Oh man, Tokyo is gonna be incredible!! Seriously, you're making the right call switching to a zoom for travel. Switching lenses in a crowded Shinjuku station is basically impossible lol. If you want my honest opinion as someone who hates overspending, the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is the absolute winner for a trip like this. I know the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G is technically the king of sharpness, but the Tamron is just more practical for a traveler. Here is why I love it:

• Stabilization: This is the big one! The Tamron has built-in Vibration Compensation. If your Sony body doesn't have internal stabilization (like the older a6000 series), this is a total lifesaver for crisp night shots under all those neon lights.
• Extra Reach: That jump from 55mm to 70mm is huge for street photography. You can snag candid shots from across the street without being right in someone's face.
• Price: It is usually hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Sony G lens. You can use that saved cash for all the amazing sushi and arcade games! Honestly, the sharpness is so close you wont even notice unless you're zooming in 400% on your computer later. The Tamron is a bit chunkier, but having that extra zoom range and the stabilization makes it the ultimate travel companion imo. Youre gonna have a blast!

Unfortunately the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G was not as good as expected for the price. I had issues with the weight and no stabilization for over a grand is a joke. Just save your money and get the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary. Its way smaller and honestly just as sharp for a lot less cash.

Big if true

Just catching up on this thread and man, I feel your pain so much! Trying to find the top rated zoom is such a total nightmare because the market is just a complete mess right now. Honestly, its ridiculous how hard it is to get a decent do-it-all lens without feeling like you're being totally ripped off! 1. The prices these days are just insane! It feels like a total scam when a single zoom costs as much as a high-end body, yet they still cut corners on the weather sealing and long-term durability! 2. Quality control is honestly such a joke lately! It drives me crazy that you can spend a thousand dollars and still end up with a lens that has decentering issues or a mushy zoom ring right out of the box. Its such a gamble! 3. Brands just dont seem to care about the enthusiast anymore! They keep pushing these high-margin items that are honestly way too expensive for what they actually offer in terms of real-world reliability. I love the idea of a one-lens setup for Tokyo, but the current state of lens manufacturing and pricing is just so frustrating!

I've been following this thread for a few hours and honestly think everyone is sleeping on the most practical choice. I know prime snobs love f/2.8, but for a Tokyo trip, range is king. I've been very satisfied with the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS for years now and have no complaints about the results. It's way lighter than the Tamron and much more versatile than the Sigma. A couple quick tips:

• Dont stress over the f/3.5-5.6 aperture... modern Sony sensors handle high ISO so well you wont even notice.
• That extra reach at 135mm is basically essential for those cool compressed cityscapes you see in Shinjuku. It works well for pretty much everything and the sharpness is surprisingly good for a zoom. Definitely worth a look if you want to keep things simple and light.