I am so sick of carrying around three different prime lenses and missing the shot every single time I need to swap them out. Seriously I was at a wedding last weekend in Chicago and by the time I switched from my 35 to my 85 the couple had already moved on and I just got the back of their heads it was honestly so embarrassing. I have an A7IV and I love the sensor but the workflow is killing me and now I have this trip to Iceland coming up in like three weeks and there is no way in hell I am changing lenses in that wind and rain or whatever. I need one lens that can basically do everything but I am getting so much conflicting info online it is making my head hurt.
I did some digging and everyone keeps saying to just get the Sony 24-70mm GM II because it is the gold standard or whatever but that thing is like 2300 bucks and I am worried 70mm isnt actually long enough for what I need when I am out hiking. Then I saw people raving about the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 which sounds like a dream on paper but I went to a local shop to hold it and my god that thing is a literal brick. Its so heavy I feel like my wrist would snap after an hour of shooting a ceremony or a long trail. Plus I dont know if losing that 24mm wide end is gonna bite me in the ass when I am trying to do landscape stuff.
I have about 2000 dollars to spend maybe 2200 if I skip lunch for a month but I just need something that stays on the camera 90% of the time. My main priorities are:
- fast autofocus
- decent range for portraits and wide shots
- not weighing ten pounds
So I am stuck. Do I go for the overpriced Sony glass or the heavy Tamron or is there some secret third option like the Sigma 24-70 Art that I am overlooking? I know the Sigma is cheaper but I heard the dust sealing is kind of a joke compared to the Sony and if I am going to be in the middle of nowhere I cant have the lens failing on me. What is actually the best versatile zoom for these bodies that doesnt compromise too much on either end or am I just looking for a unicorn...
Just saw this. Be careful with third-party weather seals in Iceland. I would suggest you might want to consider:
- Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Its really safe and reliable tho.
Quick question, are you doing much low light shooting? If not, maybe consider Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. Just be careful with the weather sealing in Iceland tho.
Honestly you gotta look at the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II again because it really is the king for a reason! It weighs only 695g which is a massive reduction from the original and way lighter than that Tamron brick you mentioned. Those four XD linear motors are absolutely amazing for tracking focus... itll nail shots of a moving wedding couple or Icelandic puffins with zero hunting. If 70mm feels short just hit the Super 35 crop mode on your A7IV and you get a 105mm equivalent at 15 megapixels which is plenty for most prints. The MTF charts on this thing are basically a flat line... its that sharp. If the price is too high check out the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art. They completely redesigned it to be smaller and the weather sealing is way better than the mark I. It is a fantastic value option!
Bookmarked, thanks!
Been using this for years, no complaints
Man I just saw this and your situation is basically my life story! I am such a total spec geek and I love diving into the MTF charts and analyzing the linear motor drive speeds for the A7IV... it is literally a beast of a camera! But before I dive into the data, I gotta know one thing: are you planning on doing any long exposure stuff with filters in Iceland or just handheld run-and-gun for those puffins? Honestly this reminds me so much of my buddy Dave. He went on a kick where he refused to buy corporate lenses and tried to DIY a rig for his trip to the Faroe Islands. It was a whole ordeal:
- He used a vintage bellows system he found at a thrift store
- Tried to seal the gaps with literal plumbing caulk to handle the mist
- Carried a massive car battery in his backpack for a custom cooling fan he rigged up It was a glorious mess! He spent the whole trip fiddling with wires instead of taking photos. Iceland is gonna be so much fun tho, I am totally jealous!
Late to the thread but I have been shooting with Sony for a long time and definitely feel your pain on the lens weight. To add to the point above: you dont actually have to drop 2300 dollars to get top tier performance if you look at the newer third-party revisions that just hit the market.
- Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art: This is the brand new version, not the older one you were worried about. They fixed the dust sealing issues, made it way lighter, and added an aperture ring. It is basically 95% of the Sony GM II for about half the price. It would handle Iceland just fine.
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2: If weight is your main concern for the wedding side of things, this is the winner. It is super light and the G2 version has much faster autofocus than the original. It might feel a bit tight at 28mm for Iceland landscapes tho, so keep that in mind.
- Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G: This is a sleeper hit for travel. That 20mm wide end is a total game changer for hiking in places like Iceland where you want those massive vistas. Since you have an A7IV, the high ISO performance is good enough that f/4 isnt the dealbreaker it used to be for most shots. You could grab any of these and have over a grand left in your pocket for your trip. Honestly, sticking a massive brick on your camera just ruins the experience of traveling... go for something lighter that wont kill your wrist.
