It’s time Sony updated the 18-105mm f/4

I thought I’d put this out there: Sony should really consider updating the 18-105mm f/4 G OSS lens. It came out in 2013, back when Vine was still a thing and people thought 16GB of storage was plenty. Needless to say, it’s showing its age. A refreshed version would fit perfectly into Sony’s current APS-C lineup.

A lens that matches Sony’s APS-C direction

Lately, Sony’s APS-C efforts have been all about video creators. The ZV-E10, the 11mm f/1.8, the 15mm f/1.4, the 10-20mm PZ—all clearly made with vloggers in mind. Funny enough, the 18-105mm was also pitched as a video-first lens with its power zoom design. So really, it’s like the forgotten older sibling: it fits in with the family, but it hasn’t had a style update in ten years.

Time for modern features

The current version is stuck in 2013, and not in a nostalgic Polaroid-camera kind of way. Autofocus motors have gotten so much faster and quieter since then, and there’s no excuse for not having an AF/MF switch or a customizable button. Throw in a sturdier build and suddenly you’ve got a lens that feels like 2025, not like something you’d find in a clearance bin.

The problem with size and weight

Here’s the kicker: the lens weighs 427 grams and stretches 110 mm long. That’s not “pocketable” unless your pockets belong to a winter coat. Add a 72 mm filter thread, and suddenly you’re carrying something that feels more at home on a full-frame setup than an APS-C body. Sony could easily shrink it down: ditch the built-in stabilization (I know, it’s a painful thought for me as well) and make it travel-friendly. Imagine a lighter 18-105mm that doesn’t make your ZV-E10 look like it’s doing neck exercises.

Minimum focus distance needs work

Then there’s the close-up performance: 45 cm at 18mm and a whopping 95 cm at 105mm. That’s nearly a meter. At telephoto. Want to shoot a tight portrait? Better back up into the next room. A new version with a closer minimum focus distance would make a world of difference, finally letting this lens pull off more creative shots without requiring you to step halfway across the street.

Closing thought

The 18-105mm f/4 is a lens that had the right idea but has been left behind by time. Updating it would give Sony APS-C shooters a proper do-it-all option that doesn’t feel like a relic from the Vine era. Compact, sharp, modern, and maybe even capable of focusing on something less than a meter away.