Product Description

DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens with 35mm equivalent of 16.5-27mm * compatible with Sony Alpha digital SLR cameras * ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass lens elements * 3 aspherical lens elements * minimum focus distance: 9.6" * minimum aperture: f22 (at 11mm)/f29 (at 18mm) * lens construction: 15 elements in 12 groups * attachment/filter diameter: 77mm *

Product Details

• Brand: Sony
• Model: SAL1118
• Released on: 2006-08-15
• Dimensions: 2.00" h x 2.00" w x 4.00" l, 1.50 pounds

Features

• DT lens design for optimum performance
• Delivers excellent wide-angle and long telephoto shots
• Aspherical lens elements for wide-angle accuracy
• ED glass elements for sharp, accurate colors
• 35mm equivalent: 16.5 to 27mm

From the Manufacturer
The perfect lens for fast shooting -- interiors, crowd scenes and more. With the capability to focus quickly and zoom from super-wide-angle to wide-angle, this lens captures interior scenes with greater flexibility and handles fast action in close environments. Its DT design is ideally suited for the APS-size CCD imager of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 camera -- and its 35mm-equivalent zoom range of 16.5mm to 27mm gives you wide latitude in framing and composition.

Lens Features

Internal focusing system
Lens elements at the rear of the optical system move, allowing rapid auto-focus response.

Aspherical lens elements
Aspherical elements correct frame distortion to provide more visually accurate super-wide-angle shots.

ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass
ED glass lenses minimize flare and greatly reduce chromatic aberration, giving you photos with sharper focus and more accurate color separation.

Circular aperture
In low-light shots or nightscapes, out-of-focus light sources have a pleasing circular defocused effect.

Customer Reviews

Watch for ideal price before purchase
Great lens. Be aware that it is a DT lens and therefore will only work on APS-C sensors. Basically, if you are never going to shoot old Minolta 35mm SLRs or the upcoming A900 body ($2500+ probably), don't worry about it.

Best Buy had this on sale, free shipping, for $400 early Feb. 2008.
So look for that number or lower on this lens for best price.

superb wide angle lens
After buying an A-100 Sony I discovered just how exceptional the Sony 18mm-200mm lens is. I still have all my Minolta AF lenses, which was a reason to buy the A-100, but in fact I very rarely get them out of their cases. The 18-200 is very sharp to edge of frame at both ends of the zoom range, has very good colour rendition and contrast, has no barrel distortion or pincushioning and zooms smoothly. I travel all over the world with this camera and lens combination and have found I need nothing else.

However, when I saw the Sony 11mm/18mm wide angle zoom lens passing through Frankfurt airport, I thought it might be useful for the rare occasions when the 18mm is not quite wide enough. Fortunately I waited to buy until I returned to the US, where it cost 50% of the price in Euros. This is another exceptional lens, with quite astonishing performance. As with any super wide angle lens, there is a risk of distortion on straight vertical lines, but far less than I'd expected. The 11mm/18mm is now in my travel kit. It's great.

Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
I read many user reviews and some "official" ones about the Sony 11-18mm lens, many of which were negative. Despite these reviews, I went ahead and bought the lens (through Amazon.com). I have had it for a few weeks now, have taken several hundred pictures with it, and I really love the results. It produces sharp images in my opinion and the super wide angle pictures are awesome. To me, it is well built. Whoever is reading this review, stop reading it, stop reading "official" lens ratings and resolution test results on the Sony 11-18mm super wide angle zoom lens and go get one, and you will not be disappointed. Note: I have been a photo hobbyist since 1968 and have owned and used many 35mm cameras, developed my own slides etc. I went digital about 5 years ago and have no plans of going back to film. I have owned the Sony A100 DSLR for less than a year and love it. It has tons of features that I like and use. The Sony 11-18mm super wide is a great addition to my digital photographic system.