Re: Sony 24-105 still a (really) good choice in 2025 (soon 2026)?
i had a phenomenal copy of the 24-105. after a 3 year hiatus from photography after the birth of my second child, i tried replacing it with the sigma 28-105 f2.8 for improved corner sharpness and mostly better flare resistance. in truth the sharpness difference between the two was no more than 5-10% at most (but i had a great 24-105 copy), but the flare resistance WAS much better on the sigma. i ultimately sold both for reasons explained below.
then i decided to switch my 12-24/24-105/100-400 combo to 12-24/24-70/70-200 and got the gm ii versions of those lenses to save on weight and size. i shoot mostly landscape, travel and candid events. i do miss the 400mm reach, but i actually reviewed my catalog and realized my best landscape shots were all closer to 200mm. my catalog was stacked with amazing 400mm action photos, but i have two young kids and can't juggle them, action sports, and photography simultaneously, hence my willingness to sell two amazing copies of the 24-105/100-400. i tested the 24-70 gm ii against the sigma 28-105 f2.8 and it was more contrasty and noticeably sharper around extreme edges and corners, but not in the central 2/3. flare resistance on the sigma was better than the gm ii.
finally, i got overwhelmed by a 3 lens system that i used to manage by shooting on 2 bodies. but with 2 young kids if i want to get back to a high level of photographic outings i needed to simplify. i sold the entire 12-24/24-70/70-200 combo and replaced it with 16-35 gm ii and 50-150 gm. two lenses. wide or tight. both lenses go to a very normal street photography/travel/portrait focal length at one end to minimize on the need for frequent lens swaps. but they also offer hugely different angles of view at the other extremes.
i have been rigging up a large shimoda top loader with a hiking hip belt and using it as a giant fanny pack. i can easily carry one camera and these two lenses with hoods in the shooting position and do lens swaps while out hiking around with a 3 and 5 year old in a wagon. it is so much more manageable than my big hiking backpack or a sling bag. it's maintainable for hours and finally has given me the freedom to feel like i can balance my life, my kit, and my photographic goals. if you frequently shoot at dusk or like to mix in environmental portraits to your landscapes like i do maybe consider a 2 lens system like mine with your 35-150.
at the other extreme end of the simplicity equation are the 25-200/28-200/20-200. i used the 28-200 for years and was happy with it, but i sold it in anticipation of the 25-200/20-200 releases and still haven't decided on which to go with. i reviewed my catalog and found the 28-200 images so fun in use, but definitely a step down in sharpness even compared to my 24-105. in the end i had no need whatsoever to replace my 24-105, which gave me some shockingly good photos in the past. it was definitely a lot of work buying/trying/selling gear to move on to something notably better. i always enjoyed using the 24-105 and 28-200, so hopefully the 2 lens system i have arrived at for now gives me the right balance between 12-200mm or 12-400mm G Master image quality and super zoom convenience
Re: Sony 24-105 still a (really) good choice in 2025 (soon 2026)?
i had a phenomenal copy of the 24-105. after a 3 year hiatus from photography after the birth of my second child, i tried replacing it with the sigma 28-105 f2.8 for improved corner sharpness and mostly better flare resistance. in truth the sharpness difference between the two was no more than 5-10% at most (but i had a great 24-105 copy), but the flare resistance WAS much better on the sigma. i ultimately sold both for reasons explained below.
then i decided to switch my 12-24/24-105/100-400 combo to 12-24/24-70/70-200 and got the gm ii versions of those lenses to save on weight and size. i shoot mostly landscape, travel and candid events. i do miss the 400mm reach, but i actually reviewed my catalog and realized my best landscape shots were all closer to 200mm. my catalog was stacked with amazing 400mm action photos, but i have two young kids and can't juggle them, action sports, and photography simultaneously, hence my willingness to sell two amazing copies of the 24-105/100-400. i tested the 24-70 gm ii against the sigma 28-105 f2.8 and it was more contrasty and noticeably sharper around extreme edges and corners, but not in the central 2/3. flare resistance on the sigma was better than the gm ii.
finally, i got overwhelmed by a 3 lens system that i used to manage by shooting on 2 bodies. but with 2 young kids if i want to get back to a high level of photographic outings i needed to simplify. i sold the entire 12-24/24-70/70-200 combo and replaced it with 16-35 gm ii and 50-150 gm. two lenses. wide or tight. both lenses go to a very normal street photography/travel/portrait focal length at one end to minimize on the need for frequent lens swaps. but they also offer hugely different angles of view at the other extremes. i have been rigging up a large shimoda top loader with a hiking hip belt and using it as a giant fanny pack. i can easily carry one camera and these two lenses with hoods in the shooting position and do lens swaps while out hiking around with a 3 and 5 year old in a wagon. it is so much more manageable than my big hiking backpack or a sling bag. it's maintainable for hours and finally has given me the freedom to feel like i can balance my life, my kit, and my photographic goals. if you frequently shoot at dusk or like to mix in environmental portraits to your landscapes like i do maybe consider a 2 lens system like mine with your 35-150.
at the other extreme end of the simplicity equation are the 25-200/28-200/20-200. i used the 28-200 for years and was happy with it, but i sold it in anticipation of the 25-200/20-200 releases and still haven't decided on which to go with. i reviewed my catalog and found the 28-200 images so fun in use, but definitely a step down in sharpness even compared to my 24-105. in the end i had no need whatsoever to replace my 24-105, which gave me some shockingly good photos in the past. it was definitely a lot of work buying/trying/selling gear to move on to something notably better. i always enjoyed using the 24-105 and 28-200, so hopefully the 2 lens system i have arrived at for now gives me the right balance between 12-200mm or 12-400mm G Master image quality and super zoom convenience
Re: Sony 24-105 still a (really) good choice in 2025 (soon 2026)?
i had a phenomenal copy of the 24-105. after a 3 year hiatus from photography after the birth of my second child, i tried replacing it with the sigma 28-105 f2.8 for improved corner sharpness and mostly better flare resistance. in truth the sharpness difference between the two was no more than 5-10% at most (but i had a great 24-105 copy), but the flare resistance WAS much better on the sigma. i ultimately sold both for reasons explained below.
then i decided to switch my 12-24/24-105/100-400 combo to 12-24/24-70/70-200 and got the gm ii versions of those lenses to save on weight and size. i shoot mostly landscape, travel and candid events. i do miss the 400mm reach, but i actually reviewed my catalog and realized my best landscape shots were all closer to 200mm. my catalog was stacked with amazing 400mm action photos, but i have two young kids and can't juggle them, action sports, and photography simultaneously, hence my willingness to sell two amazing copies of the 24-105/100-400. i tested the 24-70 gm ii against the sigma 28-105 f2.8 and it was more contrasty and noticeably sharper around extreme edges and corners, but not in the central 2/3. flare resistance on the sigma was better than the gm ii.
finally, i got overwhelmed by a 3 lens system that i used to manage by shooting on 2 bodies. but with 2 young kids if i want to get back to a high level of photographic outings i needed to simplify. i sold the entire 12-24/24-70/70-200 combo and replaced it with 16-35 gm ii and 50-150 gm. two lenses. wide or tight. both lenses go to a very normal street photography/travel/portrait focal length at one end to minimize on the beed for frequent lens swaps. but they also offer hugely different angles of view at the other extremes. i have been rigging up a large shimoda top loader with a hiking hip belt and using it as a giant fanny pack and can easily carry one camera and these two lenses and do lens swaps while out hiking around with a 3 and 5 year old in a wagon. it is so much more manageable than my big hiking backpack or a sling bag. it's maintainable for hours and finally has given me the freedom to feel like i can balance my life, my kit, and my photographic goals. if you frequently shoot at dusk or like to mix in environmental portraits to your landscapes like i do maybe consider a 2 lens system like mine with your 35-150.
at the other extreme end of the simplicity equation are the 25-200/28-200/20-200. i used the 28-200 for years and was happy with it, but i sold it in anticipation of the 25-200/20-200 releases and still haven't decided on which to go with. i reviewed my catalog and found the 28-200 images so fun in use, but definitely a step down in sharpness even compared to my 24-105. in the end i had no need whatsoever to replace my 24-105, which gave me some shockingly good photos in the past. it was definitely a lot of work buying/trying/selling gear to move on to something notably better. i always enjoyed using the 24-105 and 28-200, so hopefully the 2 lens system i have arrived at for now gives me the right balance between 12-200mm or 12-400mm G Master image quality and super zoom convenience
Dec 26, 2025 at 11:26 AM
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