27/02/2026 6:27 am
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honestly i am so done with carrying around three different lenses for my a6700 while trying to enjoy a trip it is making me miserable. i spent a week in colorado recently and spent more time fumbling with lens caps and worrying about dust on the sensor than actually taking photos. the kit lens 16-50 is just soft and depressing and my primes are great but i hate missing shots because i have the wrong focal length on.
i just want one lens that can stay on the camera the whole time for my trip to greece next month. i dont want to be that person standing on a cliffside swapping glass while my wife waits for me looking annoyed. i have about 900 bucks saved up for this and im really looking for something that covers a good range but doesnt weigh a ton because i do a lot of hiking.
- tamron 17-70mm f2.8
- sony 18-135mm
- sigma 18-50mm
is the tamron actually worth the bulk or should i look at the sony 18-135 even though its slower? i just need something that doesnt make me want to leave the camera in the hotel room. what is the best versatile zoom lens for this setup that wont break my back or my spirit?
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27/02/2026 6:53 am
Caught this thread a few hours late but i had to jump in. If you want to keep your bank account happy and your back feeling good while hiking those Greek hills, i’d seriously look at the Sony E 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 OSS. I have been using this for a year now and honestly im super satisfied with how it performs. It is significantly sharper than that 16-50 kit lens and way lighter than the Tamron. The best part is the price. You can find these used for around 350 to 400 bucks which is a total steal. Since you have 900 saved up, you would have a massive chunk of cash left over for your actual trip... maybe spend it on a nice dinner or a Peak Design Capture Clip so you dont have the camera swinging around while you hike. If you really want that f2.8 for blurry backgrounds, the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary is the other budget king. Its tiny and way cheaper than the Sony G zooms. But for pure versatility, that 135mm reach on the Sony is hard to beat when you see something cool far away. It is a bit slower at the long end, yeah, but for outdoor travel photos you wont even notice most of the time. The range is just perfect for those stay on the camera all day vibes. I think its the safest bet for someone who wants a simple life without breaking the bank. No complaints here, it just works well.
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27/02/2026 6:38 am
The Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is a tank at 525g. For cliffside hiking, that bulk adds up fast. Technically, the Sony E 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 OSS is more versatile with its 7.5x zoom range and 325g weight. If weight is your primary metric, the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary is king at only 290g. It lacks the long end reach tho, but the constant f/2.8 is technically superior for low light.
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14/03/2026 2:13 pm
Same here!
