bfitzgerald wrote:The 18-135mm is an extended lens design, closed it's about the same size as the Tamron 17-50mm
Adding the adapter to the 17-50, it's about the same size on my camera as the 18-105G.
I'm not sure why anyone would be dumb enough to make a non compact lens for a compact system camera, but evidently Sony did (yes we get the reason for that on a 70-200mm lens internal zooming) it makes a lot less sense on this type of lens though.
With an ILC, you don't see the advantage to being able to put on different lenses? Why be artificially restricted to only have compact lenses? You can decide before you go out what sort of lens would be best for that use. There are times where the 18-105 is going to be an advantage, and still more compact than using a DSLR with something similar. Or for travel, I can just carry a couple of pancake lenses. I love the flexibility. At any rate, there is choice.
Nothing wrong with the idea of an 18-105mm f4 (good range handy speed). I expect a bit more filter size due to the increased speed. Also no mechanical linked focus or zooming fine for video not so hot for stills then again that distortion esp at the tele end could cause no end of problems for video users..
What do you mean that video has distortion? It's all corrected, whether it's video or stills, before you see it. The power zoom does work better for video, but using the zoom ring for stills is very natural, and not really different than a mechanical zoom, except for the smoothed motion.
This is why I've not been interested in E mount much, it doesn't really know what it is or what it's trying to be, stuck in a no mans land between the idea of a compact system camera, without the range of lenses to support that concept.
What lenses are you missing? Is there a specific lens that, if Sony made it for the native e-mount (even though you could always use your a-mount lenses with an adapter) that would allow you to buy into e-mount? Or just that you need the security of a complete system, just in case? I think for many pros, they need that security, and they probably should be using Canikon. For most of us, there's a huge range of lenses.
For primes, there's at least 12mm, 16mm, 19mm, 20mm, 24mm, 30mm, 32mm, 35mm, 50mm, 60mm just for the "old" APS-C format, and from Sony, Sigma, Ziess, Samyang, etc. Zooms range from wide end to tele, although if you want higher-end tele, your best bet is to use a-mount w/adapter. There are enough lenses that you can have several and decide on each outing which to take. You're not forced to use just the kit lens. Of course, if you like none of the lenses or prefer a different brand, then follow your desires, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a compact system and it doesn't mean that it isn't a useful ILC system for others.
The reason the Canon 24-105mm f4 is so big is partly down to Canon's big lens design, and shoving an internal AF motor in there (one reason) AND having IS in the lens with all that lumped together = big lens. If the 18-135mm was screw driven it would probably be even smaller, but it is far from a big lens by any stretch of the imagination it's smaller than the equivalent Canon lens too.
And yet the point remains that if you use a DSLR, it's likely that the lenses will also be larger, not just the body. And using the 18-105G on the Nex doesn't turn the Nex into a DSLR-size behemoth.
If your main use of a camera is with large tele lenses, I wouldn't see a need for a compact camera.
What I think your problem is, is that you're invested in a-mount, and see the affordable options, particularly with used lenses, and moving to another system seems like a bad deal. You like the mechanical zoom, so power zoom must be a fault, not a feature. OVF is superior to EVF, even though OVFs are often small and not really as good until you get to the expensive high-end cameras. That's fine, just continue to use your existing system. You seem surprised, though, that others would see value in the new system.
I think this is an example of the business tactic of disruption. Maybe not the best example, but an example. You have users of the traditional equipment who will scoff at the inferior newcomers. "Can't everyone see how inferior they are?" Meanwhile, they compete in price and features, and possibly replace the old guard. This is what underlies the anxiety -- the fear that in the future, the old format will lose out to the new one. In this case, Sony will be blamed, but it will have been the market that has spoken.