Im literally panicking because my flight to Tokyo is in like twelve days and I still havent picked a lens for my new A7IV. I spent way too much on the body and now Im looking at my empty lens mount like an idiot... I need one lens that can basically do everything because Im traveling light and dont want to be swapping glass in the middle of a crowded train station. I did a ton of reading and most people point to the Tamron 28-75mm G2 since its fast and the price is right for my $1200 budget but then I see others saying the Sony 24-105mm G is the gold standard for travel. My problem is Im worried 28mm wont be wide enough for some of the architecture but if I go with the Sony f4 Im gonna struggle when were out at night in the neon districts right? Ive even looked at the Sigma 24-70 but people say its a brick and way too heavy for walking 20k steps a day. Im just totally stuck and need to order something by Monday so it gets here in time. If you had to pick just one do-it-all lens for a Sony full frame setup what would it actually be?
Regarding what #1 said about "honestly I went through this exact same panic...", I would suggest being cautious with an f4 for those neon nights. Quick question first: are you doing much handheld video or strictly stills?
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 gives you that extra stop to keep ISO under 3200.
- Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS has OSS but f4 is slow for freezing night motion. 24mm is basically essential for those narrow streets tho...
Omg dont panic!! If the big Sigma is a brick, you gotta check out the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary. It is so tiny and light, perfect for those 20k step days in Tokyo! It hits that f2.8 spot for neon nights without breaking your back. 28mm is honestly plenty wide for most city streets.
- way cheaper than Sony glass
- fits in a tiny sling bag
- f2.8 is a lifesaver for night shots Just grab it and start packing, Japan is literal magic!
honestly I went through this exact same panic before my last trip. I ended up with the Sony FE 24-105mm f4 G OSS and I've been super satisfied with how it performs. people stress about the f4 aperture but the A7IV is such a beast with low light that you can just bump the ISO to 6400 and it works well. that extra 4mm on the wide end is a huge deal for Tokyos cramped streets.
- 24mm gives you roughly 84 degrees FOV while 28mm is only 75 degrees
- OSS (optical steady shot) helps a ton for handheld night shots
- 663g weight is perfectly balanced for long walking days I checked the specs and while the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 is great, I'd miss that wide angle for architecture. no complaints about the Sonys sharpness tho... its basically the perfect travel glass.
