Why is the right side of my Sony 18-200mm much blurrier than the left on an a6000?
Asked 8/28/2019
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I’m using a Sony a6000 and replaced the kit lens with a Sony 18-200mm zoom. With the 18-200mm, the right side—especially the lower-right corner—looks much blurrier than the left, most noticeably at wider focal lengths. I cleaned both the lens and sensor, and the kit lens does not show the same uneven blur.
I compared images at the same settings (f/5.6, 32mm, ISO 100). Reviews suggest f/5.6 should be reasonable in this range, but the 18-200mm still shows a much softer right side. I also tried another copy of the same lens, and that one looked significantly better.
Is this likely to be a lens defect, normal superzoom softness, or something related to the camera body/sensor?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
3
More like the bottom right corner. On the top picture, the antenna mast at top is reasonably sharp, while people under it at the bottom are already blurry.
Likely a lens problem. Get a newspaper, tape it on a wall, and take pictures to remove all other possible sources if blurriness. If the lens is stabilized, try with stabilization on and off.
If problem remains visible send the lens to service, with the pictures.
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This points much more to the lens than the camera body or sensor.
Some corner softness is normal with an 18-200mm superzoom, especially toward the wide end. These lenses trade image quality for convenience, so corners will usually be softer than the center.
However, strongly uneven sharpness from one side/corner to the other is not typical. The pattern you describe—especially the lower-right being much worse—suggests a lens issue such as element tilt or a bad sample, rather than a sensor problem. Your comparison with another copy of the same lens supports that.
To confirm, photograph a flat subject like a newspaper or brick wall, square-on, using a tripod if possible. Try stabilization both on and off. If the right side remains much softer than the left under controlled conditions, the lens should be exchanged or serviced.
So: mild corner softness is normal; severe one-sided blur is not.
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