> Between those and the tiny Sigma 18-50mm, which one provides the best balance of sharpness and portability for the a6700?

Ok so, I've tried them all for years and honestly? The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is the winner! It's *SO* light for travel. The Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G is amazing but super pricey... and the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is kinda huge for street. Since ur on the a6700, the Sigma balance is basically perfect. You wont regret it!! gl!

Sooo similar situation here - I went through this last year. I actually ended up picking up the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS cuz I wanted to save some serious cash. Even though its not f/2.8, the technical performance is realy solid for the price. Its super light and covers basically everything for street stuff. If youre cost-conscious, it definitely works well without breaking the bank. Peace!

Check out the side-by-side sharpness charts on "The Digital Picture"—super helpful for technical stuff. Unfortunately, I had issues with the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD cuz it felt like a literal brick and sorta ruined the street vibe. Honestly, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is probably the best balance for travel, even if it's not as wide as the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G.

Can vouch for this

Building on the earlier suggestion, I gotta chime in with a technical favorite that people often sleep on. If you want a lens that feels like a precision tool on the a6700, check out the Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS. The internal zoom is actually incredible... the lens doesnt physically extend when you're zooming, so the balance never shifts. Its fantastic for street photography because you stay totally inconspicuous without a giant barrel jumping out at people! I've spent way too much time looking at MTF charts and honestly, while the Sigma is sharp, the rendering on this G lens has a certain character I love. Tbh the power zoom is surprisingly tactile too! Since the a6700 has such great high ISO performance, the f/4 isn't even a big deal for most daytime travel stuff. Plus, having that 105mm reach lets you get those tight compositions that the 50mm or 55mm lenses just cant reach. It is basically the ultimate do-it-all if you value handling and technical consistency over raw speed!

Same boat, watching this

Been shooting Sony APS-C for a decade now, and honestly, I went through that same f/2.8 or bust phase for years. Found myself almost dropping a fortune on the G series glass when I upgraded, but then I remembered an old favorite—the Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS. People used to complain about the price, but these days you can snag them used for such a steal. I picked one up recently for a fraction of what the new Sony or Tamron zooms cost. My latest trips have been so much easier with it. It’s got that Zeiss color pop that I really missed, and the weight is basically nothing. It fits the a6700 perfectly for street shots where you dont want to look like a pro photographer. Tbh, being happy with your kit doesnt always mean buying the newest thing. If you're trying to keep the budget low for more actual travel money, looking at some of these older premium lenses is definitely the way to go... no complaints here.