Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE Review (2024)

Sony sells its 18-200mm all-in-one zoom lens in three versions. The least expensive, the E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE ($849.99), offers the same optics as its pricier siblings in a slightly slimmer housing. The stabilization system isn't quite as good as the the non-LE version of the lens for video, but photographers won't be able to tell the difference. It's an attractive option for anyone who wants a single zoom lens solution for a Sony camera, but you'll enjoy better overall image quality, and spend less, if you go with our Editors' Choice E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS instead.

All-In-One Zoom

The E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE is an update to the industrial design, not the optics, for the earlier E 18-200mm that remains in market. It does make one sacrifice for a smaller, lighter build, dropping the Active Shot video stabilization feature. If you're primarily a videographer, you'll want to think about the standard version or the Power Zoom variation, but photographers will be happy with the stabilization provided by the OSS LE.

The lens is finished in black, with a lightweight aluminum outer barrel. It comes in at 3.8 by 2.7 inches (HD) and 16.2 ounces, a little smaller and lighter than the earlier silver-and-black version. Its front element is the same size, but since the barrel is a little smaller it supports 62mm filters rather than those that use a 67mm thread size.

Sony doesn't include dust and splash protection, reserving that feature for its premium G series and full-frame FE lines. Basic protection, in the form of front and rear lens caps, as well as a petal-style lens hood, are included though.

Dual control rings, both rubberized with raised ridges, adjust the zoom setting and manual focus; autofocus is available too. The lens is able to focus as close as 11.8 inches, good enough for 1:2.9 life-size reproduction. Sony doesn't bill this one as a macro zoom, but it qualifies.

The zoom can be locked at 18mm, useful to keep gravity from pulling it out when the camera is hanging from a strap. The barrel is marked at the 18, 35, 50, 70, 100, and 200mm positions.

In the Lab

We ran formal lab tests with the power zoom variation of the 18-200mm, the a6400 body, and Imatest software.

Despite covering a big zoom range, its optical performance is quite good. At 18mm f/3.5, its resolution is outstanding, close to 3,000 lines. Edges fall behind the center, but they're still solidly in the very good range (2,300 lines).

See How We Test Digital Cameras

Average resolution doesn't change much at f/5.6 and f/8, but we do see a big jump in edge clarity at the latter setting. It's the one you'll want to use for the most detail in landscape shots. There's a slight drop in contrast at f/11 and f/16, but both settings are very usable. You may want to stop to down all the way to f/22 to get the best-looking sunstars from the lens, and while optical diffraction does soften details, they're not completely blurred (1,710 lines).

We see very similar results at the 50mm position, where f/5 is the brightest aperture available. There's a slight drop in wide-open contrast at 100mm f/5.6, but it's still very good (2,380 lines). It's excellent at f/8 (2,700 lines) and outstanding at f/11 (2,992 lines). We see the expected loss of resolution at f/16 (2,600 lines) and f/22 (1,735 lines), and you should take care not to stop down all the way to f/36 (800 lines) if you want decent results.

It's at 200mm where resolution loss is more apparent. The lens opens to f/6.3 and nets images that deliver detail that's just-okay for the a6400 (1,963 lines). Results are in our good range at f/8 (2,175 lines) and enter excellent territory at f/11 (2,450 lines). It falls off at smaller settings, as is expected.

If you leave in-camera corrections turned on, or apply Raw correction profiles when processing images, you won't have to worry about distortion. But if you turn them off you'll see a bit of barrel distortion at 18mm, and the pincushion effect when zoomed in. Neither is overwhelming, especially when you consider the long focal range.

The Best of the Bunch

Of the three versions of the Sony 18-200mm on sale, the E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE is crowd-pleaser. It's less expensive, smaller and lighter, and simply looks better on your camera than the first version, and it isn't a niche tool for video like the E PZ 18-200mm.

It's a good performer, though it loses a little when zoomed all the way in, both in terms of resolution and light-gathering capability. In-camera corrections straighten out distortion automatically, and, as long as you're working in daylight, you can shoot with this lens all day and never have to change it out for a telephoto shot.

This is one for photographers who really want that all-in-one reach, though. Our favorite starter zoom for the Sony system, the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, is $200 less, smaller and lighter, and offers a bit better clarity throughout the range.