Ive been shooting with my A7III for about five years now, mostly sticking to my trusty 55mm f/1.8 prime because I love the sharpness, but honestly, swapping lenses in the middle of a street shoot is driving me insane lately. I have a trip to Japan coming up in like three weeks and I really dont want to be carrying a bag full of glass while navigating Tokyo trains, you know? I want something that can handle landscapes but also get those candid street shots without me looking like a total tourist with a massive white telephoto lens.
I rented a 24-70mm f/2.8 GM once and yeah, it was incredible, but that thing is a tank. My wrist was killing me by the end of the day. Ive been looking at the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 because of the weight and the price point, but then I see people raving about the Sigma 24-70mm DG DN II and now Im stuck in this spiral of reading endless reviews and pixel peeping. I have about 1200 bucks to spend and I just need one piece of gear that isnt going to make me hate my life after four hours of walking.
Is the extra range on the 24mm end of the Sigma actually worth the weight penalty compared to the Tamron, or should I just suck it up and deal with the extra few grams for the sake of the image quality? Im starting to panic a bit because I want to get this ordered before I leave so I have time to actually learn the glass. Does anyone have any real-world experience with these two for travel specifically or is there another sleeper option I totally missed?
Honestly, grab the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2. In my experience, the weight savings for Tokyo walking is worth way more than those few extra millimeters on the wide end.
Honestly, if you are hitting the streets in Tokyo, save your back. I have lugged around heavy glass for years and eventually you just stop bringing the camera out because it is a chore. The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 is really the sweet spot for travel weight. If you are worried about missing that 24mm range, just know that 24mm vs 28mm is a noticeable difference in tight spots, but you can always just take a quick panorama shot if you absolutely need the extra room. The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art is arguably sharper in lab tests, but in the real world, you are just gonna be annoyed by the bulk when you are trying to squeeze onto a packed subway train. If you really want a sleeper option that changes the game, look into the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G. It loses the f/2.8 aperture, but having that 20mm reach for architecture is a lifesaver in Japan and it weighs significantly less than the 24-70 zooms. You lose a stop of light, but with the A7III high ISO performance, it is barely an issue. Just stick to the Tamron if you need the f/2.8 for portraits, otherwise that 20mm range is a total blast for cityscapes.
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Been thinking about your post all day. My cousin went to Tokyo and packed so much gear he ended up just using his phone the whole time. Total disaster.