Top budget zoom lens for the Sony ZV-E10 II?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger on the Sony ZV-E10 II after saving up for months and I am really excited to use it for my trip to Japan in about three weeks. I am mostly gonna be doing street vlogging and some cinematic B-roll of the food and temples but I am stuck on which zoom lens to get. My budget is pretty capped at around $500 which I know isnt a lot for good glass. I have been looking at the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 because everyone says it is the gold standard for travel since it is so tiny but I am really worried about the lack of image stabilization. Since the ZV-E10 II doesnt have IBIS am I just gonna end up with shaky unwatchable footage if I go with the Sigma? I also saw the Tamron 17-70mm has stabilization built in but that thing looks huge and I dont want to be lugging a massive setup around Tokyo all day. Some people say the kit lens is fine for beginners but I really want that blurry background look for my talking head shots. Should I prioritize the f2.8 of the Sigma and just deal with the shake or is there another budget zoom with OSS that I am totally overlooking?

Williamsoaky · Accepted Answer

Regarding what #2 said about the Zeiss, I definitely agree that OSS is vital for the ZV-E10 II. I would suggest looking into a used Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS to stay well under budget. It is a very practical choice for Japan. Just be careful with the Sigma tho... without a gimbal, you might regret the lack of stabilization. The 18-135 is a safer, more methodical choice for smooth street footage.

Many-Sony · Answer

@Reply #1 - good point! I am very satisfied with the Sony E 16-70mm f/4 Zeiss OSS. It works well, stays compact, and the constant f/4 gives plenty of bokeh for talking heads.

Key_Allen · Answer

I have looked at the technical data for these combinations and you are right to be cautious. Since the ZV-E10 II doesnt have IBIS, the micro-jitters on a non-stabilized lens can be pretty distracting for cinematic B-roll, especially at the 50mm end.

I would suggest looking into the Sony E PZ 18-105mm f4 G OSS as a solid middle ground. It is usually within your budget used and the internal power zoom is very smooth for street stuff, plus the OSS is effective for handheld video.

Make sure to account for the heavy crop factor if you plan on using Active Mode stabilization in-camera. It basically turns your 18mm wide end into something much tighter, which makes street vlogging kinda hard...

If you really want that f2.8 look from the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary, be careful with handheld shots. You might want to use Sony Catalyst Browse software later to fix the shake using the cameras gyro data, though it adds a lot to your post-production workflow.