Man this reminds me so much of when I was prepping for my sisters wedding years ago and I thought I could cut corners with a deal that seemed too good...
I totally feel your pain because I went through something similar with my own lightweight kit last year. I was so excited for a trip, but unfortunatel...
tl;dr - the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art v1 is the best value play for your budget, but keep an eye on the weight and dust issues. Adding my two cents...
I had high hopes, but honestly:Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f4 R OIS WR was unfortunately blurry on my T5.Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD felt super clunky...
Late to the party but just stick with a Canon macro. you gotta be careful with lighting when youre that close tho... how tiny are these insects anyway...
I just found this thread and had to jump in because I went through this exact same debate last year! I spent months researching before finally pulling...