Ultimate Sony apsc lens kit?

Once I realized I was never going to have a nice flat kit with the Sony a6700, I decided to focus on an optimum set of glass. For me the ideal four lens kit is the following:

1020pz

1655G

70350G

24GM

The reason that kit is only four lenses is because I can get 80% of what I need from the a6700 and the 1655G (including portraits). Everything else falls into a niche, wide, telephoto and low light. I could have gone with the 35GM for low light and portraits, but I already own the 24GM, and it is an equivalent 36MM so pockets nicely between the 24MM and 50MM.

I originally had the 20G and FE85 and they are good options (also the 16G would be too). So why not apsc primes like the Sigma or the 11/1.8 and 15G? Because in hand, all these lenses handle similarly. Except for the 1020PZ they share a 67mm filter thread, and have a button and are Sony native.

Lastly just compared the 1655G to the 1635GMmk2, and on the a6700 the output is so close as to be indistinguishable. Same for the FE70300 and the 70350G, although the 70350G has a longer range and is lighter.

jhunna said:

Once I realized I was never going to have a nice flat kit with the Sony a6700, I decided to focus on an optimum set of glass. For me the ideal four lens kit is the following:

1020pz

1655G

70350G

24GM

The reason that kit is only four lenses is because I can get 80% of what I need from the a6700 and the 1655G (including portraits). Everything else falls into a niche, wide, telephoto and low light. I could have gone with the 35GM for low light and portraits, but I already own the 24GM, and it is an equivalent 36MM so pockets nicely between the 24MM and 50MM.

I originally had the 20G and FE85 and they are good options (also the 16G would be too). So why not apsc primes like the Sigma or the 11/1.8 and 15G? Because in hand, all these lenses handle similarly. Except for the 1020PZ they share a 67mm filter thread, and have a button and are Sony native.

Lastly just compared the 1655G to the 1635GMmk2, and on the a6700 the output is so close as to be indistinguishable. Same for the FE70300 and the 70350G, although the 70350G has a longer range and is lighter.

Click to expand...

Certainly a great kit! For me, changing lenses is a pain so I sold all primes and I am down to the 16-55 and 70-350. I agree that the 16-55 can handle most scenarios, at least in reasonably good light. Indoors and in winter, I find the A6700 quickly reaches its limits, so I rather grab my A7C + 28-75G2 instead of using primes.

I switched to FF about 4 years ago, but at the time, my kit was:

18-135

10-18 f/4

Zony 24/1.8

Sigma 56/1.4

And that was great for everything. I love using primes at 35 and 85 equivalent when possible. The Sigma 23/1.4 wasn't out yet, but I would have been tempted by it.

Looks OK. But I really like my 18-135. I get a lot of use out of the longer range. It might be worth considering for times you want more than the 55m but not taking the 70-350, too. I've found with either my ff or aps-c I seldom (but not never) need the wider lenses so have just had an 11mm or 12mm faster prime in aps-c but the 17-28 in ff. Neither get a lot of use so haven't felt compelled to go to one of the aps-c wide zooms.

Sigma 10-18mm f2.8

Sony 15mm f1.4

Sony 16-55mm

Sony 70-350mm

Very happy.

Geekapoo said:

Sigma 10-18mm f2.8

Sony 15mm f1.4

Sony 16-55mm

Sony 70-350mm

Very happy.

Click to expand...

That 10-18 is a lens I wanted to try along with the 15G. Sony needs to make a 35/.95 and I would have my perfect setup.

Yea, I had purchased the Sony 10-20 but quickly knew I'd bought the wrong lens...no PZ, f2.8 vs f4..the Siggy is a great lens (as is the 15mm). I have many FF lenses but will easily substitute the APS-C lenses any day.

jhunna said:

Once I realized I was never going to have a nice flat kit with the Sony a6700, I decided to focus on an optimum set of glass. For me the ideal four lens kit is the following:

1020pz

1655G

70350G

24GM

The reason that kit is only four lenses is because I can get 80% of what I need from the a6700 and the 1655G (including portraits). Everything else falls into a niche, wide, telephoto and low light. I could have gone with the 35GM for low light and portraits, but I already own the 24GM, and it is an equivalent 36MM so pockets nicely between the 24MM and 50MM.

I originally had the 20G and FE85 and they are good options (also the 16G would be too). So why not apsc primes like the Sigma or the 11/1.8 and 15G? Because in hand, all these lenses handle similarly. Except for the 1020PZ they share a 67mm filter thread, and have a button and are Sony native.

Lastly just compared the 1655G to the 1635GMmk2, and on the a6700 the output is so close as to be indistinguishable. Same for the FE70300 and the 70350G, although the 70350G has a longer range and is lighter.

Click to expand...

Sigma 10-18 F2.8

Sony 1655G

Tamron 70-180F2.8

Zeiss Touit 32/1.8

Lesser used but useful for some contexts:

Sony 16 with UWA

Sigma 100-400

.....

Which I guess is saying my experience kinda tracks.

Edited to add: I will say, when I was on a budget it was the Sony 18-105 and the Touit alongside the Sony 16 and 50 primes, that was my day to day kit and it worked very well.