Finally got an a6400 for my Zion trip next month and Im so hyped! I looked at the Sigma 16mm but its way too chunky for hiking and some people say the Samyang 12mm is great but the manual focus version seems like a pain. Is there anything under $350 with autofocus that isnt a brick?
Man, Zion is absolutely incredible, you're gonna have a blast. I've been shooting with Sony crops for ages and honestly, the struggle to find a wide lens that doesn't feel like a literal rock in your bag is real. In my experience, hiking up those trails with a heavy setup just ruins the vibe. I think there are a few newer options that hit the market recently that might fit your budget, but I'm not 100% sure if they stayed under that 350 mark lately. IIRC some of the newer compact primes from the third-party brands are:
- Surprisingly light for their size
- Built with decent autofocus motors
- Way easier to carry than those massive f1.4 options I've tried many lenses over the years and i think one company finally made an AF version of that manual wide prime everyone loves. Not sure but it might be worth checking if that version is actually small enough... pretty sure it is tho. Just check the newer releases from the brands you've already been looking at.
