so I finally bought a sony camera for my trip to Japan in two weeks but I have no clue what lens to actually get. my logic was just get a zoom thing so I can see far and close but then I read that some lenses dont zoom but are better quality? I am totally lost with the mm numbers and stuff. I have maybe $900 max to spend and I just want one lens that can stay on the camera the whole time. I dont want to carry a heavy bag around kyoto all day. is there a specific one that's like the gold standard for beginners who dont know what they are doing?
ive been shooting sony for about 8 years now and honestly i have gone through so many lenses trying to find that one perfect travel setup. when i first went to tokyo i brought three different lenses thinking id change them constantly but it was a total nightmare... my back was killing me and i missed so many shots while fiddling with gear in the rain. in my experience you really want one high quality zoom. the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 is basically the gold standard for what you need. it fits right in your budget and its light enough for walking around kyoto all day. the f/2.8 part means it stays bright even when you zoom in which is huge for taking photos inside dark temples. its way better quality than the cheap kit lenses but way more convenient than carrying a bag of gear. just grab that and enjoy your trip.
