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Review on πŸ“Έ Sony Alpha SEL18200 E-Mount 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Lens (Silver) with Enhanced SEO by Richard Miller

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Very happy with this purchase.

Ordered ahead of the wedding for which my two daughters were chosen to be flower girls. I felt like a kid with a new toy because I couldn't put it down (paired with the NEX-5N). I went outside a lot to take pictures of fountains, flowers, etc. (hosted by the winery). The bokeh is pretty damn good considering this thing took pictures that made me feel like a professional (and & ahh family too) photographer. The range is great too, and the convenience factor alone (no need to swap lenses for close-ups/macro shots) makes this thing worth the relatively high price tag. That and the amazing 5n sensor allowed me to get great indoor shots without using a flash (which I forgot anyway). Still, the forgetfulness proved a great test before I watch my daughter's upcoming performances in the theater, where not only will I need a decent zoom, but flash will not be allowed. I also looked at the Tamron counterpart, but the Sony (based on most of the reviews I've read and image comparisons) came out on top, both in terms of speed and sharpness (not to mention issues with the chromatic aberration specific to the Tamron 18-200 ) + build quality. I spent a good 2-3 weeks researching this which drove my wife crazy as I spent most of my free time after work on the comparison process. In the end, the pros and cons of performance/quality and price weren't worth Tamron's risk just to save just $150. I ended up pairing this lens with a Sony VF67MPAM CLEAR multilayer protection filter, which I put on before I even took a single shot. The filter has a T-Zeiss coating and never had to touch or damage this darn near 1k lens. Very happy with this purchase.

Pros
  • The best in its niche
Cons
  • Will be added later