Traveling with our camera gear can be a daunting experience, especially as we start expanding our arsenal of lenses. Picking the right lens for the job is a challenge in itself, and now we're finding the space to pack it among our clothes and other essentials. Wouldn't it be nice if we had one lens to do it all?
Luckily, such lenses do exist, and these travel-ready all-in-one zooms come in a variety of mounts, some brand specific, and others available for many different cameras. In today's guide, we're covering the best travel zooms for full-frame cameras. These lenses cover a variety of uses, from landscapes and portraits to sports and even wildlife.
The Lenses
Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
Tamron, unsurprisingly, offers a variety of travel-ready super zooms available for Sony's E-Mount, with the 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD being our focus this time around. Designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras, this lens delivers a focal range perfect for landscapes, scenic shots, and even close-up macro photography with a minimum focus distance of 7.5" and a nearly half size 1:19 magnification ratio.
Keeping with other offerings from Tamron, this lens features their universal 67mm front filter thread, allowing users to share filters between many of their lenses. Another reason so many photographers prefer Tamron lenses is for their customization options. Using the Tamron Lens Utility Software, users can change lens setting, assigning various functions, fine tuning focus acquisition speed, and of course, updating lens firmware.
You may be wondering why this lens is only available for the Sony E Mount. What we can say is that other manufacturers have comparable lenses of their own, a few of which we'll cover shortly in this very guide. All in all, if you're a Sony shooter looking for a wide range in one lens, this is the solution for you.
Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
Our next lens provides a broader field of view at the wide end while almost meeting the Tamron on the telephoto side. We are of course talking about the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM, an impressive wide-angle to super-telephoto zoom designed for nearly any shooting situation. This lens is the perfect pairing for any full-frame EOS R mirrorless body, offering the best of what the brand has to offer for their RF lineup.
At a quick glance, it's easy to see why the RF 24-240mm is so popular. It's compact, features a 10x zoom, and is exceptionally sharp. Then again, it seems like every mirrorless lens regardless of brand is exceptionally sharp. This lens not only features image stabilization, but Canon's Dynamic IS. This setting offers a more active form of image stabilization that suits recording while moving.
To no surprise, the RF 24-240mm also comes equipped with the now common configurable control ring, which can be used to adjust a variety of settings, including aperture, ISO, and even exposure compensation. This only scratches the surface of the way in which this lens is optimized for the current crop of R cameras, so if you want to learn more, read all about it on the detailed product page.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm
Nikon users are a bit spoiled when it comes to all-in-one zooms. Not only do they have an honorable mention with the NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, but they also have a little more reach to work with in the topic of this section. Sure, you can rent a big, bulky super-telephoto prime, but wouldn't it be nice to have one lens that can do it all? Nikon thought so, with the release of the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR.
Like Tamron, Nikon and Canon both had already dabbled in this range, with respective 28-300mm DSLR lenses from years past. That said, Nikon's latest iteration brings an even more versatile range to their mirrorless line, delivering unparalleled sharpness for its class. In fact, with the right background, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between this lens and the S line 100-400mm lens.
What can't this lens do? Hard to say, as it offers a competitive 7.9" minimum focusing distance at the wide end, allowing users to capture close-up images, even with such an expansive zoom range. Speaking of sacrifices, you may assume that all this additional reach comes with a hefty weight increase. It doesn't. At just 1.6 lb, it's about the same weight, if not a tad lighter than the RF 24-240mm lens mentioned above.
Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G Lens
A wider zoom can be even more practical if distant subject matter is not of interest. Sure, you can opt for a traditional 24-70mm lens, but what if we could get a little more in the zoom range? While it's safe to assume that we'd want more reach, this isn't always the case. For those wanting to focus on landscapes or vast scenes, the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G is the way to go.
Exceptional image quality, a constant f/4 aperture, and fast, precise autofocus, all the qualities we've come to expect from Sony's G lenses. This groundbreaking lens delivers stunning sharpness across the entire frame, and accommodates newer trends, offering quiet focusing performance for content creation as well.
Like the difference in field of view from 24mm to 28mm, 20mm offers an even more impressive change, making this lens perfect for vast scenic images. The only thing one may want from this lens, is a little more reach at the long end. If that's something you desire from a travel lens, there's only way one logical option.
Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG Contemporary Lens
When looking for an all-in-one zoom, seldom do we get a wide end shorter than 24mm. In fact, 28mm seems to be the most popular "wide" focal length in many of these zooms, and we get it. This focal length is generally considered wide enough for most uses, and those looking for a dedicated landscape or ultra-wide lens will often get a dedicated lens for that purpose. That is, unless we're an L-Mount or Sony E mount user who are lucky enough to have access to the Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG Contemporary Lens.
Weighing only 1.2 lb, this lens weights no more than many of the lenses on our APS-C Travel list, and it offers so much more. At 20mm on the wide end, it's capable of capturing vast ultra-wide vistas that few lenses in this class can compete with. If spanning scenic shots are in your repertoire, we highly recommend the Sigma.
Take Your Pick
If you're interested in a lens for travel, consider one of the five-ish above options! They offer versatile zoom ranges and do so in small packages that make trekking around with them bearable. Some will be more practical for your needs than others, and there may even be a less versatile lens out there that better suits your needs.
We hope you've enjoyed this guide. To learn more about all things photography, check out our other articles and guides on the B&H Explora page!
