The Sony DT 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 zoom is the basic, least expensive "kit lens" offered by Sony, and replaces the Sony 18-70mm F/3.5-5.6, which is a Minolta designed lens. It'll cost you between $50-$100 extra in the kit, or $199 by itself. Build quality is rather cheap, but totally adequate for the intended purpose, an that's for use by people just getting started in DSLR photography and don't need focus scales, or non-rotating focus rings etc.

Optically, this lens is better in nearly every way than its predecessor. Feel free to use the lens at any aperture, and zoom length and don't worry about sharpness or color fringing. If you shoot at or near 55mm, one stop down will produce the sharpest shots. Macro shots are much larger and sharper than on the old lens. Optically, Sony really did a good job re-designing their new "DT" kit lens. I think it will easily match up to the Canon and Nikon in optical performance. Do you wonder why I keep mentioning the word "optical"? Read on.

Auto-focusing performance is about the same as the old 18-70mm F/3.5-5.6. That means the highly touted "SAM" or "smooth autofocus motor" is no better than the screw drive system in the old lens. Here's my opinion; the "SAM" was designed solely by Sony marketing people in a misguided attempt to try and keep pace with Nikon and Canon silent-wave and ultrasonic focusing systems etc. Unfortunately, the "smooth autofocus motor" is just as loud (if not louder) than the screw drive system, and the "smooth" part is no smoother, there's just as much "hunting and "jerking" in low light as the old lens. Focusing accuracy is about the same, using wide or spot. Bottom line; my Canon digital rebel from 2003 has a kit lens that's much smoother, and quieter, with more accurate focusing (in low light) than the new Sony 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 lens. Sony decided to go cheap, and not utilize the proven, and excellent SSM focusing system. Sony is gambling that potential customers (and current users) won't notice stuff like this. I think they may be wrong. Hopefully a refined version is already in the works, with true SSM, plus, make the focus ring de-couple when using the thumb AF/MF button, (or DMF) instead of having to manually switch the lens button to "MF" to disengage (de-couple) the focus ring.

Don't fret too much folks. The lens is good, and the focusing is as good as the old lens. Sony did a nice job optically, the SAM just needs major improvements.