For a really long time, I was a single prime-lens guy. And for the most part I still am. But that’s because I wasn’t really satisfied with the output of zoom lenses. The truth is that they’ve blossomed into a place where I can admire the beauty they help me create. But what’s more, they’re also very handy for framing. They’re also the reason why so many people go for interchangeable lens cameras to begin with. So if you’re looking for a great zoom lens for travel photography, then consider these options — especially if you’re a Sony photographer.
This article is presented in partnership with Tamron.
How We Test and Choose These Zoom Lenses for Travel Photography
- The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups.
- If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- When we test lenses, we’ve got various things in mind. First off, we consider who might want to buy the lens and what they might do with it. With that in mind, we try to tackle at least three genres of photography with that lens in a variety of situations. If the lens has weather resistance, then we’ll test it accordingly with a weather-resistant camera. We also test the autofocus of the lens in continuous mode, single mode, with exposure preview effects, without those effects, and then with all the major image quality parameters. These days, no one really makes a bad lens — but some are far better than others.
- In this specific roundup, we’re basing our findings on the reviews that we’ve done. We’re choosing a favorite, but we’re also giving photographers a bunch of others that they might like, depending on how they shoot.
Our Favorite Choice of Zoom Lenses for Travel Photography
I need to be frank with you: I wasn’t totally sure what to think about the Tamron 28-300mm F/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD until I got it in for review. Was it replacing the 28-200mm? Why did they use a slower aperture? I thought about all those questions and then remembered to throw them out the window. Why? Well, this is Tamron we’re talking about here. In the past decade, they’ve put out some insanely great lenses. In fact, they’re the only zoom lenses that I own for Sony FE. And what makes the Tamron 28-300mm F/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is a very potent combination of things.
First, the photos show a beautiful color. It’s also weather-resistant and lightweight enough for me to want to carry it around for most of a summer’s day. Plus, other lenses on the market are much bigger than this. I truly think that Tamron has made one of the absolute best travel lenses here. And that’s why we gave it an Editor’s Choice award.
Tech Specs
| Model | A074 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 28-300mm |
| Maximum Aperture | F4-7.1 |
| Angle of View (diagonal) | 75°23′- 8°15′ (for full-frame mirrorless format) |
| Optical Construction | 20 elements in 13 groups |
| Minimum Object Distance | 0.19m (7.5in) (WIDE) / 0.99m (39in) (TELE) |
| Maximum Magnification Ratio | 1:2.8 (WIDE) / 1:3.8 (TELE) |
| Vibration Compensation | 〇 |
| Filter Size | φ67mm |
| Maximum Diameter | φ77mm |
| Length* | 126mm (5in) |
| Weight | 610g (21.5oz) |
| Aperture Blades** | 9 (circular diaphragm) |
| Minumum Aperture | F22-40 |
| Standard Accessory | Flower-shaped hood, Front cap, Rear cap |
| Mount | Sony E-mount |
| Price | $899 USD / $1,199 CAD |
What We Think
In our review, we state:
You buy Tamron because of its affordability, innovation, and color output. The Tamron 28-300mm F/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is no exception here. I far prefer their colors to any other autofocusing lens that I’ve used. The sharpness, bokeh, and all the other rest of the charm this lens has lends itself to creating a dreamy world at times.
Be Sure to Also Try These Zoom Lenses for Travel Photography
While that sweet new 28-300mm is our favorite, we have to give two others some major credit. One of them starts at an f2.8 aperture and is for full-frame camera owners. The other will make images from your Fujifilm camera sing a song that sounds like true love. Here are two other lenses we love.
Tamron 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD
One of our favorite lenses for travel partially because of the wide aperture when at the widest angle.
- Small
- Lightweight
- A handy range of focal lengths
- A useful set of apertures too!
- There’s a lock at the wider end, though it’d be better if it locked at specific focal lengths too.
In our review, we state:
It’s got fantastic image quality. No matter the focal length, it’s super sharp. You’re also able to get some beautiful looking bokeh at the telephoto end of this lens. And even better is the serious lack of distortion problems that I ran into with this lens.
Tamron 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III
Available for Fuji X mount and Sony E mount, this one is hard to not like if you shoot with an APS-C camera.
- Incredibly versatile
- Lightweight
- 1:2 close-up shooting
- $699
- Good sharpness
- Weather-sealed
In our review, we state:
The Tamron 18-300mm f3.5-6.3 Di III is the first APS-C lens with a 16.6x zoom ratio. It covers the 18mm of most kit lenses, but, instead of stopping at 55mm, heads all the way up to 300mm. 300mm is a popular telephoto length for more affordable zooms. Putting all of that in a single lens is pretty exciting for photographers who want to carry as little as possible. On a full-frame camera, that’s the equivalent of a 27-450mm lens. Add in that it’s $699 and weighs under two pounds and there’s a lot to get excited about. The most exciting thing, however, is that Fujifilm shooters finally have some official third-party lens options. And, this is a zoom range that Fujifilm doesn’t really offer.
Using This Guide to These Zoom Lenses for Travel Photography
If you’re considering purchasing anything from this list of the best lightweight zoom lenses for professional photographers, know the following:
- This is a sponsored roundup, but any professional will tell you that Tamron makes the best lightweight zoom lenses for pros. The image quality, autofocus performance, price, and overall quality are unparalleled.
- This roundup is targeting photographers who shoot with full-frame cameras. Most professional photographers reach for those as it is.
- Originally, these lenses were available only for the Sony E mount. But that has since expanded to Fujifilm X for a few key gems in this list. Perhaps more mounts will be covered in the future.
- Tamron is partially owned by Sony, so the autofocus performance is typically better with them than with other third-party options.
- Our Editor in Chief owns three Tamron lenses for the Sony E mount. In fact, they’re the only zoom lenses he owns, and he’s famous for never wanting to use zooms.
- All of these lenses offer some of the best weather resistance on the market.
- As time has passed, we’ve found that these lenses get better with age. With newer camera sensors, we’re finding little tidbits of character come out that we’re really enjoying. As it is, we’re artists first and not technical at all.
Picking the Right One For You
If you’re still a bit confused as to the right lens for you, here are some questions to ask yourself
- What’s your budget?
- How will you use the product?
- What lighting situations are you in, and how will that affect what you’re doing? Our reviews hyperlinked in this article can help with that.
- Are you traveling a lot with it?
- Will you be using it in a situation that’s a bit rougher?
- Who else uses this product? How are they using it?
- What’s so appealing about this product that I can’t get from what I have already or something else?
- When will I really have time to use this product?
- Where will I bring this product?
- How will this product help bring me joy and joy in my photography?
These are just a few of the questions that we ask ourselves, but we think that you should ask yourself these for sure.