I just switched over to the a7IV after years with Fuji and honestly the kit lens is driving me crazy. I'm heading to Iceland in three weeks and I realized the 28-70 is just way too soft in the corners even stopped down to f/8 which I didn't expect from a modern Sony setup. I'm totally tapped out after buying the body so I've only got about $1100 left for a single do-it-all lens because I really don't want to be swapping glass in the freezing wind and rain out there.
Should I just bite the bullet on the Sigma 24-70 or is there something lighter that still covers the wide end for landscapes? What is the best all-around lens for the Sony a7IV that wont break my back?
Yo, welcome to the Sony family! The a7IV is such an amazing piece of tech, you're gonna love it once you get some proper glass on there. Since you're heading to Iceland and need that 24mm wide end for the epic scale of the landscapes, you've gotta look at the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art. Honestly, the optics on this thing are insane for the price! I've spent way too much time looking at MTF charts and this thing holds up against glass that costs double. Since the Mark II just launched, you can find the original version brand new for under $1100 easily, or even cheaper if you go the used route on sites like MPB. It's a total steal right now! It solves your corner softness issues completely... the resolution stays sharp right to the edges even at f/2.8 because of those three aspherical and six FLD glass elements. It is a bit of a heavy unit at 835g, but the dust and splash-proof build is fantastic for handling Iceland rain and mist. Another killer option if you want to save weight and money is the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. It sounds crazy for a super-zoom, but the technical performance is surprisingly great and it's super light for hiking. But for those low-light moody Iceland shots, that constant f/2.8 on the Sigma is basically required. You're gonna get such sharp shots of the glaciers, literally night and day compared to the kit lens!
