Sony E 18-105mm F/4 G OSS PZ SELP18105G

This Sony E-mount zoom covers 18–105mm on APS-C bodies. That span runs from wide interior views to short telephoto framing. It suits travel, family events and everyday photography. Portraits, street scenes and holiday pictures all fall inside its reach.

The motorised power zoom gives the lens extra video appeal. The main trade-off is the f/4 maximum aperture, which asks for decent light indoors. In daylight, the ceiling rarely holds you back.

Sony introduced this lens in 2013, and it remains in production today.

The lens weighs 15.1 oz (427 g). It measures 4.33 in (110 mm) long and 3.07 in (78 mm) wide. Our physical score is 78/100.

The front accepts screw-in filters, and any filter attached directly must match the 72mm thread.

At the 18mm end, the lens frames wide views of rooms, landscapes and groups. The 105mm end tightens portraits and pulls out details across a room or street. Reframing is often a matter of zooming rather than moving your feet. For events, the long end also lets you photograph speakers from the back rows. One end frames a whole dinner table, the other a single face.

The aperture stays at f/4 throughout the zoom, so exposure settings carry over as you reframe. That consistency helps in steady light and during video. At 105mm, f/4 still gives portraits some background softness. In dim rooms, though, the ceiling pushes ISO higher than a brighter lens would need. Evening receptions and candlelit rooms are the demanding cases.

Close focus reaches 1.5 ft (45 cm) at 18mm, which suits tabletop subjects such as food or flowers. The minimum distance lengthens as you zoom, so tighter frames at 105mm need more working room.

There is no teleconverter support, so 105mm is the full extent of the reach. Our optics score for this lens is 66/100.

Sony's OSS stabilisation is rated at 4 stops, a typical figure for stabilised APS-C standard zooms. It lets you use slower shutter speeds handheld. That matters most at 105mm, where small shakes show up clearly. Handheld interiors at the wide end also benefit.

The zoom is electric, so a motor drives focal length changes. Zooming stays smooth and even, which is why this lens appeals to video shooters. Zoom speed stays consistent between takes. Stills photographers can also zoom without jolting the camera.

There is no weather sealing, so keep the lens covered in rain or dust. No fluorine coating is fitted either, so the front glass relies on normal cleaning when it picks up dirt. A 72mm protective filter can shield the front glass in dusty conditions.

The optical formula uses 16 elements in 12 groups. Three aspherical elements help correct distortion, the fault that curves straight lines near the frame edge. Two ED glass elements help reduce chromatic aberration, the colour fringes that can appear along high-contrast edges. Focusing is internal, so the lens holds its length while focusing.