Sony camera owners have three versions of the 18-200mm all-in-one zoom to choose from. The de facto standard edition, and the first of the three to come to market, is the E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS ($899.99). It uses the same optical formula as the others, and offers Active Stabilization to better steady video for shots involving camera movement. It's a good lens if you put an emphasis on zoom range above all else, but the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is a better overall performer. Aesthetics Stuck in Time The E 18-200mm has been in production for about a decade, and it shows. The industrial design is a product of its time. The optics are housed in a shiny silver barrel, but the control rings and telescoping barrel are black. The two-tone look is out of place on more recent Sony cameras, sold only in basic black. Sony's updated version of the lens, the 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE, looks a little better on a new camera, and is also a little smaller. The original version comes in at 3.9 by...
The Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS is a good example of an all-in-one zoom lens, but a newer version is available, and is a better fit for most photographers.
11x zoom; Sharp results; Optical stabilization; 1:2.9 macro focus
Dated aesthetics; Bigger and heavier than LE version; Resolution and light-gathering drop when zoomed in