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.

@Reply #2 - good point! Honestly, you gotta be careful with those cheap kit lenses... they usually suck in the dark alleys of Shinjuku at night. When I first started, I bought this massive lens thinking it made me look like a pro, but my neck was literally killing me by day two in Osaka. I ended up missing shots cuz I was too tired to lift the thing. I would suggest looking at these two for your trip:

• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2: This thing is super sharp and fits your budget. Its basically the gold standard for Sony shooters because it handles everything from landscapes to street stuff.
• Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary: This one is way lighter and smaller. If you're serious about not carrying a heavy bag around Kyoto all day, this might be the one. Tbh, both are miles better than those generic zooms. Have the best time in Japan, its seriously a dream!

Regarding what #2 said about "Jumping in to say definitely avoid those massive..." - honestly hes totally right! I tried one of those cheap all-in-one zooms once and the photos looked like they were taken through a potato once the sun went down. Not worth it! Been testing these in the field personally for my own setups. Since you have a $900 limit, these two are absolute killers:

• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
• The image quality is insane! Its a bit bigger but the weather sealing is fantastic for those random Japan rain showers.
• Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary
• This is the weight-saving king! It feels amazing on the camera all day and the colors are just beautiful. The Sigma is my pick for walking around Kyoto just because of the weight... your neck will thank me. But if you think youll be out in the rain, the Tamron is built like a tank. Both will absolutely crush any kit lens!

@Reply #3 - good point! Been thinking about your trip and walking around Kyoto with a heavy brick on your neck is the worst way to spend a vacation. Basically everyone is saying avoid the cheap kit lenses because they struggle at night, but you gotta be careful not to buy something so heavy you leave it in the hotel. Since you have a $900 limit, I would suggest these two:

• Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary - this is likely the lightest f/2.8 zoom you can find.
• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 - slightly bigger but very reliable and sharp. Either of those will stay on your camera the whole time. Just make sure to double check the weight before you buy... you really dont want to be miserable on day three because of a heavy bag. Japan is amazing tho, you're gonna love it.

Building on the earlier suggestion, I am honestly so frustrated by this exact same technical dilemma! It is literally agonizing trying to balance the specs vs the actual portability when you are looking at the raw data. I have spent hours comparing the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary against the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and the trade-offs are just exhausting to think about. Like, the Sigma is amazing because its only 470g—so light!—which is fantastic for hiking, but then you look at the barrel distortion at 28mm and it is a total headache. Then you have the Tamron G2 which has that fantastic VXD motor and is noticeably sharper in the corners, but its heavier and longer. Its maddening! How are we supposed to pick? You either get the lightweight build of the Sigma but lose that extra 5mm of reach, or you go with the Tamron for the superior MTF charts but your neck pays for it after ten miles in Kyoto. I love the tech behind these lenses but the decision paralysis is just the worst, ugh!

Jumping in to say definitely avoid those massive super-zooms that promise to do everything. In my experience, you end up with a blurry mess as soon as the sun sets.

• Look for a constant aperture (the f-number).
• Avoid lenses that start at f/4 or higher for low light. Tbh, image quality drops off fast on those cheap all-in-one lenses... youll regret it when youre shooting in dim temples.