Optically and mechanically it's a great tool, but ...

-

What I like about this lens:

1. The mechanical processing makes a very good Einduck.

High-quality plastics combined with the grippy rubber linings of the zoom and focus ring feel great and durable,

the operating forces are practical - pleasantly "at attention".

The tube extends not of itself, in addition there is a Zoomlock.

Nothing is loose or scrapes.

The bayonet is made of metal.

2. The optical powers are impressive.

About the zoom range, the lens forms even at full aperture from very detailed and sharp.

Only at the long end can be found in the extreme corners and 100% view visible light blurs, but which disappear before the simple Fade Out.

Randabdunkelungen are 18-24 mm in the corners a bit more, and then again to the long end very easily perceived.

Fade to two stages (short focal length) and a stop (long end) also acts here.

Barrel distortion is clearly seen in wide-angle. But after only about 35 mm are hardly no longer visible to.

Chromatic aberration of contrast edges and scattered light (certainly due to the associated tulips iris) I have identified at any focal length or opening a really disturbing.

The color picture, I feel very natural.

3. My objective is adjusted prima factory (Made in Japan).

Neither a front / back focus relevant centering are still discernible.

-

What I do not find beautiful:

1. In spite of good lighting and contrast conditions, the autofocus is partly already from approximately 90 mm sometimes several seconds not the focus point. Even switching to Spot AF does not help.

I've been forewarned here thanks to the notes in the good and detailed reviews, but have hoped that after about a year of production and many crafted lenses

(Serial no.> 1,830 000) this bug is fixed. My cameras gave me out as an objective software version 01.

So on to the Sony hotline or to put it better Never-Ending-Waitingline.

Who bears functional MoH longer than 15 minutes at one on (soon) 200 enhancing pulse, comes here fully at its expense.

Unfortunately, this was a fruitless search for human contact, for several days and no matter what business hours.

I find that extremely embarrassing for a global player such as Sony!

-

Then a ray of hope - the Service Partner by Sony - the company Geisler in Reutlingen.

After very little waiting time I was greeted by a friendly Swabian ladies voice shortly and told me exactly the service flow.

On the Sony support site there is a repair application which should be filled with an exact description of the error, then a DHL parcel label print and get going to Reutlingen.

Just one day after the reported e-mail arrival of my lens of my accomplished Rückversnd was confirmed.

The lens was carefully packaged by effective four days from the service back (of which three days on the journey through Germany).

On the attached repair bill there was a reference to An established firmware update.

A great compliment to Reutlingen !!! And even a little bee for DHL.

But the current Sony firmware (as of July 5, 2013, declared itself Traderjob also as version 01) does not solve the problem AF.

At the tested cameras (Alpha 77 and Alpha 58) it is hardly. In both there is the same picture.

Even my beloved and ancient Tamron 70-300 F4-5.6 FX with rod AF control them even when opening 5.6 traumwandlerisch quickly and safely.

-

Conclusion:

The SAL 18135 is an optical, mechanical and haptic very good and relatively cheap lens in this focal length range for the Sony-DX sensor.

It is measured by its optical performance very compact and easily acceptable.

In conjunction with z. B. an Alpha 58 (A37 / A57) has a well-formulated balance, fast and not too loud pair of timely, technically excellent photos

in most conceivable situations in hand.

At one alpha 77 (or A65) at most the relative faintness at the long end could be a little difficult in conjunction with high ISO values.

Here behaves fortunately the new "entry level" alpha 58 in direct comparison like an owl (even in RAW).

Even with today's standards very high resolution sensors therefore makes this lens a really "sharp sword".

The in-camera lens correction of the current Sony SLT-Bodies also ironing described and more little problems (distortion, Randabdunkelungen and CA's)

very effective when needed and without visible disadvantages of. At best, the processing time of the image processor increases slightly.

The point deduction is available for the annoying AF Bug from 90 mm focal length.

If necessary, will my fast tuition by manual focusing at the telephoto end (Direct Manual Focusing - a helpful feature of this lens).

And the hope that Sony engineers can still mature firmware, according to the level of (in my opinion) excellent optical properties.

Then I like to give even a fifth star.

-

Supplement 12 September 2013:

After now about 1600 trips with this lens I feel confirmed in my first opinion on the excellent optical properties and excellent handling of this lens.

Thanks to the high resolution you can possibly compensate surprisingly "only" 135 mm at the long end well with further enlarged the.

Portraits with a nice and soft blur course succeed surprisingly well with open aperture.

Even for macro photography it is suitable with a steady hand or a tripod due.

With the autofocus problem from about 90 mm I have now well arranged me, it has proved in practice rare as really disturbing.

In general I would characterize the autofocus with this lens as quickly and very accurately.

In the sum of its properties, this lens for me is currently the best choice in this focal length range for DX-sensor on the A-bayonet.