Different versions of the SEL1855 kit lens?

[bruzzo]

Hi nice to have found this forum, found out a lot of hot news and discussions on the NEX system here!

Just wanted to ask and verify this. I have a 5N myself which I bought a few months ago. My friend has a C3 which he bought it last year not sure when. And recently he just switched to the Samsung NX system and so I bought his C3 as my secondary camera. But found out some differences between the two SEL1855 kit lens.

Not a big difference but the zoom grip on my lens looks more dense (spatial frequency) and his looks a little more sparse. And looks like the silver on the C3 SEL1855 kit lens is a little shinier than 5N's.

Have any of you noticed this difference? Is it due to different periods of production? Or are there actually different versions of the SEL1855 similar to the difference between a regular SEL1855 and NEX-7's black SEL1855?

Are there any differences in terms of optical performance? IQ? between them?

Thanks!

 

[Dioptrick]

Welcome bruzzo.

I would expect that not many of us here have had more than one SEL1855 to make any comparisons. Have a look at the bottom of your lenses and you will find a sticker with a serial number. Mine says 'Made in Thailand.' Perhaps one of your lenses was made in Japan or China. I believe they all have the same IQ.

Re: NEX 7 kit lens Made in Japan?: Sony NEX Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

[freddytto]

I have two, one of my nex5n and other from the nex 7, let do some comparisons and published the results ...

 

[Dioptrick]

I have two, one of my nex5n and other from the nex 7, let do some comparisons and published the results ...

I've heard that the black SEL1855 that comes with the NEX7 is made in Japan?...

 

[bruzzo]

Welcome bruzzo.

I would expect that not many of us here have had more than one SEL1855 to make any comparisons. Have a look at the bottom of your lenses and you will find a sticker with a serial number. Mine says 'Made in Thailand.' Perhaps one of your lenses was made in Japan or China. I believe they all have the same IQ.

Re: NEX 7 kit lens Made in Japan?: Sony NEX Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Ya I also thought of selling either one of them but then stumbled on this little difference and so am not sure which one to keep and which one to sell. Btw both are made in Thailand on the sticker.

 

[Dioptrick]

Ya I also thought of selling either one of them but then stumbled on this little difference and so am not sure which one to keep and which one to sell. Btw both are made in Thailand on the sticker.

Time to set up your tripod and make comparative tests I think - shoot at the extreme zoom settings and extreme aperture settings. Shoot a landscape area with infinity and also with long grassy foliage area as this is often the Achilles-heel of lens resolution.

A bit of pixel peeping might be in order, to be able to determine if one of the lenses IQ is better than the other...

 

[freddytto]

I've heard that the black SEL1855 that comes with the NEX7 is made in Japan?...

my kit of the nex 7 is from Thailand, like my nex5n

 

[freddytto]

Time to set up your tripod and make comparative tests I think - shoot at the extreme zoom settings and extreme aperture settings. Shoot a landscape area with infinity and also with long grassy foliage area as this is often the Achilles-heel of lens resolution.

A bit of pixel peeping might be in order, to be able to determine if one of the lenses IQ is better than the other...

this afternoon if I have time, I will take a few examples and I will compare the results ...

 

[bruzzo]

Sorry for the late post, thought of testing the two lenses outdoor with natural light but was having OTs all week long till late night and so took some indoor shots for reference. They are all hand held and so they might have different angles. This is my first time doing these tests feel free to ask for originals or do some different tests for better references. Oh and both are taken by the 5N not the C3.

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Left: C3 18-55mm kit lets
Right: 5N 18-55mm kit lets
Both made in Thailand. Look pretty much the same except the zoom grip on the C3 looks a little more sparse in terms of spatial frequency.

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This is the scene I am taking.

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100% crop
5N kit lens @ 18mm F3.5 1/100s ISO 1600

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100% crop
C3 kit lens @ 18mm F3.5 1/100s ISO 1600

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100% crop
5N kit lens @ 55mm F5.6 1/50s ISO 1600

 

[bruzzo]

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100% crop
C3 kit lens @ 55mm F5.6 1/50s ISO 1600

In my opinion the C3 18-55 looks a little maybe 0.5EV darker than the 5N cause for the 55mm photos at first I used A mode with the 5N kit lens and it metered the shutter with 1/50s. But with the C3 1/40s. Maybe it's just the focusing spot that made the difference and not the lens but hard to tell. I used Manual to shoot the 55mm photo with 1/50s for consistency.