11x Telephoto Zoom Lens

Great lens with a serious handicap

Pros: Excellent build quality & picture quality, awesome range

Cons: Flash extender should be included

The lens itself is great. It has incredible range, great optical quality, and has a nice sturdy feel to it. The finish looks great too. But the huge size of the lens creates a very obvious shadow because the standard flash sits too low. This is not a problem that an $800 lens should have. If you don't want the shadow, it will cost you $63 + shipping for a flash extender. Its not so much the cost of the extender that bugs me, its the fact that Sony makes it so hard to obtain. There is no mention of it on sonystyle, no mention on the SEL18200 page, and most of the sales reps don't seem to know about it either. In fact, if another reviewer hadn't given the part # (A1787305A) and mentioned that you have to go to the seperate Parts & Accessories page, I probably wouldn't have found it, and probably would have returned the lens. If it isn't going to be included with the lens, there should at least be a direct link to purchase it from the lens product page, or it should be on the accesories page for the NEX series. Its like buying a new TV, getting it home, and then realizing the power cord is a $63 option, and you have to wait another week for it to be shipped. It makes no sense. If Sony is set on making money off of the extender, why not make the lens $850 and include it in the box? I'd rather pay more up front and get everything at once, instead of going on a wild goose chase trying to find a necessary "accessory."

Tack sharp lens

Pros: sharp lens great zoom ratio

Cons: zoom ring takes some time to get used to.

Had this lens for two weeks (got it in the Sony Style store in Manhattan). Took some getting used to: the zoom ring was a bit tight at first (however, no lens creep) and the size in comparison to the camera took some getting used to as well. That said, this is an excellent lens from wide to full tele. Tack sharp at all positions. Edges and centers look great. Great travel lens and camera combo.

Incredible Lens, A "Do-It-All" Wonder!

Pros: Very high resolution across the focal lenghts and apertures.

Cons: Front portion of lens is heavy and "falls" in and out as lens is tilted up or down. Lock only works when lens is at 18 m

Great overall lens other than a bit bulky and pricey (and it just got pricier!). Very sharp at all focal lenghts and apertures. The lens "crawl" as the lens is tilted up or down is rather aggrivating. Looks like it could have been better engineered than that. The lock only works when the lens is all the way in at 18 mm.

very soft lens

Pros: nice range

Cons: everything is garbage after 70mm

the 18-55mm kit lens is WAY sharper in range and this lens is horrible after 70mm not worth the money this is a video lens it is no good for stills

18-200

Pros: Very nice quality photos; great build

Cons: No flash extender included

Pre-release online literature from Sony noted that the flash extender would be included with the flash so I was disappointed to find that it was not included. A representative at Sony Style indicated it would be an extra $65 but is not yet available.

this is Excellent lens!

Pros: all

Cons: no any cons

veeeerrrry gooooooooood

How do I get the NEX camera flash extender?

Can't wait to get this lens but my NEX-5 manual states that a flash extender is needed for this lens. The extender is not listed as in the box with the lens and I don't see where it can be ordered separately.

Good at all lengths

Pros: Great glass

Cons: heavy

The review by mrbige does not do justice to this lens. Yes, it was first sold only with a video camcorder but it has great optics. The photo was shot at 200mm at iso 110 with a Nex-7 (1/500 f8). Image represents about 1/5 of original.

Reviewer Images: (click to see full-size image)

Mandatory Lens

Pros: Great range (zoom to wide)

Cons: Standard flash does not work well with this lens

This is a must have lens for any NEX owner. The lens makes the camera perform at significantly better level providing broader control of your shots. As is typical, the included kit lens can only do so much - there's a reason they get bundled into the initial sale of the camera to get you started, but to extract maximum value from your camera, this is a must have purchase. Biggest negative is that the standard flash sits too low on the camera body and casts a shadow. This can be avoided by using the flash extender available at: www.servicesplus.sel.sony.com Part Number: A1787305A Price: $63 plus shipping Or wait for the new flash to be available this summer '11

Re Flash Extender

Pros: Excellent Optics

Cons: None

For those who are looking to purchase that flash extender FA-EX1S, you can place your order at Sony Parts Center (only for US customers). The part number to search for is A1787305A, make sure to choose Part Number in the drop down box. It is $62.95, currently back ordered. I wish the manual would have been more specific re that part.

Love the lens

Pros: Great view and clear

Cons: cannot use flash -- cast shadows on picture

It is a great lens but as instructions in box need a flash extender to work with flash otherwise you have shadows at the bottom of picture. --- Flash extender is not yet available will not even pull up with part number that came with the lens. --- Bad PR. Hopefully only due to everything that Japan is still going through. I hope Sony makes this part a priority since the lens does not work with the flash on in a quality known with the Sony products.

Excellent Image Quality

Pros: Very Sharp Lens

Cons: Heavy, bigger than camera!!! :)

Image was shot at 94mm f/8 (Original). A touch of Fractal Sharpen, a little crop and vibrance, and the photo is truly stunning (Final version). This was an Auto HDR shot, the combination of 3 images. From my experience with much more expensive systems, this lens performs extremely well below 100mm. Above 100mm it is a slightly soft, but then so are most telephotos, and I don't use it in that range a whole lot. I almost always use Aperture Priority with f/8 dialed in for maximum sharpness (even above 100mm!). I would have been very happy to have a 18-100 or 18-120 lens rather than the 18-200, but there is no lens like that today. While this lens is big and heavy, it is still smaller and lighter than its counterparts from Canon and Nikon, and frankly, is sharper. It is really the ultimate "walk around" lens (I find 18-55 just does not cut it - although the 18-55 lens is no doubt a very good lens, it just does not have the zoom range I want). I would have been even more delighted if this was a 16-100 or 16-120 lens. Not that would be perfect, and would eliminate the need to switch lenses to get the 16mm wide angle - a must for nature photography (well, OK, with the wide angle adapter, going to 12mm is really cool). One other factor: at long zoom ranges, the lens tends to take a long time to focus in some cases. This is the disadvantage of contrast focus vs. phase as in the A77, but since I don't use that range much, I can live with it. At lower zoom ranges, it focuses just fine. My final comment is about HDR. This is a MUST HAVE feature of the Sony cameras! I was disgusted that I could take HDR photos on my iPhone, but not on my Canon system. Sony has done a really wonderful job on this feature, and it is fantastic in lighting situations like the one in the photo (a forest with sun and shade). No more shooting 3 images and fiddling around with HDR software back home. Of course I can still do that, but having this feature in the camera is fantastic!

Reviewer Images: (click to see full-size image)

I've got this for Xmas!

Pros: Beautiful colours and crisp images

Cons: none. That's how it's built and does well

I was going to return this wonderful Xmas present because of the price, but after I tried it on my Nex-5 I've been taking tons of landscape photos, portraits and video with this lens and the images are wonderful on a well calibrated flat panel tele, computer monitor or high quality photo printer. The photos taken at 16:9 ratio are fantastic for a slide show on tele or a home theater projector. After using the camera with the original SEL1855 lens, this big lens makes a lot of difference as soon as you start to use it. More versatile and great zoom range. I don't need an HD video camcorder anymore with this lens, I just the microphone and I've to 2 in 1. I highly recommend it.

Average len

Pros: It does take good pictures with it, and clear

Cons: It's not worth the price, 899.99. Last year, it was 799.99, and it only has 11x zoom max, i need at least 20x and more

Slow Lens

Pros: well made

Cons: Very slow lens

Took this lens on nature trip to photograph whales. The time it took to focus, if ever, was abysmally slow and amazing moments were completely lost. It's just not up to par with what is promised. Very disappointed.

It was made for the NEX 7

Pros: It gives you just as amazing a range of possibilities as you thought it would when you read about it.

Cons: None

When I discovered that the NEX 7 lets you use digital zoom with a zoom lense, the already significant range of this thing became amazing. But even without that newly-found capability, at 200 mm and using the viewfinder and the manual focus button, some exceptional macro-like shots are possible, just as I had hoped. Using it just as a traditioanl zoom I also got a picture of a bird a quarter mile away that we had no idea as to what it was. Armed with that image we got the experts to tell us we had seen a wimbrel. Combined with the amazing NEX 7 - I have upgraded from being a totally satisfied NEX 5 user to being an ecstatic NEX 7 user - I can't think of why $899 isn't a pretty fair price. Remember, 18 - 200 is a lot of possibilities. Add the digital zoom (I know it reduces quality, but with 24mpx there is a little quality to be spared) and you have a lens that lets you rule the world.

Reviewer Images: (click to see full-size image)

Sony, flash extender please!

Pros: Good mechanical and optical quality, versatile zoom range

Cons: Handicapped flash photography

This lens would have got at least 4 stars from me, if it is not because of the lack of the "rumored" flash extender. Without it, this lens is seriously handicapped. Sony, please do the right thing! The extender should have been included with the lens. Or at least make it available for purchase!

Great lens!

Pros: Smooth focusing, great clarity and seemless integration between NEX-5 and NEV-10

Cons: Where's the flash extender

I love the lens and it's great to move between the camera and camcorder with the same lenses. However, the press releases promised a bundled flash extended to help mitigate the shadows that show up if you try to use the NEX 5 flash and the lens at the same time. So far, Sony Parts and the Store are clueless in spite of a part number FA-EX1S

Wide Angle

Pros: Excellent zoom range

Cons: Not quite enought wide angle

27mm (35mm equiv.) max. wide angle is good, but 25mm or 24mm would be better. I've always found I need all the wide angle I could get, and then some - whereas giving up some telephoto (to get the wider angle), at the same zoom range, has never been a problem for me. At 11.1x zoom, 24mm wide still gives you 266.4mm tele. A litttle more wide angle and a little less tele would suit me fine. Bigger tele mm numbers are a diminishing return versus smaller mm wide numbers Or, hey, go from an 11.1x zoom to a 12.5x and get 24mm to 300mm.

18-200mm f/3-6.3 Lens

Pros: Awesome lens with excellent outcomes

Cons: I have not found anything wrong with this lens other than the price. But even the price is not bad

Love this lens. My pictures look much better with this lens as opposed to the stock lens it came with.

Reviewer Images: (click to see full-size image)

SEL 18200

Pros: Good all rounder, excellent build quality, super sharp, active stabilizer

Cons: none so far

This lens is awesome. I bought it for my FS100, and couldn't be happier. The "lens-crawl" issue everyone else has been complaining about must have been resolved, as my lens does not do move unless I move it -- even when the camera faces 90 degrees to the ground. Auto-focus is super-quick and sharp, with zero CA.