Review
Real World Photos
Now it’s time to move on to the real photos which is all that really matters in the end anyway
I have a huge variety of shots to inspect, so be sure to click the images and get the nice large gallery style view! Also be sure to note the Exif data below each image which tells you exactly what you need to know about the photo!! In addition to all that I have a Google+ sample gallery up with a ton more photos, and it’s a great viewing experience worth checking out!! Sony E-Mount 18-55mm Sample Gallery on Google + Why your there be sure to sign up!!
Shooting directly into the sun proves to be a none issue for the 18-55mm lens!
f/5.6 vs f/10
100% Crop of photo above- Nex-5n – Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens @ f/7.1, 55mm, 1/80sec, ISO 800, handheld
You can actually see me in the reflection if you look closely
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm Sample Gallery on Google +
100% Crop of a flower -100% Crop of photo above- Nex-5n – Sony E-Mount 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens @ f/7.1, 55mm, 1/320sec, ISO 800, handheld
Sony E-Mount 18-55mm Sample Gallery on Google +
Conclusion:
To conclude this review I just wanted to say that this lens is a pleasure to use, has great range and is very sharp across the board. In addition to that it’s relatively inexpensive as far as glass is concerned, so for the money this is a no brainer purchase in my opinion. The lens also has 4 Aspherical Elements which pretty much eliminates Chromatic Aberrations, although sometimes you can see them on the edges when it’s super contrasty. The distortion is pretty noticeable at the wide end (18mm), but if your shooting raw you can simple apply the Adobe lens correction profile in Adobe ACR, or Lightroom. The focus is a little slow when your used to USM or SSM super fast focus, but it works well and is quite as advertised.
That pretty much wraps it up, however please fire away if you have any questions or if you want a specific test shot done etc.. I’ll have the Nex-5n and the 18-55mm for another week or 2
Price: ~$299.99
Compare SEL1855 Prices @ BHPhotovideo | Amazon | Adorama | Ebay Auctions
Your support is greatly appreciated as we run this site in our spare time and are not paid. We can however, make a small commission if you click a product link that your interested in. That click will then give us credit if you choose to purchase any given item. This has no effect on the cost of the product, and is a simple way to give back to SonyAlphaLab.com for the effort and info we provide.
Also, be sure to keep following us on Google+, Twitter, RSS-feed, or Sign up for Email Updates!!
Direct Shopping Links – Thanks for your Support!!
BHPhotoVideo | Amazon – US, CA, UK | Adorama | Ebay – US, CA, UK, DE, FR, ES
Thanks,
Jay




















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