FS5: Sony 18-110 epz vs 18-105

B

banicos

Member
Hi guys!

Off course 18-100mm has a lot of things that 18-105mm don't (eg: Push AF; better AF; Rings etc.)

But, in terms of Glass quality, is there any difference?

Many thanks!
 
Huge difference.

18-110 is a bit too expensive and large, and doesn't have a ton of character, but it's a quality lens.

Aside from its range and portability, I hate the 18-105 with every fiber of my being (mostly due to its horrible MANUAL focus). I consider it unusable in 4K for any serious work.
 
Thank you Bob! for the price of the 18-110 do you know any alternative? The 18-110 with FS5 it's quite big!
 
I do have the lens and I like it. I focus with the push focus button, almost never touch the ring.
I also have the Sigma 18-35 Art.

I think both lenses are OK, can't see a difference in image quality.

One problem in 4K is distortion, but that can be fixed in post.

But I would like to see a good comparison between both lenses too. Both Sony lenses have good reviews on bhphotovideo.
 
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I have owned the 18-105 and currently own the 18-110. There is no comparison other than they are both lenses. The former is a cheap stills lens repurposed for video by Sony. It makes a nice image but is almost impossible to focus manually. The 18-110 is a proper video lens with great manual controls yet it can be used in auto mode if you want to use it that way. Lovely color and very sharp even at f4. Its only short coming is that it is an f4 lens; as in slow by my standards. I also own the Sigma 18-35 which is fast but heavy and not as sharp as the Sony. I use(d) all these lenses on a FS5. The 18-110 rarely comes off the camera except if I need a faster and wider lens.
 
Didn't the FS5 MKI lack in-camera distortion and vignetting correction, leading the 18-105mm to "performed better" on DSLM cameras that have in-camera lens correction? I would never try to manually focus my 18-105, I will always swap it for a proper manual lens, even if the manual lens is slower and softer. I didn't set my expectations very high for the 18-105, as I got mine pretty cheap second hand, and regard it as a run-&-gun lens that's good enough to get the shot. I dislike that I lose my zoom setting every time I power down my camera, but that's probably an issue common to all Sony servo zooms.
 
the FS5.1 offers distortion and vignetting correction... but only in 1080... and not when you shoot raw... or S&Q... or some other stuff, I think.

If I'm rolling 4K, I go with the Sigma 18-35/50-150 pair most of the time, or Leica R primes. I also used a Speedboosted Sigma 24-105 Art (making a ~17-75/2.8) for a while before converting most of my FS5 shoots to A7RIV, for which I had the 24-70GM.

The main value of the 18-105 is effectively turning the FS5 into "camcorder mode" and getting all servo-zoomy for presentations, news live shots, and stuff like that. It also autofocuses OK for gimbal work (but has its issues).
 
jc01108 said:
I have owned the 18-105 and currently own the 18-110. There is no comparison other than they are both lenses. The former is a cheap stills lens repurposed for video by Sony. It makes a nice image but is almost impossible to focus manually. The 18-110 is a proper video lens with great manual controls yet it can be used in auto mode if you want to use it that way. Lovely color and very sharp even at f4. Its only short coming is that it is an f4 lens; as in slow by my standards. I also own the Sigma 18-35 which is fast but heavy and not as sharp as the Sony. I use(d) all these lenses on a FS5. The 18-110 rarely comes off the camera except if I need a faster and wider lens.
Click to expand...

I'm very surprised you find the Sigma 18-35 soft by comparison. My experience has been the opposite - 18-35 seemed sharper than the 18-110 - using the 18-35 Canon Mt with an MC-11 adapter - plus the bonus of 2+ f/stops of increased exposure and shallower depth of field.
 
I have both lenses. Remember to make sure that both are up to date with their firmware. The 18-105 manual focus whilst not 'very good' improved greatly with the latest firmware working on FS7. The 18-105 is small light compact lens and has its place. With the latest firmware it delivers fast AF on the A7III. The 18-110 is for the money a very competent performer. Very well worth having. I often use the the FS7 with the 18-110 and the A7III in crop mode with the 18-105 for B cam. Find a lot less rolling shutter in crop mode especially in UHD, With the 18-105 the A7III makes for a fairly compact lightweight package for tighter spots. The 18-105's IS combined with the A7's in body stabilization can give you very stable shots. Horses for courses that why I've ended up with both. BTW the 18-105 will give you distortion correction in 4K but only in Custom Mode not LOG on the S35 video cams. The 18-105 doesn't get longer as you zoom and works well if you need a smaller lens for gimbal use.

AbelCine's review of the 18-110mm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSJPHmN1Xrg

A reasonable idea of what can be achieved with an 18-105mm handheld can be seen in the first half of this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=rZz7MkOeOCc&feature=emb_logo

Chris Young
 
Consider the Tamron 28-75 if you don't need IS. It's manual focus is light years ahead of the 18-105 which is very difficult to manage IMO...
 
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