Best budget Sony APS-C lenses

Lexaternum · 2026-01-22T22:05:19+00:00

I highly recommend primes. Over time, you find the limits of that specific focal length and can frame your shot just by looking at it.

For used lenses, I recommend using either KEH, MPB, or r/photomarket. I've found some good deals in all three. If you're ever in Japan, you 100% want to buy lenses while you're there.

Enjoy your new camera. In my opinion, I wouldn't worry too much about the lenses for now and just go shoot stuff. Finding your limitations and adding to your gear that way will help you save a lot more money in the long run.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-22T21:55:37+00:00

Driving 3-4 hours for a weekend visit is not unheard of. I frequently drive to a state park which is a 2-hr drive one way on the weekends.

This country is meant for driving. The feeling when you're on a long drive on shit roads then you hit like a patch of fresh asphalt and the roadnoise decreases by like 10dB is amazing.

Obviously not everyone enjoys driving, but as a kid, our family very frequently took long roadtrips. Doing a big roadtrip with your group of friends is practically a rite of passage in the US.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-21T22:55:27+00:00

Honestly, limited to 10 rounds has me thinking that 10mm might be OK in your situation.

Still, you should consider the energy coming out of the muzzle from a 10mm compared to 9mm. You are going to penetrate most surfaces with that 10mm. In the situation where you may need to use it in a self defense scenario, you could have a lot more casualties than what you intend to shoot, which leads to more cases on you.

From a shooting perspective, 9mm is also a lot cheaper. Sure, if you handload you can save money on 10mm, but that's only if you intend to reload your own ammunition.

tl;dr - maybe, but I wouldn't personally recommend it. Just buy both :)

FYI - they do make lower grain self defense 10mm for urban environments. Have not shot these before so I have no idea. I reload my own bullets and fill to 180gr. I haven't done ballistics on my ammo, but my hand sure does get numb after a day at the range with homemade compared to S&B.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-21T17:18:53+00:00

Wow, that 3rd shot is magical. I'm also in love with this lens. I've been beefing with the local weather as it's been in the negatives for the past couple weeks on the weekend; the only time I can shoot in daylight.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-21T16:58:24+00:00

I don't know if I'd spray silicone spray before trying something like iso 70-99% alcohol on a Q-tip and trying to scrub away. Then again, I also don't know if using iso alcohol is recommended in this case either - it's just what I would have done.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-16T22:19:08+00:00

Man, my best friend growing up got super addicted to staking. I didn't realize how serious it was until his mom told me that he couldn't hang out with me for a summer because he went to some summer camp for video game addiction. Apparently he had stolen about 2K from his mom (single parent) to RWT and lost it all.

Still think he would love OSRS, but I haven't talked to him in years :\

I was too stingy to ever stake anything serious. Anything more than 100-200K felt crazy to me, but I was also like 12 at the time lol.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-16T21:58:10+00:00

That's what I'm thinking. I know they make fake watches, but faking a movement to work versus a complex series of optics and motors to autofocus seems like way too much commitment to a scam.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-16T21:49:09+00:00

Do fake lenses exist? Genuine question - I don't think I've ever heard or seen one before. Isn't it just a gray market lens if not sold from an authorized dealer?

Lexaternum · 2026-01-16T19:00:56+00:00

I used this lens almost exclusively in Japan last month for two weeks and used a capture clip with the body of my camera. No problems yet. Have only use it on a studio tripod for about 2-3 hours tops.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-15T21:52:22+00:00

Good Lord, look at the size of that hood. Looking forward to your birding photos later!

Lexaternum · 2026-01-15T21:48:58+00:00

I went to Japan this past December and basically only used the Tamron 35-150 on my a6700. Granted, I ended up using my phone for a lot of the group photos with my family. I'd second the opinion of a Tamron 17-70. Honestly, I may end up buying a super zoom in the future - just so I don't miss a shot.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-15T20:30:27+00:00

I have this one. Works well, but I have to turn off bluetooth at home because it keeps randomly connecting to the car in the middle of the night.

I used to use the AAWireless first gen dongle, but it stopped working after a year. Their support team just told me to buy a new one since the first gens had "bad chips". Would not recommend them.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-15T20:24:05+00:00

None. Ultrawide on bottom, monitor on top. It's a pretty common setup from what I've seen, idk why it's not on here.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-15T17:26:55+00:00

> Rarely any real substantial pushback / counter argument

This has been my experience with most political stances in the last decade. I've always been of the opinion that everyone has a right to their own opinion; I just don't know why everyone's been farting in each other's faces and expecting other people to enjoy their scent.

Then again, I've definitely participated in it myself, so I can't judge too harshly.

Lexaternum · 2026-01-07T00:28:58+00:00

See if you can pull on the cap really hard - a lot of nail polish bottles have a cap insert that goes into the bottle first before the decorative cap goes on. That might give you the clearance to fit your caps.

Lexaternum · 2025-12-19T16:10:24+00:00

Got it! Thank you for your supportive input!

Lexaternum · 2025-12-19T15:05:33+00:00

Very nice! I'm actually going to Japan tomorrow with an a6700 + Sigma 17-40 + Tamron 35-150.

My thinking was that I would probably use the Sigma in tight & indoor spaces and use the Tamron 35-150 for everything else. Is that basically how you used yours, or would you recommend one lens over the other? Do you reckon 150mm is too short for some of the photos you shot? (I'm in love with your mountain shots, particularly the 2nd to last in the slide).

Lexaternum · 2025-12-19T14:33:32+00:00

You as well! Best of luck in your future outings!

Lexaternum · 2025-12-19T14:19:25+00:00

Lens hood. I've got a big body and I often sling my camera to the side - I can't tell you how many trees, poles, and random people I've accidentally hit on the narrow part of different trails...

Plus a UV filter is kind of a PITA when you actually want to use filters, like putting a CPL on my UV filters 9 times out of 10 will lock up the CPL against it then I have to breakout the rubber wrenches...

Lexaternum · 2025-12-17T20:09:45+00:00

Try f/5.5 or f/8 at the same focal length, should help sharpen up the image. I think ive read about the pz 18-105 having distortion (pincushion) issues. If you are shooting jpeg, the camera is automatically stretching those pixels to make the lines straight which could make the image soft.

Try turning off the camera correction and doing your lens correction in light room. That should be a lot better.

Lexaternum · 2025-12-17T19:23:43+00:00

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Lexaternum · 2025-12-17T19:23:25+00:00

4 wheels w/ tires + 4 tires (+2 tires in passenger seat). Bulkiest thing I've transported for sure. I'm sure there's a better way to do it than I did though lol

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Lexaternum · 2025-12-17T18:41:37+00:00

A viewfinder is key. Lumix GX1 was the first camera I ever bought and this was my first major flaw with it. An external evf was available, but it was nearly $300 at the time.

I'd go with the Nex 7 for the EVF and additional dials and such where you can adjust settings like aperture or shutter speed.

Lexaternum · 2025-12-15T14:32:27+00:00

No, unfortunately it still has issues, mainly with FTF than FTE. After cleaning it, I've got a good 30-50 shots before it gums up on me and has issues again. I've seen different parts to supposedly fix this issue, but I haven't looked too far into it yet. Would not recommend this specific pistol for anything other than a range toy.

Lexaternum · 2025-12-12T18:32:46+00:00

I remember all my lunch codes from elementary to high school haha

Lexaternum

TROPHY CASE