im finally heading to japan next month and i really dont want to be that person constantly swapping lenses while my wife waits for me to catch up. ive been doing some digging and the tamron 28-75mm g2 seems like the favorite for the f2.8 speed but then i see everyone saying the sony 24-105mm f4 is the actual king for travel because of the extra reach.
my budget is strictly under 900 bucks so im probably looking at the used market. im just worried the f4 might be too slow for those dim kyoto alleyways but 75mm feels a bit short for street stuff sometimes. honestly what is the one lens you just never take off your e-mount body?
just saw this thread after getting back from a hike. ive spent years chasing that perfect one-lens setup for trips like your Japan one and tbh its always a trade-off. i dragged the Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS through osaka two years ago and that extra reach at the long end saved so many shots of distant shrines, but man, those night markets were tough with f4. last year i switched to the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and heres how it felt:
- f2.8 is a lifesaver for background blur and low light
- losing those 4mm on the wide end (24 vs 28) actually bothered me more than the reach
- tamron is way lighter which your neck will thank you for ive also tried the Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary which is tiny, but i found that i missed 24mm way too much in tight city streets. if you can handle bumping your iso a bit, the sony f4 is the more versatile tool for kyoto.
i have been dealing with this exact same dilemma for months while prepping for my own trip. over the years ive tried many setups but finding that one-lens travel kit within a strict budget is really killing me. ive spent so much time methodically weighing the f2.8 speed against that extra zoom reach and still havent found a clear winner. it is honestly so frustrating.
Coming back to this because I totally get where Daniel is coming from with that frustration. If youre looking at the used market to stay under that 900 dollar limit, you really need to be careful about what youre actually getting. Its easy to get sucked into a good deal and forget about the potential headaches. Make sure you watch out for these things before you pull the trigger:
- Decentered elements are common in used zooms, so check corner sharpness immediately.
- Check the weather sealing gaskets because if those are worn out, your one lens setup wont survive a rainy day in Kyoto.
- Look for any zoom creep, which can be a nightmare when youre walking around all day with the camera on a strap. I would suggest staying away from anything that looks too beat up just to save a few bucks. You dont want your only lens failing halfway through the trip because of an internal motor issue or a loose mount. Honestly, reliability is way more important than having that extra stop of light if the lens just stops focusing entirely.
