Ive been shooting with my A7III for about five years now, mostly sticking to primes because I love the sharpness, but I have a trip to Iceland coming up in three weeks and dragging around a bag full of lenses is honestly giving me a massive headache. I tried to make it work with just my 35mm and 85mm, but I know I'm gonna miss shots of the landscape and the wildlife because switching lenses in that wind is just a nightmare waiting to happen.
I really dont want to spend a fortune since I just dropped a bunch of cash on new batteries and filters, so my budget is probably around 800 to 1000 bucks max. Is the Tamron 28-75mm G2 still the go-to for value, or should I be looking at the Sigma 28-70mm instead? Everyone keeps saying the Sigma is lighter, but I keep reading these horror stories about the autofocus micro-adjusting issues on newer Sony bodies and its making me kinda nervous to pull the trigger. I just need something sharp enough for prints and reliable when the weather turns to crap. Does anyone actually have experience with both, or is there some hidden gem I am completely overlooking here?
Honestly, just go for the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2. I took mine on a trip recently and the image quality is absolutely fantastic! It is super reliable even when the weather gets a bit wild. You really dont need to worry about the Sigma stuff, just grab this one and enjoy your trip to Iceland! It is totally worth the money and stays right in your budget.
Honestly, just grab the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2. In my experience, the autofocus is rock solid and it handles Icelandic weather way better than the Sigma glass.
Building on the earlier suggestion, the Tamron really is the one most people swear by, but honestly, I had some rough luck with it. I found the construction felt a bit plasticky after a few months and the weather sealing wasn't quite as robust as I was hoping for in heavy mist. It was super frustrating when I had issues with dust getting inside the front element during a hike, which is definitely not what you want in Iceland. TL;DR: The popular choice is fine for most, but dont overlook the build quality if you expect harsh conditions. Im honestly a bit burnt out on buying gear that underperforms when the weather turns, so I ended up just keeping my kit simple. If you really want to be sure before dropping that much cash, just head over to YouTube and search for lens comparison tests specifically for landscape shooters. There are a few channels that do deep dives on weather sealing and AF performance that are way more detailed than anything I could type here. Youll find the answer in like the first few results. Also, try looking at the lens rental sites to check their durability ratings—they see way more gear than any of us ever will. Good luck with the trip though, Iceland is gonna be unreal regardless of what you end up shooting with!
