I'm actually so fed up with carrying a bag full of glass every time I want to take a decent photo, it's honestly ruining the experience for me. I spent the whole weekend hiking in the Rockies and I missed so many shots because I was fumbling around with lens caps and swapping between my wide angle and my telephoto. It is just too much stuff to manage and I'm tired of my back hurting by the end of the day. But I'm also super pumped because I finally have a budget of around $1300 to just buy one do-it-all lens before my big trip to Italy in three weeks. I want something that is sharp enough for landscapes but has enough reach so I dont feel like I'm missing out on details. I've been staring at reviews of the Sigma 24-70 and the Tamron 35-150 but that one looks huge and I'm worried it'll be the same problem all over again. I just need one lens that can live on my A7III forever and handle everything from tight streets to distant mountains. What is the best versatile zoom lens for any Sony camera that actually delivers on quality without being a total brick?
Building on the earlier suggestion, I've been really satisfied with the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD for travel. Technically, starting at f/2.8 is a big advantage over standard f/4 glass. It weighs just 575g, so its nowhere near as heavy as that 35-150 brick. No complaints about sharpness either. Works well when you want one lens to stay on the camera all day in Italy so you dont miss anything.
> I'm tired of my back hurting by the end of the day. I totally get that, lugging gear is the worst. I eventually settled on the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS and I've been so happy with it. It covers a huge range but stays relatively light. The build is super reliable and having that constant aperture keeps things safe and predictable. It basically lives on my camera now and just works.
Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.
Just catching up on this thread and honestly, it reminds me of my first big trip abroad. Dragging a whole suitcase of glass through Italy was a nightmare because I was so stressed about something breaking or getting dust on the sensor. Barely even enjoyed the view. In my experience, having one lens that you can just trust is worth more than having the perfect focal length for every single shot. Over the years, I've tried many different setups but I always end up coming back to native glass. There's just a level of reliability with Sony stuff that makes me feel safer when I'm miles away from a repair shop. Honestly, just go with any Sony zoom and you can't go wrong. They're built for the bodies and I've never had one fail on me in the rain or anything. Stick to the native brand and you wont have to spend your vacation worrying about firmware or weird glitches... it’s just one less thing to go wrong when you're trying to enjoy your trip.
