(SR5) First image of the new 18-135mm SAM lens!

[alphaomega]

So the rumour mill at SAR keeps "spinning". Now we have the prospect of a F3.5-5.6 18-135mm A-mount lens from Sony that is if this highly rated rumour has any relationship with the real world.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-firs ... -sam-lens/
This is supposed to be fact. Not sure I would be interested as my Sony 18-250 is doing fine - thank you.
I am really not interested in any new lens starting at 18 as opposed to 16mm for APS-C. The other thing is that it is a SAM. My CZ 16-80 and Sony 18-250 are quite good at focussing so I will give this lens a "swerve". In any event my money will now be spent on NEX/E-mount.
At least it has got a lock.

[David Kilpatrick]

The rumour mill may not be able to tell the difference between a SAM 18-135mm and what could just as easily be a simple upgrade of the existing 18-200mm, to a SAM 18-200mm. The fact that you can only just see 135mm on the end of the zoom scale does not mean this is the limit. I'm prepared to bet that this is an 18-200mm revision.

If they wanted to do a 135mm, they would aim for 16mm at the short end.

There is a vague chance that this is a revised Canon 18-135mm, which Canon probably don't make themselves as it's a micromotor (SAM) type lens. But it looks more like a Tamron 18-200mm revision.

David

[bfitzgerald]

Pentax do an 18-135mm lens but the take there is "WR" not starting off at 16mm. It's quite mediocre optics wise though no better than their ho hum kit lens
18mm is ok, so is a more modest super zoom. The point here is that Sony have a 16-105mm lens so an 18-135mm one would seem a bit strange.

Have to say I'm enjoying the 18-105mm Nikkor surprisingly good optics and a useful range for a take out single lens mission. Well useful for me

[David Kilpatrick]

I just don't trust all the pictures I see. It's easy to retouch or fake stuff. If it really is an 18-135mm SAM it is a very peculiar choice. An 18-135mm for NEX made much smaller than the 18-200mm option/s would be appealing, as 18-55mm is very limiting and 18-200mm not always necessary. But for Alpha, I could only assume that either the Tamron 18-200mm could not be amended for SAM - that Sony wanted to use a Chinese factory and owned design. Otherwise, in a world where compact and bridge cameras have extreme tele reach like 500-600mm equivalent, the upgrading entrant to DSLR/SLT is not going to be impressed by 18-135mm.

David

[pakodominguez]

An 18-135mm for NEX made much smaller than the 18-200mm option/s would be appealing, as 18-55mm is very limiting and 18-200mm not always necessary.

There is a "high magnification" zoom lens on the NEX lens road scheme -probably a 16/18-135 as you said...

[bfitzgerald]

One obvious point possibly missed in all this. As an affordable "update" to the 18-55mm an 18-135mm might be worth a look for some. The 16-105mm is not cheap and probably overpriced for it's optical performance (16mm is nice but it has some notable weak areas in the focal length) An 18-135mm at say £250 odd might hit a spot for some users.

One of the reasons I've lost a lot of interest in compacts is this obscene desire to pack ridiculous zoom ranges into them. With a pin head sensor the results are far from impressive. The SLR type superzooms are lenses with notable compromises on an optical level, I can't say I'd buy an 18-250/270mm.

I thought it was a shame Sony dumped the 18-70mm it covered a very nice range it could have been updated and improved optics wise. 18-55mm is quite boring for many users

[alphaomega]

I thought it was a shame Sony dumped the 18-70mm it covered a very nice range it could have been updated and improved optics wise. 18-55mm is quite boring for many users

I would support that statement.
Not sure where Stonewall Jackson disappeared to. A much more acclaimed performer than the present incumbent. Remember the face, but not the name.

[Dusty]

I thought it was a shame Sony dumped the 18-70mm it covered a very nice range it could have been updated and improved optics wise. 18-55mm is quite boring for many users

I would support that statement.
Not sure where Stonewall Jackson disappeared to. A much more acclaimed performer than the present incumbent. Remember the face, but not the name.

I thought Minolta giving an 18-70 in the kit lens was a big plus over the more limited range of the competitors, but Sony went back to that.

As for the face, it's Walter Matthau's.

Dusty

[alphaomega]

Thanks for the information Dusty. I have found him here as the second picture
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=walte ... 24&bih=612
I much prefer a general to a sergeant.
Returning to the subject, Sony would then have an 18-55, 16-50, 16-80, 16-105, 18-135, 18-200 and 18-250 A-mount DT in the moderate wide to telephoto class of zooms. Seems like a lot to me.

[bossel]

The existing 18-200 is known to be mediocre, why not sammize the 18-250 (or even 18-270)?

If its really 18-135 with a decent quality, that's an excellent move!

[bossel]

The fact that you can only just see 135mm on the end of the zoom scale does not mean this is the limit. I'm prepared to bet that this is an 18-200mm revision.

It clearly says 18-135 on the barrel (if the pic is real)

[Greg Beetham]

I can’t quite ‘get it’ with an 18-135 SAM either, not when it’s just another variable ratio zoom that covers a similar span to others, maybe if it was a constant f4.5 or such then it might stand out in the crowd, but one does wonder if the screw drive lens days are numbered.
Greg
Ps Aah yes Walter Matthau, good spotting Dusty, I knew the face but I couldn’t quite place the name to it, he was one of the greats I thought, had a rare sense of humour.

[Fotogeorge]

I suggest an image of the actor Barry Fitzgerald as an option. I can't explain it, but I just have this persona in mind. Pick out an image here: http://www.movieactors.com/actors/barryfitzgerald.htm

[bfitzgerald]

He's not a real "Barry Fitzgerald" it's a stage name. Mine is the real thing I can assure you!
As for Walter I always liked the man, and his tendency to play grumpy characters seems to suit my posting style fairly well

No more battles hence Jackson is now retired, though I have a few other avatars I might look at later on.

Back to the lens it might end up bundled with some bodies as a "super kit lens" of sorts. It's not a complete waste of time as the range is useful, I'm quite happy with my 18-105mm VR didn't expect a lot but it's quite good really (for what it is ie super kit lens)

[Heidfirst]

Nikon has an 18-105mm kit lens, Canon has an 18-135mm so Sony could well be joining in.