I am leaving for my trip to Japan in like two weeks and I still havent picked a main zoom lens for my A7IV. Honestly my brain is basically fried from reading so many reviews and watching YouTube videos and I just need to make a decision. I need one lens that can stay on the camera the whole time because I really dont want to be swapping glass while walking around Kyoto or Tokyo in the heat.
Right now Im stuck between these three options:
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2: Its light and the price is great but Im worried 28mm isnt gonna be wide enough for the shrines and tight streets.
- Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art (the new Mark II version): Everyone says this is the gold standard for sharpness but it is heavier and a bit more expensive.
- Sony 24-105mm f/4 G: I love the extra reach for portraits but is f/4 gonna be a total disaster for street photography at night?
My budget is hard capped at $1,200 so the Sony GM is totally out of the question. I need to pull the trigger by Friday so it gets here in time for me to test it before my flight. Mostly shooting street stuff, some landscapes, and definitely food shots. Weight matters because I'll be hitting 20k steps a day. Which one would you guys grab?
Honestly, if you're hitting 20k steps you really gotta think about your back, but man, Japan absolutely demands that 24mm wide angle! I've been shooting Sony for a decade and if I were in your shoes, I’d grab the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art without a second thought. It’s sitting right at the top of your budget but it’s literally the perfect travel companion for an A7IV. They actually made the Mark II version noticeably lighter and slimmer than the original, so it wont feel like a total brick around your neck by the time you reach Fushimi Inari. That extra bit of width at 24mm compared to the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 is a massive deal when you’re trying to cram a whole temple gate into the frame. And trust me, you want that f/2.8 for the food shots! Shooting a bowl of ramen at f/4 just doesn’t give you that same amazing subject separation. While the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS has great reach, you’ll really feel that f/4 limitation once the sun sets in Shinjuku. You’ll want all the light you can get for those neon signs without having to tank your image quality with crazy high ISO. Just pull the trigger and don’t look back, you’re gonna get some killer shots with that setup! It’s seriously such a fantastic piece of glass and the colors are just punchy as heck. Have an amazing trip, Japan is literally a photographers dream!
Saw this and had to jump in because I went through the same struggle before my last trip to Osaka. I ended up grabbing the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS and I have been incredibly satisfied with how it performed. People always freak out about f/4 for night shots, but honestly, with the sensor on the A7IV, you can just bump the ISO and the noise is barely noticeable. I never felt like I was missing out on the f/2.8 bokeh because the extra reach at 105mm was way more useful for candid street portraits and temple details. Quick tip: prioritize weight above everything else if youre doing 20k steps. If you want a lighter alternative that punches way above its weight, look at the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. Its surprisingly sharp and gives you even more range for those far away subjects. Just make sure whatever you get has decent weather sealing since those Kyoto afternoon showers are no joke.
Choosing a single "best" all-around zoom lens for Sony E-mount is difficult because the ideal choice depends on your camera body and priorities. Here are three top recommendations covering different needs:
1. Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS (Full-frame) – The ultimate "one-lens" solution. Its versatile 24-105mm range covers wide-angle to short telephoto, while the constant f/4 aperture, sharp optics, and built-in stabilization make it perfect for travel and everyday shooting.
2. Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 (Full-frame) – Incredible 7x zoom range from a compact, lightweight lens. It uniquely starts at f/2.8 at the wide end, offering great low-light capability and background blur normally rare for superzooms.
3. Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS (APS-C) – The ultimate travel companion for a6000-series cameras. Extremely lightweight (323g) with a 27-202.5mm equivalent range, it delivers impressive versatility without the bulk.
