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NEX 10-18mm Wide Zoom Anyone?

Jim DE

New member
sagar, I had one on pre order for my NEX7 but when I saw the images posted from this combo I quickly cancelled my order with adorama before they got it in stock. I already have a slew of lenses that will smear the corners and have color shifts.... did not need another one at $850.

If I owned a 5n or NEX 6 I would of gone with it as these camera bodies seem to work better with that lens.
 

Lonnie Utah

New member
sagar, I had one on pre order for my NEX7 but when I saw the images posted from this combo I quickly cancelled my order with adorama before they got it in stock. I already have a slew of lenses that will smear the corners and have color shifts.... did not need another one at $850.

If I owned a 5n or NEX 6 I would of gone with it as these camera bodies seem to work better with that lens.
It's not that bad if you don't shoot wide open at 10mm. Other than that I'd say "don't believe the hype". Since very little of what I shoot with is wide open (most of it the other end of the range), it doesn't bother me...
 

Jim DE

New member
Lonnie I am holding out to see how the Zeiss 12mm will be on the NEX7. If it has similar issues and I have to buy a new camera to get it to work properly I have decided to go ahead and buy a camera from some one else other than a NEX.

To me it is a crime that the supposed Flagship of the NEX line is now one of the worst performers with wide angle lens issues. I have been with the NEX system since it came out and know its good and bad points but I don't have the bankroll anymore to chase Sony bodies till they introduce a bodies that start off at least where the last model ended. Case in point the 5n vs the n7. The 5n is a stellar performer with all sorts of wide angle glass and came out before the N7. The N7 (except with its own e glass which is OK at best) does not do well with wide angle glass. Fact is my N7 does worse than my original n5 with my CG glass up to and including the 35mm. The 45 and 90 are stellar on the N7 and the only two CG glass I carry anymore putting my 28 and 35 back in my Contax G2 camera kit with my 21mm.

The above was a big disappointment for me with the NEX7 as I mostly shoot scenics with the NEX system. So I shoot vertical 45mm images and live in photoshop stitching verticals together to achieve the FOV I prefer in so creating huge files and downsizing. If I am going to have to continue to do that with my N7 unless I buy a new body I am going to go ahead and jump off the Sony "merry go round" and buy a camera from someone else, as there are better cameras IMO to do this with. I hope and pray I don't have to (as it will be a hassle to sell all my NEX stuff as I don't like doing stuff like that) and the 12mm is stellar..... we will see shortly....
 
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sagar

Member
That's interesting Jim. After reading all the reviews of Z24 and few available reviews of 10-18, it gave me impression that Sony has finally started producing better lenses. And I finally jumped the ship and bought N7 on weekend.

I am really liking N7 handling and size, will be too bad if 10-18 did not perform well on it. From the reviews so far, lens seem to be good.
 

mbroomfield

New member
I think it's a fine lens, it does have some colour shift in the corners on the N7, not too difficult to get rid of though.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Jim, The FW update for NEX-7 appears to have made the 10-18 zoom behave better. Regardless, i would strongly encourage anyone and everyone to look at the NEX-6 in place of the 7. My 7 rarely gets used nowadays.
 

Lonnie Utah

New member
Jim, The FW update for NEX-7 appears to have made the 10-18 zoom behave better. Regardless, i would strongly encourage anyone and everyone to look at the NEX-6 in place of the 7. My 7 rarely gets used nowadays.
For those of us that still use sony/minolta flashes (and the associated wireless triggers), the "new" hotshoe on the 6 kills it for us. It's all about tradeoffs.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Sony sell an adapter for the old shoe mount. Though unsightly it does work.
 

AnselAndy

New member
I've had an SEL1018 for about six weeks, using it on a 5N, and I think it is a very high performance optic. I am surprised and very pleased by low levels of barrel distortion, and small amounts of vignetting and chromatic aberration. Resistance to flare and and internal reflections are very good too, especially for this type of lens. Sharpness is also surprising, there is slight softness in the extreme corners but it is satisfactorily sharp out to the edges. OSS is the frosting on the cake. Frankly, I wish the SEL1855 was as good as this lens. It's the best money I have spent since I bought my 5N!

 

philber

Member
Great pics, Mike! The night shot of the plane and that of the underground resevoir are wall-hanging stuff IMHO!
That said, I tried the 10-18 on my 7 and found it to be a very good -but not great- lens. I should say though, that I gave up on zooms years ago and shoot Leica and Zeiss primes on my 7, so I never hoped that the Sony zoom would reach that level. I am waiting for the Zeiss 12mm to see which way I will go. But the Sony zoom is light-years better than the 16mm pancake for example, and definitely good enough to produce great pics, as Mike ably shows.
 

mbroomfield

New member
Philippe, thanks. I agree that it's not ideally mated to the N7. On my last trip I used it exclusivley on a 5N and kept longer lenses on the N7.
 
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