I just got this Sony a6400 because everyone said it was the best for travel but honestly I am so frustrated right now looking at lenses. I have no idea what any of these numbers mean like what is a 24-70 vs a 16-55 and why are some so expensive?? I spent most of my savings on the camera body and now I realize I cant even take a picture without a lens which sounds so stupid but I really didnt know. Im going to Tokyo in three weeks and I just want one thing I can keep on the camera the whole time. I dont want to carry a bag of glass around or be switching things out every five minutes while im trying to eat ramen.
My budget is pretty tight maybe 400 or 500 dollars tops if I push it. I looked online and there are like a thousand options and people are arguing about sharpness and aperture and I dont even know what those words mean half the time. I just want my photos to look better than my iPhone 13. Is there just like one do everything lens that isnt gonna break my bank account or my back?
Building on the earlier suggestion, I tried that 18-135mm but unfortunately it wasnt as good as expected in dim restaurants. The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is way more reliable tho...
I'm super satisfied with Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS. It has better zoom than the Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS, tho the kit lens is definitely a bit lighter.
Just caught this thread today. Since you are on a tight budget, I would suggest being careful with buying brand new gear right before your trip. You might want to consider looking for a used Sony E 18-105mm f/4 G OSS instead. It is a very reliable way to learn because the constant f/4 aperture keeps your light levels consistent while you are zooming in and out. Make sure to check the electronic zoom toggle to ensure it feels right for you since some people find it a bit different than a manual ring. Tokyo is gonna be incredible. I remember getting totally lost in Akihabara for like four hours just looking at retro gaming consoles. I actually ended up buying a bunch of old Game Boy games I cant even read just because the box art looked cool... anyway. But yeah, buying used is basically the best way to get a higher-end lens within that 500 dollar limit.
Re: "Just caught this thread today. Since you are..."
- Honestly, looking back at when I started, I was in the exact same boat. I spent way too many hours looking at MTF charts and worrying about chromatic aberration data. I eventually picked up a used zoom that became my absolute workhorse for every trip I took. It wasnt the most expensive thing in the world, but the weather sealing and the way the zoom felt just gave me so much peace of mind. I took it through some pretty rainy days in Kyoto and it never skipped a beat. Being able to rely on my gear without second-guessing it made my photography way better because I was actually focused on the composition instead of the settings. Im still incredibly satisfied with it years later... it just works. TL;DR: Go for something with solid build quality. Reliability beats technical perfection every single time when you are traveling.
Re: "Re: "Just caught this thread today. Since you..." - " Gavingaf is right, sticking to a used zoom is the most logical way to stay under that 500 dollar limit while still getting something better than a phone. I have found that first-party Sony glass usually plays nicer with the a6400 autofocus, but third-party brands often give you more features for the money at that price point. To figure out which direction you should go, I need to know a couple things:
- Are you mostly gonna be shooting during the day, or do you want to take a lot of photos in dark alleys and neon-lit streets at night?
- Is it more important to you to have a long zoom for far-off subjects, or do you want something wider for architecture? If you are mostly doing daytime shots, you can get away with a cheaper lens that covers a huge range. If you want that blurry background look or night shots, you will have to sacrifice some of that zoom range to stay in budget. Tokyo is amazing for both so it really comes down to what youre actually gonna point the camera at.
