For your situation, I’d grab the Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary (L-Mount). Usually lands ~$800–$900, it’s sharp, focuses fast on the S5 II, and it’s legit smaller/lighter than a 24–70/2.8. 28mm is “wide enough” for travel/street imo, and 70mm f/2.8 does casual portraits fine. If you want more reach: Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art (L-Mount)… but yeah, chunkier.

> “one solid do-everything” L-mount lens… decent low-light… not huge/heavy Saw this earlier—quick Q: do you *need* 24mm wide, or is 28mm fine for ur travel/street? If 28’s OK, Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary (L-Mount) is the best value imo. If you want wider + nicer build, Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 24-70mm F2.8 (L-Mount) is great but heavier/pricier used. For light+low-light, Panasonic LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 (L-Mount) is cheap, but ya lose bokeh/ISO.

Ok so—when I got my S5 II, I grabbed a midrange Panasonic zoom and honestly it taught me fast that 24–70-ish + f/2.8-ish is the sweet spot: usable low-light, decent bokeh, not TOO chunky.

^ This. Also, jumping in here because I'm so stoked for you! The Panasonic LUMIX S5 II is an amazing piece of gear and you're gonna have a total blast with it. I'm gonna go against the grain a little bit though... I know everyone is pointing you toward those f/2.8 zooms, but I honestly wonder if that's the best route if you're really worried about a heavy setup for travel. Are you mostly shooting during the day, or is that low-light performance for nighttime street stuff a total dealbreaker for you? Also, are you planning on doing any serious video work with this, or are you strictly a stills person? Cant wait to hear more about your style so we can help you find the perfect fit!

I really wanted to love the Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S. as my do-it-all lens, but unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed after owning it for a year. That f/4 aperture just isnt as good as I expected for low-light street stuff, and the bokeh felt a bit clinical for portraits. If I were you, I'd honestly skip the f/4 zooms and grab the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art (L-Mount). It's right at the top of your $1,200 budget but:

• It's way lighter than the first version.
• The f/2.8 makes a massive difference for evening travel shots.
• The build quality is actually nice to use daily. Tbh, i spent months wishing I had just bought a faster zoom from the start. The S5 II handles these Sigma lenses so well now... it's definitely the way to go if you want one lens to rule them all. Just dont make the mistake of settling for f/4 if you plan on shooting when the sun starts going down.

Following

bump

Saving this thread

Saved for later, ty!

Nice, didn't know that

.

Interested in this too