What is the absolute best all-around lens for a Sony mirrorless camera if I can only buy one?
Im traveling to Japan next month and really want to pack light, just my A7IV and a single lens. Budget is around $1200 max, and Im looking for something that can handle street photography at night but also landscape stuff during the day.
Ive done a bunch of reading online and the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art keeps coming up as the gold standard for zoom lenses, but then I see people complaining about how heavy it is and some dust issues. The other one I looked at is the Tamron 28-200mm because of the crazy range, but Im worried the variable aperture is gonna ruin my night shots in Tokyo.
Should I go with a fast prime instead or is there a zoom I missed?
Just saw this and had to jump in! You should absolutely check out the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary. It is incredibly light, way cheaper than the Art version, and performs amazingly well in low light. I love mine for travel! It fits your budget easily and leaves you with extra cash for Japan. Let me know if you want some sample shots!
If you want to save some serious cash for your actual trip and keep your bag light, I would suggest skipping that heavy Sigma Art. Carrying a brick around Tokyo all day gets old fast. Instead, you might want to consider the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 for Sony E. I have used this for travel and it easily handles low light while saving you a few hundred bucks. Be careful with going too cheap, but this one hits the sweet spot for price and weight. Another solid budget option is the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary for Sony E which is even lighter. Make sure to check the weather sealing on whatever you buy though, because Tokyo rain can catch you off guard.
Adding my two cents here. You should really look at the constant f4 zoom lenses from Sony. Honestly, just get one of Sonys modern f4 zooms and youll be very happy. From a technical standpoint, f4 is the absolute sweet spot for a single-lens travel setup on the A7IV. The glass elements are much smaller than f2.8 glass, which means the linear autofocus motors shift the optical groups way faster. You get instant focus grab, which is crucial for quick street shots. Plus, saving that physical weight makes a massive difference when youre walking miles and miles through Tokyo. I know people worry about low light with f4, but the A7IV sensor handles it easily. The dual-gain architecture kicks in at ISO 3200, cleaning up the noise floor significantly. Tokyo is incredibly bright at night anyway with all the neon, so you will have no complaints shooting at f4. I have been running a native Sony f4 zoom for my own travel and the optical rendering is super sharp, chromatic aberration is basically nonexistent, and the body stabilization integration works perfectly. Its a solid, highly corrected setup that just works well without breaking your back.
