> I'm worried a big zoom is gonna be too heavy for walking 10 miles a day. Your intuition about the weight is spot on. If you're doing 10 miles a day in Shinjuku or Shibuya, even a mid-sized zoom like the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 starts feeling like a massive brick after hour four. I would suggest you be very careful about committing to a zoom if mobility is a priority for this trip. The extra weight really wears on your neck and shoulders by day three and it can really kill the mood. For Tokyo street photography and food, a fast prime is almost always the better play. You might want to consider the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 because the linear motors and autofocus reliability are significantly better than the cheaper third-party alternatives. I've seen too many people miss shots in those dim Golden Gai alleys because a budget lens was hunting for focus. The 35mm focal length is basically the sweet spot for Japan. A 24mm often distorts food too much and a 50mm usually forces you to stand up from your tiny restaurant table just to get the plate in the frame. If the Sony is too expensive, the Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE is a solid value choice, but make sure to test your copy for decentering immediately after it arrives. Quality control can be hit or miss with the cheaper brands. Honestly, sticking to one high-quality prime for your first trip is a much smarter move than carrying a bag of lenses you wont want to swap out anyway.

I just saw this thread and felt like I should chime in because I've gone down the cheap prime rabbit hole more times than I care to admit. To be honest, I had some pretty annoying issues with the early Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE lenses. The build quality was unfortunately not as good as expected for a serious travel lens, and I actually had a copy fail on me mid-trip due to AF motor jitters. It's beyond frustrating when you're trying to capture a street shot in a place like Golden Gai and the lens just hunts back and forth. Just bad. If you're looking for technical reliability, I found that stepping up slightly in price saved me a lot of headache in the long run. For street and food, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is significantly better regarding weather sealing and focus speed than the bottom-tier options. It's tiny. Lightweight too. It actually keeps up with the A7III's eye-AF system without glitching out. I've used it in heavy rain in Osaka and it didnt skip a beat. Quick tips for Tokyo:

• Check the minimum focus distance for food shots; some budget primes have terrible MFD, forcing you to stand up in a tiny, cramped cafe just to frame a plate.
• Update your lens firmware immediately if you buy third-party glass to avoid focus drops during video or bursts. Honestly, I'd skip the ultra-cheap plastic stuff. Having a lens die in Japan is a total mood killer. Buying a replacement there can be pricey if you arent careful... anyway, sticking to one reliable prime is usually better than three mediocre ones.

Yeah those Samyangs are unfortunately hit or miss. Had focus issues myself. Quick tip: snag a Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 used instead. Its way more reliable and worth the extra cash.

Saw this thread earlier today and wanted to weigh in from a reliability standpoint. I once brought a cheap third party lens to Kyoto and it literally fell apart in my hands after a week of humidity and constant walking. The mount screws actually came loose and I had to fix it with a tiny screwdriver in my hotel room. Since then, I stick to the G series or higher end Sony glass for travel just for the peace of mind. If you want something that will actually survive 10 miles of walking every day without breaking your back or your heart, here is what I recommend checking out:

• Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G is basically built like a tank but weighs nothing. It fits your budget used and is weather sealed.
• Check out SonyAlphaBlog for their lens ranking charts. Marc over there does a great job testing everything on high res sensors so you know what you are getting.
• Look at MPB or KEH for used gear instead of eBay so you get a real warranty. The 40mm focal length is a sweet spot for Tokyo because it is wide enough for the narrow alleys but doesnt distort food shots like a 24mm or 28mm might. Its definitely worth the extra cash over the Samyang just for the build quality. Nothing ruins a trip like a lens that wont talk to the camera body halfway through the week.

Wait really?? Thats actually super helpful. I always thought it was the other way around.

I am totally with David and Grolsnoz on this one. You really gotta be careful with those ultra-cheap third-party primes. While they look great on paper for the price, the AF motors in the Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE can be pretty sluggish and loud. When you are trying to grab a quick street shot in Shibuya, that split second of hunting will drive you nuts. I would suggest looking at the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 or even the Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G if you can find a good deal on a used one. The 40mm G is basically a tiny pancake but the build quality and weather sealing are miles ahead of the budget Samyang stuff. Tokyo can get pretty rainy, so having a lens that wont die from a few drops is a big deal. Coming from Canon, you will find that Sony native glass just handles the AF tracking way more reliably than the cheaper brands. Stick to one solid native prime for your first trip... itll save you the headache of carrying around glass that might fail you halfway thru Shinjuku.