Ive been staring at my computer screen for like three hours and honestly my head is spinning. I just picked up a used Sony a6400 because everyone said it was the best starter mirrorless but nobody told me the lenses were going to cost more than the freaking camera body itself. I have a trip to the Grand Canyon coming up in three weeks and then my kids soccer season starts right after that and I really need a decent zoom lens that isnt going to break the bank. My budget is super tight like maybe $450 absolute max and that is pushing it.

I did some digging and I keep seeing the Sony 18-105mm f4 recommended everywhere as the go-to budget pick but then I go on Reddit and everyone says the image quality is soft or that the power zoom is annoying for stills. Then I saw people swearing by the Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 but that thing is like $700 new and even used it is way out of my price range right now. Its so frustrating because every top 10 budget lenses list I find has stuff that costs a thousand dollars which is NOT a budget price for a normal person.

I just want something versatile. I need enough reach to see my kid on the field but wide enough that I can take a decent landscape photo without switching lenses every five minutes while I am hiking. I am also totally confused about whether I should be looking at full frame lenses just in case I upgrade later or if that is just a waste of money right now because of the crop factor. It feels like every time I find a lens I like I find a review saying the autofocus is trash or it has terrible chromatic aberration or whatever.

Does anyone actually have experience with the cheap zooms that arent total garbage? Like what are the actual top rated budget zoom lenses for Sony E-mount that a regular person can actually afford? I need something that actually works for sports and travel...