The long and short of it is that this Sony kit lens sucks, which is a pity, because the new Alpha A300 and A350 are such magnificent DSLR cameras. If I were to buy a DSLR now as an entry-level photographer, I would first consider the A300 at the top of my list because of its outstanding features – 10 megapixels, image stabilization and that wonderful implementation of Live View on its tilting 2.7-inch LCD. But if the kit lens sucks, and I have to spend some more for a decent lens then I’ll just have to look elsewhere for an entry-level camera with a good kit lens that will allow me to take good pictures right out of the box.
DPReview.com examined the Sony kit lens, which essentially is a re-branding of the old Konica Minolta AF DT ZOOM 18-70mm F3.5-5.6(D), and what they found out is a bit of a disappointment: there’s chromatic aberration from 18-35mm, soft corners at most focal lengths and apertures and a poor manual focus ring.
“So the 18-70mm finds itself in a slightly uncomfortable position, as an aging design with insufficient resolution for the latest cameras. It simply can’t match the optical quality of the other manufacturers’ kit lenses, and has become the limiting factor in overall image quality when paired with Sony’s new DLSRs,†Andy Westlake wrote.
[Via: DPReview.com]