Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM review

For the opportunity to review this lens Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM (Model SAL 1855) gratitude to the network of stores "Paparazzi", where you can purchase this lens and other photography equipment - http://www.fotomagazinpaparazzi.ua

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM review

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM review

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM is a stock lens used on many Sony crop sensor cameras. This lens is not intended for full frame cameras such as the Sony A900, D99 and A850. My lens came with a Sony A65 camera. Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM is often called a kit lens, from the English 'kit' - a set, that is, a lens from a simple kit for a camera.

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM is a simple, nothing very different small, light and cheap lens. It has a very convenient range of focal lengths. 18-55mm focal length due crop factor give EGF equal to 27-82,5mm. This range of focal lengths is very convenient, you can shoot both general plans using a wide angle, and shoot something closer at 55mm.

Sony 18-55 DT SAM on A65 camera

Sony 18-55 DT SAM on A65 camera

The lens case is made of plastic, the mount of the bayonet is also plastic. Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM are obviously produced in Japan and Thailand (I had two models with different manufacturing countries in my review). The lens boasts 1 ED element (low dispersion glass) and 2 aspherical elements in its optical design. The lens weighs only 210 grams, while the diameter of the front filter is 55 mm. The aperture has 7 petals, the petals are rounded, it was difficult for me to achieve star ray effectbut the lens makes even circles bokeh.

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM

The zoom ring is rubberized. The focusing method is not much different from focusing on whale lenses from other manufacturers. When focusing, the front lens and rotates and moves back and forth, with such a lens it is problematic to use special light filters. When focusing, the lens barrel extends by approximately 1cm. Also, the lens trunk lengthens when zooming, and it does so in a wave-like manner. There is only one switch on the lens - the 'AF MF' focus mode switch. In AF mode, only automatic focus is available, and in MF mode, only manual focus. By the way, the manual focusing ring is rubberized; during manual focusing, the ring rotates only 45 degrees. On such a lens, enough hard to focus with your hands, the lens is more designed for autofocus. A good feature of the lens can be considered a good shooting of small details, the lens can shoot macro with a magnification of 1: 3, and can focus only 25 centimeters from the subject (25 cm is the distance between the subject and the camera sensor).

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM will automatically focus on all DSLRs from Sony or Konica Minolta:

APS-C (with cropped sensor):

Full Frame (with full frame sensor):

For autofocusing on Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, the Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM lens must be used using original adapters: Sony LA-EA1, Sony LA-EA2, Sony LA-EA3, Sony LA-EA4 or Sony LA- EA5.

Sony E, APS-C (with cropped sensor), Sony E Full Frame (with full frame sensor).

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM and Minolta 28-85

Auto focus speed is excellent, I can say for sure that it’s not slow. When focusing the lens noise, which can be a problem when shooting video. The lens uses SAM - Smooth Autofocus Motor - Smooth Autofocus Motor. When I used the Sony DT 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6 SAM on Sony A65, then there were no problems with focusing.

Sample Photos

I shot using protective filter Hoya HMC UV (c) 55mm. Photos without processing, on-camera JPEG, only reduced to 3 MP and imprinted data from EXIF. The lens feels wonderful in backlight and side light, gives good contrast and excellent sharpness. The aperture can be closed up to F / 22 at 18mm and up to F / 36 at 55mm.

Personal impressions

Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM is a pretty kit lens, sharp, with distortion and vignetting at 18mm. Can't boast good aperture... In fact, there is nothing to complain about. By the way, the absence of a stabilizer on the lens is compensated by the presence of it in the Sony camera itself. I often recommend starting with a simple 18-55mm lens, and then figuring out which additional lens to look at. I always insist that important how to take pictures, and on any lens, even the regular Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM, you can get good photos without unnecessary troubles.

Catalog of modern Sony lenses can look at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


Conclusions

The Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM is a pretty good simple stock lens with 3x zoom. Leave your impressions about the lens in the comments :)

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Bavitli

 

 

Comments: 35, on the topic: Review of Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM

  • Bavitli

    I use this lens, a noticeable drawback is the aperture at the long end. And since it’s quite for a whale)

    • Nina

      Is Nikonovsky better?

      • Bavitli

        I don’t know with Nikon. At work, I use Kenon. It seemed a little worse, but it can be such an instance!?!

      • Sergey.

        I agree!

      • Vladimir Lvov

        This, depending on which lens to compare. The other day I came across such a lens in conjunction with Alpha 450, then at first it seemed to me that it was broken. But after a little poyuz, I realized that he works like that.

  • AM

    It focuses faster than the complete Nikon 18-55, but the sound is louder when focusing. I must say that for a whale it is quite sharp in the center. It is inconvenient to focus manually - the focusing ring not only has a small stroke, but also moves back and forth. In comparison with the old complete 18-70, the CA is much better adjusted. Lightweight, compact, not bad optically - that's what you need to start. Not so long ago, the 2nd version of this lens was released - the autofocus motor (SAM 2) has been significantly improved, and the work in backlight has been improved.

    Have a nice shot!

  • Aleksey

    his bokeh is very colorful, in connection with which you need to carefully choose sn, the sharpness is not bad, and in my opinion this is the only advantage of this device. however, the color rendition is also nothing))) many leave him as a staffer, and some even buy them for filming feasts) I personally had enough for a month to play enough until I bought a half-speed, then the devil parted

  • Wiseman

    “Quote:“ 18-55mm focal length due to the crop factor gives an EGF of 27-82,5mm. ”
    This information is not true.
    The presence of the letters DT in the name indicates that the focal lengths are converted to crop, i.e. 18-55mm.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Nothing like this. The focal length for all lenses is a physical quantity, it is indicated without conversion. Do you really believe that this cheap lens can provide a real super wide angle of view at 18mm? :)

    • NX6

      DT in the name means Digital Technology, that is, a DSLR lens, not a SLR.

  • Eugene

    The lens for the whale is really good. However, after buying the SAL35F18 and comparing it with the 18-55 kit at a focal length of 35 mm, the difference in sharpness and clarity is noticeable “to the naked eye”. Now lying around as unnecessary, tk. 35F18 and Helios 44m7 replaced it with an advantage. Plus the whale 18-55 in its price, and if you have the means, in my opinion, it is better to buy 35 (or 50) F18 or Helios.

    • anonym

      Yes. SAL35F18 will be something better than 18-55 mounted on 35 mm. But only 35 mm. And just something. And in my opinion it is better to buy 18-135 or 18-150. But the 35 mm fix should be left for shooting in the interior. There he really will be better with something. The special is always something better than the universal. But it replaces the universal only in its application range. Helios 44? Thank you, smiled.

  • Dmitriy

    I used this for half a year with Sony A37 until I purchased Sigma 24mm F2.8 and Minolta 75-300 F4.5-5.6 D. You can get acceptable shots, but it will not work for the landscape, its resolution and sharpness in the corners are very far behind . There is not enough aperture in the shooting room. The lens is only good perhaps in the open air with good lighting.

  • Alexander

    Sorry for trolling (easy), but from what language is the word Thailand (seen in the picture) translated as Japan?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Fixed I had two models on the review, and the first, on which the text was written, was made in Japan.

  • Dim

    on this lens it is impossible to set F less than 5.6. Are these features of optics?

    • anonym

      at the long end of the zoom, yes. on short it should allow a setting of 3,5. but this is only if the shooting conditions allow, that is, the fastest shutter speed at the set sensitivity can provide the correct exposure when the aperture is open wider than 5,6. otherwise, the camera will not allow you to set a different aperture and do not need to interfere with it.

  • anonym

    Compromise lens.

    Cons:
    -the rotating front component. which means that the hood is only round. sadness ...
    -the wavy course of the trunk (although, it may be "into the stream" for someone)
    -plastic. all plastic to the bayonet mount. plastic does not happen.
    ugly edges on any FR (can be used as an artistic device)
    - aperture ... (and where did you see the constant 2,8 for that kind of money?)
    -assembly. The chassis are staggering too much.
    - no “trunk” lock
    Focusing is not internal.

    pros:
    - so fast focus
    -light (due to plasticity)
    - sharp in the center (say, sharp enough)
    -short trunk travel (a consequence of the "wave" and focusing specifics)
    quiet when focusing (SAM II)
    -on the “tail” rectangular hood (SAM II)
    -very good macro (... surprised!)
    -very good bokeh, does not ripple, does not twist, without any-sen (... surprised again!)
    -Excellent keeps back and side light (... surprised again!)
    -good MDF
    -with a camera costs 20 bucks.

    Conclusion: for printing from 10x15 to A4 it will go “with a bang”, even more so for viewing on a monitor. For a magazine cover, you would have to look for something else as well as in the case of a craving for telephoto. Better here 28-135. But it costs money. The wide angle is slightly less than 27mm in full frame. Something with the crop factor. When shooting, it's better to turn on the automatic distortion correction in the camera. Otherwise, the "barrel" will be noticeably visible at the wide end. In general, it will do for every day. On the other hand, I think that Sonya's cropped cameras are unlikely to be taken by those whose photos go on the covers of Cosmopolitan, and therefore we think first of all in the direction of price / quality, but here everything is in order.

  • Vladlen

    In addition to sharpness and contrast (for its class) - Everything is bad. Do not take!

    • anonym

      so no one takes a staff separately \ if they provide a wide choice - in such stores they charge at the very least so as not to be clever and not to consult with sellers \ if you make a purchase for labor not superfluous find a photographer a hard worker with a recommendation give 500 rubles for a chat, he will tell you how much and where pour more help and buy sony with its picking does not need a staff at all \ immediately adapters and ... a sea of ​​optics \ well, if you shoot the movement then 55-200 for a price and not bad

  • anonym

    worse than the regular canon, I didn’t see the lenses especially which made in vietnam / nikon are slightly better than the canon. beautiful pentax then sony + incredibly interesting technically really innovative cameras.sony is making a revolution in photography in front of it all the leading companies are buying the matrix and hasselblad and leika insert the canonists all hold on to their canons. Yes, the price of Sony's top models is high, but for what \ the canons and Nikons have nothing worthless besides noiseless

  • Eugene

    Compared Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM with Sony 1,4 / 50 SAL at a focal length of 50mm by photographing a test target. At diaphragms 5,6; eleven; 11 - Sony DT 16-3.5 / 5.6-18 SAM could not please. But at aperture 55, much to my surprise, the center showed sharperness higher than Sony 8 / 1,4 SAL. But I emphasize - only in the center of the frame. There is nothing to compare on the rest of the field and on the edge.

  • Alexander

    Tell me, is it possible to use this lens with a Canon 60D, the thread diameter it has, what kind of adapter is needed for this. Thank you in advance.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Yes and no sense.

  • anonym

    Pluses: Lightweight, relatively compact, fast focusing, good bokeh. The zoom is “wave”, but this can be a disadvantage. Not bad for macro. In portraits, you can make him nicely soft and smooth corners. Perfectly holds back and side light.
    Disadvantages:
    A lot of. First of all, plastic from A to Z. Especially the plastic bayonet. An unimportant picture at an open aperture and at apertures higher than 16. And this is further exacerbated by the nonlinear distribution of sharpness across the field when zooming. Focusing with a rotating front component, because of which the hood on it is only round, from which there is zero sense, except that there is no physical protection.
    It’s bad in the manual focus mode because of the small angle of the front element it’s difficult to get into focus, it is exclusively sharpened for autofocus. But easier if you focus on the lens hood.
    Aperture? Have you ever seen a constant 2,8 zoom for the price of a beer? In addition, this is not a disadvantage on cameras with EV. This is on SLR cameras with an optical fiber at such aperture, wedges and raster do not work, give one and a half or two, and here - no problem, you can also turn on the magnifying glass.
    A comment:
    So is it that bad? Not really. I learned to deceive him. We work in aperture priority (letter “A”), and set the aperture to 8-9. Here it is tolerant of resolution throughout the entire zoom range and fully justifies itself for reportage photography. In all other cases, “zeroing” is required.
    If you are shooting for them, then you need to study it thoroughly in the necessary modes and scenes. It comes with experience. First, take takes in different modes at different apertures and focal lengths. In general, if this consoles anyone, other KIT manufacturers are absolutely no better. There are, of course, alternatives, but they cost money. Considerable. A little better behaves 18-135. But it is larger in size and quite expensive for its characteristics. And the DT 18-55 SAM II is a rather compromise option, although it requires a thoughtful approach to use. Then the complaints will be reduced in many ways.

  • a lion

    Here's what's interesting - I came across a camera (to try) a sony a290 with a Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 lens - and so, it turned out that the lens focuses to infinity only in the focal range of 24 - 35 mm. On other focal lengths focusing only up to distances of about 5 meters. No one will tell me if I got such a lens or someone else faced such a problem? Sharpness, in general, is mediocre, the picture, too, expected more. My old Canon 300D with an EF 28-90 mm lens from a film camera takes pictures much better.

  • a lion

    Well, in pursuit of the previous comment about the Sony A290 camera (it is not here in the reviews). I put I-50-2, Helios 44-2 and Zenitar-ME1 1,7 instead of the staff, as soon as I didn’t go out of my way, but on Canon the picture is much better with them. Some kind of adapter, possibly crippled, was caught too - the shanks of the Helios and Zenitar, when screwed into the adapter, abut against the circular shelf and do not screw up to the end - as a result, there is no infinity. It is necessary to measure with a barbell - maybe this is protection against snagging by a mirror?

  • Novel

    I tested the lenses from Minolta 65-28 mm F135-4 on SONY A4,5, the legendary “Old Man”, 35-70 mm (kid) and “Beer Can” 70-210 mm F4. understand nothing ..
    The "old man" turned out to be less sharp than the whale 18-55 mm 3,5-5,6 SAM II (the second version of the whale). I wanted to replace the whale with it. My copy of the Minolta 28-135 mm 4-4,5 clearly did not stretch the 24 megapixel matrix. Keith, however, was noticeably sharper. Colder in color than Minolta. Minolta 28-135 can be good up to 16 MP on A57 and the like. The drawing is interesting, some kind of retro. The corners are heavily soaped at a wide angle. Maybe an unsuccessful copy just got caught.

    "Kid" 35-70 mm - very good, sharp, contrasting, colorful, but inconvenient FF on crop.
    Beer can 70-210mm Ф4 is a very good lens. 24 MP covers. Sharp, draws well, colors are good. Left him.

    I'll try another 24 mm 2,8 and 50 mm 1.7

    • Novel

      Minolta 70-210mm Ф4 is a very good lens.

      I will compare 135 mm with Jupiter 37A ..

  • Novel

    It would be interesting to compare this KIT with the second version (and add an additional paragraph to the review).

  • Novel

    Sony DT 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM II is clearly better than the whale Kenonovsky in picture quality. I have both.)

  • Vladislav

    Hello Arkady.
    A little overdue remark on lens construction. It does not have its own motor, that is, the translation of “Smooth AF Motor” is a little inaccurate, “Smooth Focus Drive” would be correct. This lens is powered by a motor in the camera, that is, like a screwdriver.

    • Paul

      There is NO screwdriver in this lens, do not confuse people please

  • Vladislav

    “Smooth Autofocus Drive” is more accurate.

  • Matthew

    I think I will soon become the owner of this lens)))

Add a comment

Copyright © Radojuva.com. Blog author - Photographer in Kiev Arkady Shapoval. 2009-2023

English-version of this article https://radojuva.com/en/2013/03/obzor-sony-dt-3-5-5-6-18-55-sam/?replytocom=25846

Versión en español de este artículo https://radojuva.com/es/2013/03/obzor-sony-dt-3-5-5-6-18-55-sam/?replytocom=25846