become loose in time and you will superb full aperture sharpness. The
regret not having the zoom lock! other two lenses really need stopping
The SAL 18-250mm ƒ3.5-6.3 down one stop from wide open to
DT and the SAL 16-105mm ƒ3.5-5.6 clean up the image; the CZ does not.
DT both sell for around the same It can achieve quality results at one to
street price of £399. They are very two stops wider aperture than either.
different lenses, and here your Having said that, by the time you
decision is most difficult. Finding stop any of these lenses down to ƒ11,
an 18-250mm bundled at a lower there will not be much between them.
true cost is harder than finding a I’d say the CZ has a more luminous
16-105mm, which is now offered image with higher fine detail contrast.
with various bodies and may add That’s the Zeiss T* coating at work.
less than £300 to the combination. Neither the 16-105mm nor
The 18-250mm is very sharp 16-80mm has a zoom lock. They don’t
between its wide angle end and need it. The 16-105mm feels para-
he mid-100s, and it has a slightly doxically to be a better quality lens
faster maximum aperture across than the CZ. It is heavier, more solid
the 18-105mm range which and firm yet smooth in zoom opera-
coincides with the other lens. tion, and the double extension barrel
See our table of aperture change is rigid. The construction seems to
points to understand this. be the same mix of metal and plastic
It has just as good a geometry (all the exterior being plastic) and
and does not suffer from quite such the finish uses the same Sony fine
a sharp falloff in corner sharp- ribbed grips which pick up dust and
ness as the 16-105mm, and it can mark so easily they look second hand
do far better close-ups because within five minutes of leaving the box.
of the 250mm reach. It has that Remember, our CZ 16-80mm
vital zoom lock at 18mm. was the third one received. Our first
The 16-105mm has a slightly one had loose internal mechanisms
crisper central image and a signifi- and the image jumped when zoomed
cant wide-angle benefit (2mm counts or focused, as did one further
for a lot – it is about the same as the sample. Quality control on the CZ
difference between a 24mm and a has been criticised because superb
28mm on full frame). At no point in optics appear to have been put
its range does it suffer from as much into a badly designed mount. The
edge sharpness loss or chromatic 16-105mm, a later design, has none
aberration as the 18-250mm does of the QC issues and although it’s
progressively from 150mm to 250mm. a much slower lens aperture-wise
This means it counts as a better and lacks the bite of the Zeiss glass
lens optically. But – it doesn’t have and coating, it is a safe buy.
this range! If you restrict the Finally, all these more advanced
18-250mm to 18-105mm, it’s probably kit options (18-200mm, 18-250mm,
a ‘better lens’ than the 16-105mm. 16-80mm, 16-105mm) use 62mm
We have bought the 16-105mm to filters. This makes them excel-
become familiar with it, but with lent companion lenses to the new
an 18-250mm around it is almost 70-300mm ƒ4-5.6 G SSM tele zoom,
redundant before starting. which also uses 62mm; the same
This brings us to the final kit goes for the budget but good quality
lens – the ultimate in quality, the Sony Tamron 70-300mm ƒ4-5.6 LD Di
Carl Zeiss 16-80mm ƒ3.5-4.5. This Tele Macro. A polariser is the most
costs £100 more than the last two obvious filter to share across your
lenses. It has the wide-angle range lens range, and it must be a wide
of the 16-105mm, and was launched angle or ultra slim type to avoid
earlier. The long end is not ambitious, cutting off corners on the 18mm
but the maximum aperture figure or 16mm wide-angle settings.
is important. It is between 1/3rd
and 2/3rds of a stop faster than the
Summary
16-105mm in the range 18-80mm,
and the same amount faster than the If you want zoom range in a single
18-250mm in the 50-80mm zone. lens, with very good quality from
This extra viewfinder brightness 18mm to 150mm and more than
and low light capability is helped by acceptable results up to 250mm if
not matching a dedicated tele-zoom,
The 18-250mm is an extremely useful the Sony SAL 18-250mm is your best
travel lens. Here are three pictures by choice. No matter what deals are
Shirley Kilpatrick taken on the same offered, it is a far better lens than the
day. Top, 18mm and depth of field for 18-200mm and has the zoom lock.
the burro and rock; centre, crop from If you want a semblance of low
a close-up at 250mm; bottom, wide light capability and sharp images at
open at 150mm for almond blosssom all settings, the Carl Zeiss 16-80mm
and a landmark pinnacle. offers real advantages. It is not just
25 photoworld
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