> Everyone on Reddit says the Sigma 35mm f1.4 is the holy grail, but then some forum post from 2022 claims its way too heavy for daily carry. Honestly dont let the weight concerns scare you off completely, but for a Chicago street walking setup under 800 bucks, you actually have way better options that hit the sweet spot for low light without breaking your neck. I shoot low light urban stuff all the time and went through this exact headache last year. Skip the heavy glass and grab the Samyang AF 35mm f1.8 FE. It punches way above its weight class, optics are shockingly sharp even wide open at f1.8, and it costs less than 300 bucks new. That leaves you plenty of room in your budget for extra batteries or a decent strap. If you want something with a bit more micro-contrast and weather sealing for those freezing Chicago winter walks, look at the Sony FE 35mm f1.8. I picked mine up used for around 450, and its been totally reliable. The corner sharpness at f1.8 is more than acceptable, AF is blazing fast on the A7iv, and you barely notice it on the front of the body after walking six miles downtown. Dont overthink the MTF charts too much. Both of these lenses handle street lighting and harsh shadows without weird chromatic aberration. Let me know if you want to compare bokeh quality or focus breathing specs for either of these before your trip!

Man I feel your pain. Went through that exact same headache last year right before a big trip to Europe and honestly it was a total mess. Ended up buying some hyped up glass that was way too heavy and honestly gave me wrist strain after two hours of walking. The autofocus missed shots in neon light too which drove me nuts. If I could do it over again for city roaming id just grab something from Tamron and save the cash. You really dont need to spend top dollar to get good results for night street stuff. Just pick up a lightweight third-party option and put the leftover money toward a decent strap. Your back will thank you later.