Sony E 18-105mm f/4 PZ G OSS Lens Review

Sony 18-105mm f/4 PZ G OSS Handling and Features

Build and design is typical of  Sony's premium E-Mount lenses, with a robust aluminium outer lens barrel and a metal lens mount. Despite the large size of this lens, it is reasonably light weight, weighing only 427g, . Even with the large size of the lens, the low weight ensures the lens will match up perfectly with even the most compact NEX series camera bodies, and it handles very well on the NEX-7 used for testing.

Auto focus is reasonably fast locking onto subjects accurately. Applying manual focus adjustments is a pleasure, thanks to the smooth action of the focusing ring, which is nicely damped. Minimum focus varies throughout the zoom range, being 45cm at 18mm and 95cm at 105mm.



As focusing and zooming are performed internally, the 72mm filter ring does not rotate, which makes the lens ideal for use with graduated and polarising filters. A deep petal-shaped lens hood is supplied as standard, which attaches to the lens via a bayonet fitting.

The lens seems geared more towards video than stills, with a camcorder style tele/wide zoom control accompanying a zoom ring that can be rotated. There is a slight delay in operation with either control, although zooming can be performed very smoothly, which will suit video very well. There is a noticeable delay when switching on the camera with this lens attached, as the lens prepares itself for use and resets the zoom to 18mm each time.

For those times when slow shutter speeds are necessary, this lens comes equipped with optical image stabilisation. With care, sharp hand-held images can be taken at shutter speeds as slow as 1/20sec, which is roughly three stops slower than the usual rule of thumb for hand-held photography would allow.

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