Looking for the best compact travel lens for Sony A7C.

Adding my two cents here. In my experience, the A7C is totally wasted on that kit lens because the sensor has fantastic high ISO performance you just cant tap into at f/5.6. If you want to do Japan right, especially those neon nights in Shinjuku or Dotonbori, you really need f/1.8 glass to keep your shutter speeds up without drowning in noise. > I was looking at the Samyang 35mm 1.8 or maybe one of those small Sony G primes like the 40mm but i cant decide if i need a zoom or if i should just commit to a single focal length. The specs on the Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE look good on paper, but the AF tracking sometimes hunts in low light compared to native Sony motors. Ive used many compact setups and for your specific trip, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is the technical winner. It hits that 280g weight point which is key for your 15-mile days. The dual linear motors are dead silent and fast enough for street snaps or grabbing focus on a passing train. If you really feel like you need a zoom, look at the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD. Its about 365g, so still very light for a full frame zoom, but you lose over a stop of light compared to a prime. F/2.8 is workable, but for dark temple interiors where they dont allow tripods, that f/1.8 aperture makes a massive difference. I'd personally skip the Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G for this—its a beautiful piece of engineering, but f/2.5 is just too slow for dedicated night street photography when you can get the 35mm f/1.8 for roughly the same price and weight.

Like someone mentioned, those Tokyo alleys are seriously dim once the sun goes down. I went to Kyoto last fall and I was actually pretty stressed about picking the wrong gear and ruining my shots. Im usually the type to stick with the official brands because I am terrified of a lens failing or having weird software glitches in the middle of a dream trip. I ended up picking up the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 because it felt like the most reliable middle ground. It is super light and the autofocus is basically instant, which was a lifesaver when I was trying to snap photos of the trains in Shinjuku. It handled the temple interiors just fine too. Tbh, I think sticking to native glass is worth the extra peace of mind when you are 6,000 miles from home. It fits in my smallest sling bag no problem.

Quick question before I get into the weeds with you... are you planning to do more street photography or are you leaning toward wide architecture shots in those narrow Kyoto alleys? The A7C sensor is amazing and it deserves better than that kit lens! If you want to keep costs down, that Samyang 35mm is fantastic for the money and the AF speed is actually impressive for a third party. Thinking about Tokyo gets me so hyped for the vending machines though. Last time I was there I became obsessed with photographing every single Boss Coffee can I could find. I actually started using Share Product to organize all the weird souvenirs I wanted to find so I didnt forget anything between cities. I honestly have more high res photos of canned corn soup than the actual Tokyo Tower because the lighting on those machines is so iconic at night. Its a weirdly specific aesthetic... anyway lol sorry I totally went off on a tangent there.