Hello, Im buying a NEX-VG20 camcorder body and Im looking for a suitable lens, I also wanted to have a zoom function so Im considering buying a 55-210mm E-Mount Lens, would this be fairly similar to the SEL18200 and be suitable for shooting in many situations not always from far away or would it be a overkill in zoom if I wanted to shoot without needing to zoom.

Other than that Im considering the Sony 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OSS Lens, its got some zoom functionality at least.

I don't want to spend over £300

You should think very carefully about what sort of shooting you will be doing.
The 55-210mm lens has absolutely no wider angle functionality.
The 55mm end of the lens will be equivalent to around 80mm on the VG 20- this is actually in the modest telephoto range.
If you will be doing something like wildlife programs (all tele) it could work.
IMO the 18-55mm E Sony would be a much more versatile, all around lens.
The 18-200mm, of course, is even more versatile, and also has Optical Image Stabilization built in- a very valuable feature if you do much hand-held shooting.
But, alas, it is a lot more expensive.
However- what is really expensive is to buy the wrong lens.
Try to check these parameters out at a camera store, etc. and see if you can get a real feel for what you need.
Good luck...

Hello, thanks for the reply. The 18-55 lens does actually have Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation, im not sure how good this is compared to thr SEL18200 lens but at least its something. According to a reseller the focal length when used on a APS-C sensor is 27-82.5

The 18-55 lens does actually have Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation,

That's good to know- I might be adding that lens later this year, hopefully on an NEX 7

Chris - another option might be the £209.23 Sony A mount Sigma 18-50 f2.8-4.5 with the £134.99 Sony LA-EA1 adapter. It is faster than the Sony 18-55 and has optical stabilization as well.

The lens and adapter together are a little higher than your £300 limit, but with the adapter, your lens choices are widened significantly.

If you can live without optical stabilization, the A mount Sigma 18-200 is only £179.74.

Hope this is helpful.

Cheers,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution (http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com)

I was considering that as a option myself as these E mount lens are really expensive, although without the LA-EA2 the lens only auto focuses on pressing the focus button on the camcorder.

Im going to go with the Sony 18-55mm lens for the time being but I was wondering, do I need a ND filter and what sort of mm filter would fit that lens.

IMO, to have full control over exposure- particularly aperture/DOF- you will need ND filters.
The need becomes most apparent in bright daylight situations.
There are a variety of ND solutions, including the Variable ND filter which is my personal favorite.