I finally pulled the trigger on the S5II after saving up for months but man the lens situation for L-mount is making my head spin and Im honestly getting a bit annoyed with all the conflicting reviews. I'm going to be traveling through Japan for three weeks starting next month and I really dont want to be swapping primes every five minutes while my wife stands around waiting for me. I need one lens that can just stay on the camera 90% of the time for both video and photos.
I've spent hours on YouTube and everyone keeps saying the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art is the gold standard but it looks massive and I'm worried about the weight for all-day walking. Then there's the 28-70mm Contemporary which is lighter but some people say the build quality is meh and it's not wide enough for vlogging. I also have the 20-60mm kit lens that came with the body and while the 20mm is great for talking to the camera the reach is just pathetic once I'm trying to get a shot of something across the street and the aperture is so slow in low light.
My budget is around $1200-ish and I'm looking for that sweet spot of portability and image quality. I keep seeing people mention the Panasonic 24-105mm f4 too but is f4 actually enough for night shots in Tokyo or am I gonna regret not having a 2.8? It's got the OIS which is nice but the S5II IBIS is already crazy good so idk if I even need that. I just want something that covers the basics without breaking my back or my bank account.
- Sigma 24-70mm (too heavy?)
- Sigma 28-70mm (not wide enough?)
- Panasonic 24-105mm (too slow?)
So what do you guys actually use as a daily driver for this thing? Is there a holy grail zoom for this system that I'm missing or am I just stuck choosing between a heavy brick or a dark kit lens?
I've been shooting with the S5II for about a year now and settled on the Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S. as my primary travel lens. It works well for exactly the scenarios you're describing and honestly, the technical specs back up why it's the right choice over the f2.8 zooms for a trip like this. Heres why the technical trade-offs actually favor this lens for Japan:
- Low light performance: People obsess over f2.8, but the Panasonic Lumix S5II has a dual native ISO sensor. When it gets dark in Shinjuku, you just jump to the 4000 ISO circuit. I've found that f4 at ISO 4000 is remarkably clean on this body, so the slower aperture is rarely a dealbreaker for night street photography.
- Stability: Even though the IBIS is great, the Dual I.S. 2 you get when pairing this lens with the body is next level. It adds that extra stop or two of compensation which is vital when you're zoomed in at 105mm trying to capture a detail on a temple.
- Versatility: The 0.5x macro capability is basically a hidden feature. You're gonna be eating a lot of incredible food in Japan, and being able to get close-up shots of ramen or sushi without switching lenses is a huge win.
- Optics: Its sharp across the frame. While the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art is technically faster, it weighs about 835g compared to the 680g of the Panasonic. That weight difference really starts to hurt after walking 20k steps a day in Tokyo. I have no complaints with the f4. Its a solid piece of glass that balances perfectly on the camera body without being a brick.
Japan is gonna be incredible! I did a similar trip with my S5II and was super paranoid about my gear being too heavy or not fast enough for street photography. If the original Sigma Art feels like a brick, you seriously need to check out the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN II Art. It literally just came out and they fixed the weight issue! Its way smaller and honestly feels like the perfect middle ground for the S5II body. Heres why I love it:
- Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN II Art: Significantly lighter than the V1 and the weather sealing is top notch for peace of mind when it rains.
- Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary: If you really want to save your back, this thing is tiny, tho you lose that 4mm on the wide end for vlogging. I personally wouldnt go with an f4 lens for Shinjuku at night. f2.8 is just way more reliable when the sun goes down and you want to keep your ISO clean. Plus the new Art II has a dedicated aperture ring which is fantastic for those video clips!
