49mm
- Lens Groups-Elements : 9 groups, 11 elements (4 aspheric surfaces)
- Minimum Focus Distance : 9.8″ (0.25m)
- Aspheric Elements : 4 aspheric surfaces
- Non-rotating Focusing Ring : No rotation
- AF for Movie Capture : Yes
- Angle of View : 76° – 29°
- Aperture Blade : 7 blades (Circular aperture)
- Dimensions (Max. Diameter x Length) : 2-7/16 x 2-3/8″ (62x60mm)
- Direct Manual Focus : Yes
- Exterior Finish : Metal
- Focal Length (35mm equivalent) : 27mm-82.5mm
- Focus Ring in AF Mode : No rotation
- Internal Motor : Yes (Stepping motor)
- Lens Weight : 6.9 oz (194g)
- Low Noise During Movie Capture : Excellent
- Maximum Magnification : 0.3x (APS-C)
- Mount Material : Metal
Official Features
The E-Mount SEL 1855 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens for Alpha NEX Cameras from Sony is designed for use on Alpha NEX digital cameras. This standard zoom lens has a 35mm format equivalent to a 27-82.5mm lens. Covering angles of view from 76 to 29 degrees, this wide to medium zoom lens is ideal for a variety of subjects including portraits and landscapes. Plus, with a short focusing distance of only 9.7″ (0.25 m), you can get in tight for interesting close-ups.
The Sony SEL 1855 is built with 11 elements in 9 groups with 4 aspherical surfaces so you get clear images without aberrations or distortion. Its internal motor allows for smooth and quiet autofocusing, which you will love even while you are capturing images in the camera’s HD movie mode.
The compact size (only 2.4″, 6.0cm) of the lens and light weight (6.9 oz, 194g) perfectly complement Sony’s Alpha NEX cameras which incorporate a huge image sensor into a very compact frame. The results are high-quality still and HD movie captures without the extra size and weight of standard DSLR cameras.
- Designed to match your Alpha NEX camera, the SEL 1855 standard zoom lens is lightweight and features smooth and silent autofocusing while offering an all-purpose focal range for beautiful shots.
- In the 35mm equivalent, this lens covers subjects from wide-angle (27mm) to midrange (82.5mm); ideal for capturing subjects such as close-up portraits to expansive landscapes
Lets start off with some High res images of the Sony 18-55 f/3.5-5-6 Lens shall we.
Product Shots:
Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens, E-Mount
Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens, E-Mount
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens @ 18mm
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens @ 55mm
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens next to the 16mm f/2.8 Pancake lens
Here’s the 18-55mm lens mounted to the Nex-5n:
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens on the Nex-5n
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens on the Nex-5n
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens @ 55mm, on the Nex-5n side view
Here it is on the Nex-C3:
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens on the Nex-C3
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens on the Nex-C3 w/ Flash
As you can see this lens is pretty large in comparison to the 16mm Pancake and the Nex Camera’s themselves. Once you mount this lens the Nex camera of choice is no longer compactness of the is pretty much gone out the window. So, in that regard this lens may not be what your looking for. However, there are not that many lenses available for the E-mount Nex Cameras yet, so this lens is pretty appealing to the Nex community as a whole. Including myself!
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Hello,
Thanks for this review.
It would be nice if you show some indoor (low light) shots for moving objects (kid/pet playing) taken with Nex-5n using the following objectives:
SEL-16F28
SEL-50F18
SEL-1855
Which one would be more suitable, with/without flash, with/without defocusing the background?
Thanks in advance,
Tamer
Tamer,
I’ll see what I can do, but I don’t have any of that stuff currently and it’s mostly on back order. I will be getting the 16mm and f/1.8 for sure when they become available, but the camera body will depend. I can tell you that the object tracking in low light is not very good with the 18-55mm which I tried a while back. It depends on the objects speed, and contrast relative to the scene. the AF works off the contrast. I have the Carl Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 and the Nex-7, so I’ll test it out with Chubs or Sadie for ya asap
Stay tuned for that!!
Best,
Jay
I’d like to know which is better (in the same range) 18-55 or 18-200?
Thanks for the question Emillio,
The SE1855 is sharper in my opinion throughout the range.
Jay
GRAZIE Jay.
I am considering the purchase of a SonyAlphaNex F3 to take on a trip to India in a few months. I don’t know whether or not to buy a “bundle” that includes a 18-55 and a 55-200 lens or to purchase the camera body and the lenses separately. Is there a difference in the lens quality when you “bundle” and are these the best lenses for my travel needs? I want to shoot landscape, tigers and birds in the wild and people. Do you have some suggestions on both my camera choice and lens selection?
Thanks
Donna,
The Sony Nex-f3 bundles are a great deal if you want the items in them. All the lenses are pretty good in my opinion that are bundled and the 55-210mm complements the 18-55mm perfectly. The lenses are identical when included in a bundle vs purchasing separate.
The Nex-5n is the other camera I would look at even though it’s the older model. It has a few more advanced features and better build quality. It’s on sale because of the New Nex-6 and Nex-5r release.
A great lens for portraits is the 50mm f/1.8 OSS Lens!! Check out my lens reviews Here >>
Hope that helps,
Jay