Yo! Welcome to the a6400 club! I totally feel u, finding budget glass that doesn't suck is honestly such a mission. For your situation, I would suggest looking at the Sony E 20mm f/2.8 pancake lens. I actually started with this one and it’s basically tiny enough to turn your setup into a point-and-shoot. It’s super discreet for street stuff cuz it doesn't look intimidating at all, which helps when you're nervous about taking shots of strangers lol. If you're on a *really* tight budget tho, check out the TTArtisan 17mm f/1.4 APS-C for Sony E. It's manual focus, but ngl that’s actually kinda fun for learning zone focusing. It’s super fast (f1.4!) which helps a lot when the sun goes down. It's pretty much a steal for the price. Both are way better than the kit lens imo. Do u think you'll need autofocus or are u cool with manual? Anyway, good luck!

+1

Honestly, I am still pretty new to the wide-angle game but I have been reading a lot about gear reliability lately. Since ur on a budget, u really gotta be careful about the build quality of what u buy. Some of those cheaper options look great in photos but feel like total plastic in your hand. I’d watch out for:

• Loose lens mounts that wiggle when u attach them
• Gritty feeling manual focus rings
• A lack of weather sealing if u plan on being out in the elements It is SO tempting to just grab the cheapest thing available, but I always wonder if it will actually survive a year of daily use. I have seen people complain about focus motors just dying out of nowhere on some of the off-brand stuff. Has anyone else had issues with their budget glass just giving up? TL;DR: Don't just look at the price tag. Make sure the build is SOLID so u don't end up buying the same lens twice when it breaks.

i've tried many wide lenses over the years and honestly, the budget stuff is a total gamble when it comes to reliability. if you want something that'll actually survive a full day of street shooting, you gotta focus on how it's built rather than just the price tag. solid gear matters. i'm not 100% sure but i think manual primes are usually the way to go for budget street glass:

• they have fewer moving parts so there's less that can go wrong with the electronics
• iirc most of the metal-bodied ones feel way better in the hand than the plastic kit options
• look for something with a solid metal mount so it doesn't get loose over time not sure if it's still the case but someone told me that those older adapted lenses from the 70s are basically indestructible. if you're on a tight budget, maybe look into that route instead of buying something brand new and flimsy. street shooting is kinda rough on gear so you definitely want something that can take a bump or two...