A new optical design that includes one aspherical element contributes to consistently high resolution from the image center right out to the edges throughout the zoom range, while two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements effectively suppress chromatic aberration.  Built-in optical image stabilization makes it easier to shoot blur-free images handheld.

Minimum focusing distance is just 0.45 m (1.48 ft) (0.29x max. magnification), making it easy to shoot close-ups of sweets, flowers, and wildlife that combine sharp in-focus subjects with beautiful background bokeh. Bokeh quality is enhanced by a circular aperture design.

A precision linear motor powers the lens’s AF system, for fast, precise, quiet operation that is ideally suited for movies as well as stills.