Ive tried many setups over the years, and honestly, carrying a heavy bag around Tokyo is a recipe for a miserable time. My first trip there, I lugged a massive kit and my back was killing me by day two... I was so busy worrying about gear that I barely looked at the shrines. Since you have the a7C II, you need one solid lens that stays on the camera the whole time. In my experience, the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is the absolute best value for travel.

• It is super versatile for everything from wide temple shots to zooming in on far away details.
• The f/2.8 aperture at the wide end is solid for dim family dinners.
• It is light enough to carry all day without needing a heavy backpack.
• It handles close-up food shots way better than most all-in-one zooms. It fits your budget perfectly and definitely blows the iPhone out of the water.

Jumping in here because unfortunately, that 28-200mm glass is pretty disappointing once you actually look at the MTF charts and corner softness. I tried the all-in-one lens approach on a trip to Osaka and hated how the chromatic aberration ruined my architecture shots... it just doesnt do the a7C II sensor justice. If you want to beat an iPhone, you need glass that handles low light and resolves detail better than a super-zoom.

• Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G is probably the most technical choice for Tokyo. Having 20mm is huge for cramped streets and temples, tho the f/4 aperture is only decent for dinner shots.
• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 is better for food because the f/2.8 gives you that blurry background, but you lose the wide field of view. Quick tips:
• Watch the weight. Anything over 500g is gonna feel unbalanced on that compact body.
• Check the minimum focus distance for those food close-ups.

Saw this today and ugh, i feel your pain so much. Picking gear is the most stressful part of a trip and i almost cried trying to figure out what all these numbers meant before my first big vacation. Its the worst feeling when you just want to take nice pictures but feel like you need a degree in physics just to buy a lens... honestly i was so stressed i almost just took my iphone and gave up. I eventually just settled on a setup that felt safe and reliable and i have been really satisfied with how it works for me. I stopped overthinking it and just got these:

• Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary: This is what i use. Its super light so my back doesnt hurt and the f2.8 aperture makes dinner shots look way better than an iphone. Its basically been glued to my camera.
• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2: Another very reliable option that works well for families and wont break the budget. I am just happy i dont have to look at lens reviews anymore because it was driving me crazy. Youll have a great time in Tokyo!

Works great for me

Bump - same question here

In my experience, keeping it simple is always better because Tokyo is a total marathon for your feet. Honestly, I've tried many different setups over the years but I always regret bringing too much gear. Last time I went, I got obsessed with finding these specific retro arcades in Shinjuku and basically forgot I even had a camera with me most of the time. I spent like three hours trying to win a weird cat plushie and ended up:

• losing about 5000 yen
• getting stuck in a tiny elevator with a salaryman
• finding a hidden bar that only served local shochu It was basically the highlight of the trip even tho I didn't get a single 'pro' shot of the sunset or whatever. Those arcade floors are so loud and bright, it is honestly a total sensory overload and you just lose track of time... anyway lol, sorry kinda went off topic there!

@Reply #3 - good point! Honestly, the stress of picking gear can really ruin the pre-trip excitement. I went through the exact same thing before a big trip to Europe a few years ago and it basically kept me up at night. I initially went for one of those expensive, heavy options everyone raved about online because I thought more money meant better photos. Unfortunately, it was a total disaster. The autofocus kept hunting in low light at the restaurants, and I missed so many candid shots of my family because the setup was just too slow to react. It wasnt as good as expected at all and the weight made me want to leave it in the hotel room. Reliability is everything when youre traveling... if the gear doesnt lock focus every single time, it stays in the bag. I found these resources really helped me stop spiraling:

• Looking at POV street photography videos on YouTube to see what focal lengths people actually use in Tokyo alleys.
• Reading the blog at LensRentals to see which gear actually holds up to being bumped around.
• Checking real-world sample galleries on sites like DPReview instead of just looking at charts. I eventually switched to a much simpler setup that I still use today and it made the whole trip way more fun. Youll find your rhythm once you get there, just dont overthink the numbers too much.