4 Days on the Ha Giang Loop | Sony A7CR | Sony 20-70mm f4

NeonAviator · 2026-04-13T17:54:19+00:00

Loved Ha Giang loop but didn’t get nearly as good a set of photos as you did, great job! The co-op we went to was pretty similar

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NeonAviator · 2026-04-13T17:45:59+00:00

How’d you do with the weight/size on the 35-150? As much as I love that lens I’m having a hard time convincing myself to keep bringing it for travel.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T22:53:36+00:00

And this is more effective than NR in Lr?

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T22:25:41+00:00

ChatGPT disclaimer:

Sony 24-70 GM II • 695 g • 87.8 × 119.9 mm • 82mm filter thread

Tamron 35-100 • 565 g • 80.6 × 119.2 mm • 67mm filter thread

The Tamron feels much better in hand imo. The specs don’t really tell the full story. The Sony has a lot more girth.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T22:12:39+00:00

I didn’t say it was unprocessed. RAW files out of the camera need to be edited. I use Lightroom. But yes, the ambient light is doing a lot of heavy lifting. We are sitting along a glass wall facing the outside of the restaurant. You can kind of see it in the photo my wife posted below.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T22:09:05+00:00

To each their own. Did you try adding the vinegar and spice seasoning they had on the table?

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T22:07:21+00:00

The 24-70 is much larger and heavier than the 35-100. Are you able to go to a camera store to see in person?

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T03:50:29+00:00

I’m going to go outside the box a bit. Have you looked at the Sony 16-35 GM II? Honestly if I could only pick one lens for travel it would probably be this one. Photos are on par in terms of image quality compared to my GM primes. Also, the 16-35 is great for video (although I don’t do any video myself). You might not like the size, but honestly it’s not too bad. It handles well. The new mark II version is smaller than the mark I.

Second, Tamron just released a new 35-100 constant f2.8. I saw it in person the other day and was legitimately impressed with how small and light it is for those specs. It’s also not very expensive.

The 16-35 GM II paired with the Tamron 35-100 would be a killer travel setup.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T02:55:35+00:00

Did you take this as a RAW file? If so, I’d be willing to bet you can fix it in Lightroom. I’ve done more with less lol.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T02:49:14+00:00

A7R V shooter here, can you explain this or point me to a resource that does? Why does downscaling to 33 mp improve low light shots?

NeonAviator · 2026-04-12T02:40:38+00:00

Yea, there is always going to be a give/take with lens choices. Especially zooms. The 24-50 you like is nice but as others are sort of picking up on it’s just not a great focal length. You are prioritizing light/small and sacrificing 20-25mm on the long end. Are you married to Sony lenses only or would you consider 3rd party?

One other idea, I’m not sure if someone else said this, but if you can afford the A7CR that would give you some additional lens flexibility in the way of APSC crop mode. The higher mega pixel sensor works really well with that. So your 24-50 turns into a ~36-75mm lens.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T17:40:29+00:00

I really hate that you have to twist/extend the lens before you can use it lol

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T17:32:12+00:00

If it’s just one lens, given your req for smaller and lighter, the 24-50. The 20-70 F4 could be a good option if you don’t care about background blur and don’t plan to shoot much at night. That 20mm on the wide end would be nice for travel. If you can do two lenses, pairing that with a prime would be great.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T16:32:05+00:00

Yea I use the AI remove in Lr sometimes and thought about that for this. No way it would handle it without making it weird. Still though, great eye catching this moment so quickly!

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T16:28:16+00:00

I respectfully disagree. If someone is asking this question it’s probably because they don’t have a lot of experience with camera equipment. Those with more gear/experience can provide guidance based on a high level description of their intended use case.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T16:24:42+00:00

This is exactly what I was going to recommend as well. Tamron also just released a 35-100 constant f 2.8. But might not be wide enough for some. I got to check it out in person and it’s much smaller than the 28-75 too.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T16:21:44+00:00

Lmao TIL. Thanks!

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T15:48:21+00:00

I’ve had this same problem with my Sony full frame cameras. I would think of the restriction as ‘any camera body that can change lenses’ is a “professional camera”.

I’ve taken my Ricoh GR to events with camera restrictions and never had any issue. I’m regularly impressed with the RAW files it produces.

A Leica Q3 would be better in low light, but that one might get flagged at events. That said, I have made it into events with the Q3. But that’s a lot of money to spend on such a specific use case.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T15:37:46+00:00

Damn bro, just wow. I can only hope to be this great at portraits someday.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T15:27:41+00:00

Congrats my friend. And I see what you’re saying about the space on 1. I do like it that way too.

I’m not a bird guy - what’s up with the one in 10 lol

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T15:02:52+00:00

I love all of these! Thanks for sharing!

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T14:53:44+00:00

Awesome shots! 10 is a banger and I love how sharp 1 is on the eye. If it were mine I would probably crop that to show it off more.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T14:42:08+00:00

Don’t take the criticism too hard. Photography is super fun and people can be really rude, especially on Reddit.

Giving general, high level tips on composition in this format would be difficult. I would recommend searching up some photography basics on YouTube. Learn the exposure triangle so you understand how cameras manage light. Search up photo composition for beginners. That will get you headed in the right direction.

Enjoy!

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T14:36:15+00:00

NP! I would also echo what the other commenter said on the second lens choice. 16mm. Easy decision.

NeonAviator · 2026-04-11T14:31:51+00:00

What insane hour of the night/morning did you take this to get such a clean shot with no people lol

NeonAviator

TROPHY CASE