So Ive been shooting with my D7500 for like four years now and I thought I had my kit dialed in but my 18-140mm just started throwing this weird fEE error and the autofocus is hunting like crazy even in broad daylight. Super annoying because I have a trip to Glacier National Park in less than three weeks and I really dont want to be stuck swapping primes the whole time while trying to catch shots of bears or whatever. I tried cleaning the contacts with some iso but it still feels clunky and the barrel creep is getting out of control.

Im honestly just done with this lens and looking for something better. I know some people say just go full frame but I like my DX body for the reach and Im not ready to drop 3k on a new system right now. Looking for a high quality zoom that wont break the bank but also isnt another cheap plastic kit lens. My budget is around 800 bucks tops and I need something that stays sharp at the long end because thats where I usually live.

Is the Sigma 18-35 still the king or should I be looking at the Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4? Or maybe something even longer? What are you guys actually using on your crop bodies these days that doesnt feel like a toy...