Ive been shooting with Nikon since the D90 days so Im not a newbie by any means but man these Z mount options are actually making my head spin right now. I just traded in my D850 and all my F-mount glass for a Z7II and a Z8 setup because I couldnt deal with the weight anymore but now I feel like Im starting from scratch. I have a massive landscape and street photography trip to Tokyo and then the Alps starting in exactly 12 days and I realized I dont have a single versatile zoom that actually covers what I need without swapping lenses every five minutes in the rain.

Ive got the 24-70mm f4 kit lens but it feels a bit meh for what Im trying to do and the f2.8 S version is just so heavy and expensive for a walk-around lens. I keep looking at the 24-120mm f4 S vs the 24-200mm and even that new 28-400mm but Im worried about losing that pro-level sharpness Im used to with my old gold-ring glass. I need something that can handle everything from wide architecture to decent zoom for mountain peaks.

• Budget: I can go up to maybe 1800 or 2000 dollars if its really worth it but obviously less is better since I already spent a fortune on the bodies.
• Weight: Needs to be manageable for 10-mile hike days.
• Quality: I need corner-to-corner sharpness because Im planning on some huge prints from this trip.
• Speed: f4 is okay but is it gonna kill me for blue hour shots without a tripod?

Im literally staring at my cart on BH right now trying to decide if the 24-120 is the one or if Im gonna regret not having more reach or a faster aperture. Has anyone compared these real-world on a high-res sensor like the Z7II or Z8? Im worried the 24-200 or the 28-400 will look soft once I get home and see them on the big monitor...