This little consumer zoom deserves at least a few stars. My LN sample off eBay is pretty capable once you find the focal length and aperture sweet spots. Focus is swift but a bit dodgy at 200mm if you use Wide AF – I go to Spot AF for better accuracy when mounting this glass on my a65.
Optimum IQ tends to favor one stop down and up to f11 before diffraction sets in from 55mm to 135mm. The 200mm end is flaky but I just back off a tad to ~180mm and it behaves between f5.6 and f8 fairly well. Optical aberrations are minimal, color is good, and lens distortion cleans up a well in LR.
Bokeh is a skill, not just an optical property. The distance relationship between subject and background, along with how much detail is behind your subject, is what creates nice or nasty bokeh. I can create good bokeh with my feet and any lens if I work at it. The same goes for closeup images. Combining focal length, selective DOF with an ideal distance to the subject is what creates those great shots, not just a long or short focal length.
Summary
Worth the $60 I have invested as a super light street zoom to go with the equally capable 18-55 kit zoom. Just gotta know how to short with ’em!