BEST STANDARD ZOOM LENS
17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD (Model B070)

A midrange zoom is an excellent choice for family, outdoor, and travel photography. When it’s fast (here f/2.8 throughout the focal length range), lightweight (525 g/18.5 oz) and compact 119.3 mm (4.7 inch), it can quickly become a regular photo companion. The Tamron 17-70mm is built for Sony E mount, APS-C cameras, thus the effective focal length is about 25.5-105 mm; it can be mounted on full frame Sony camera using the camera’s APS-C crop mode. It incorporates Tamron’s Vibration Compensation system and can focus as close as 19 cm (7.5 inch) at the wide setting and 39 cm (15.4 inch) at the telephoto. The constant f/2.8 aperture means low-light shooting is enhanced with potential for excellent soft background effects as well.

BEST TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS
70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A056)

This fast, versatile zoom can serve equally well as a landscape, wedding candid, portrait or travel lens. Versatility extends to its full compatibility with various camera features, including Fast Hybrid and Eye AF, a close focusing distance 0.85 m (33.5 inch), and Tamron’s VXD, a quick and quiet linear motor that is ideal for video and still photography alike. Portability is another attractive feature, one that encourages always packing this lens. Compact and lightweight, it’s a mere 15 cm (5.9 inches) at the 70 mm and weighs a mere 0.8 kg (28.6 oz), plus special weather-sealing and lens coating allows for secure use even in inclement weather. And having a constant aperture throughout the focal length range means full advantage can be taken of bokeh effects for portraits and nature photography alike.