Im honestly so over searching for this because every single YouTube video tells me something different and my brain is melting. Im heading to Oregon next month for a big family trip and I just want one lens to stay on my A7IV the whole time. I looked at the Tamron 28-75mm G2 because everyone says its the best value but then I see people complaining that 28mm isnt wide enough for big landscapes and I should get the Sony 24-70mm GM II instead... but thats like 2300 dollars and my wife will actually kill me if I spend that much. Then I saw the 24-105mm f4 but people say its showing its age and the bokeh is boring? I just dont get it.
- Budget: $1200 or less (buying used is fine)
- Use case: Pacific Northwest hiking and also candid shots of the kids
- Preference: Must be weather sealed because its gonna be rainy
- No prime lenses please I dont want to carry a bag of glass
Is there actually a do it all lens that doesnt compromise everything or am I chasing a unicorn here? I feel like I've read a thousand reviews and I'm further from a decision than when I started... it feels like every option has some massive dealbreaker and I just want to take decent photos without carrying a suitcase.
Man, I feel your pain! I did a rainy trek through the Olympic Peninsula and tried to bring a bag of primes... what a total nightmare that was in the mud. I switched to the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art for Sony E and honestly, it is the absolute sweet spot for value! You get that 24mm wide end you need for those massive Oregon pines but it stays at f/2.8 for the cute candid shots of the kids. Here is why I love it:
- Its way cheaper than the GM II but the image quality is freaking amazing!
- The weather sealing has survived some serious PNW drizzle for me.
- You can find it for around $900 used these days which is a total steal. Seriously, skip the $2300 Sony and grab the Sigma. It stays on my camera 95% of the time and your wife wont be mad at that price!
> ...28mm isnt wide enough for big landscapes and I should get the Sony 24-70mm GM II instead... but thats like 2300 dollars and my wife will actually kill me if I spend that much. I saw your post earlier and wanted to chime in because I've spent years obsessing over this exact problem. If you're worried about 28mm being too tight for those massive Oregon cliff views but cant justify the GM II price tag, you really should look at the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G. It sits right around $1,000 and that 20mm on the wide end is a total game changer for landscapes. In my experience, the constant f/4 is a fair trade for that extra width, especially since the A7IV handles noise so well anyway. If you want even more versatility for the kids, check out the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. Its weather-sealed for that PNW drizzle and is way better than any kit lens has a right to be. You can usually find a used one for under $700, which is a total steal. Just dont overthink the f/4 or f/5.6 thing too much... modern tech makes it a non-issue most of the time.
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