If you’re an amateur photographer going travelling, the Sony A6000 is a fantastic camera choice. However, as the standard kit lens has a number of limitations, it leaves many people searching for the best travel lens for Sony A6000 cameras.
Choosing between all the available travel lenses for Sony A6000 cameras can be a daunting task, particularly if you haven’t got a lot of experience taking photos. After all, there are zoom lenses, prime lenses, landscape lenses, portrait lenses and many others that can be suitable depending on the type of photography you think you’d want to take on your trip.
This guide will break down what we think the best all-in-one lens for Sony A6000 cameras is based on different shooting situations.
All of these lenses are designed not only for Sony A6000 but also for similar models such as the A6100, A6300, A6400 or A6500 cameras. They are all E-Mount and use an APS-C sensor (unlike the best travel lenses for Sony A7III cameras) so are fully compatible with this camera series and doesn’t require any adapters.
Want a quick answer? My choice for the best travel lens for Sony A6000 cameras is the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) if you’re looking for a mid-range all-in-one travel lens.
Sony A6000 Travel Lenses Comparison
| Sony A6000 Travel Lens | Description | Prices |
|---|---|---|
E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS | BEST MID-RANGE ALL-IN-ONE TRAVEL LENS Range: 18-135mm Aperture: f3.5-f5.6 Weight: 325g/11.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 10–18mm F4 OSS | BEST WIDE-RANGE TRAVEL LENS Range: 10-18mm Aperture: f4 Weight: 225g/8oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 16–55mm F2.8 G | BEST PREMIUM ALL-IN-ONE TRAVEL LENS Range: 16-55mm Aperture: f2.8 Weight: 494g/17.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 70–350mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS | BEST TELEPHOTO TRAVEL LENS Range: 70-350mm Aperture: f4.5-f6.3 Weight: 625g/22.1oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 20mm F2.8 | BEST ALL-IN-ONE PRIME TRAVEL LENS Range: 20mm Aperture: f2.8 Weight: 69g/2.4oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 35mm F1.8 OSS | BEST COMPLEMENTARY PRIME TRAVEL LENS Range: 35mm Aperture: f1.8 Weight: 154g/5.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
What to Look For in Travel Lenses for Sony A6000
When deciding on which travel lenses for Sony A6000 cameras to choose, it’s important to think about the type of photos you want to take. After all, if you’re travelling somewhere like rural Scotland or Iceland you’ll want to be taking epic wide-angle shots. However, if you’re on a safari in Africa, it’s going to be more important to have a great telephoto lens that can take wildlife shots.
The standard kit 16-50mm lens that comes with the Sony A6000 has a reasonable range and you are able to take some wide-angle shots and general street photography. However, the quality of this lens isn’t the best so if it’s certainly worth considering upgrading before leaving for your trip.
If you are unsure about what type of photography you want to take on your trip or simply like to have a wide range of different shots, then I would suggest choosing one of the best all-in-one lenses for Sony A6000 cameras listed below. Alternatively, if you want to focus on a specific type of photography, then I would consider one of the more specialised lenses listed below.
Best Travel Lens for Sony A6000 Cameras
These are my choice for the best travel lenses for Sony A6000 cameras, each with their own advantages depending on the type of photography you want to take.
E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
If you’re looking for an all-round upgrade to your standard kit lens then you can’t go wrong with choosing the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
This zoom lens offers travellers the ability to take a wide spectrum of shots from wide-range landscapes at 18mm to portrait and telephoto shots at the upper end of the range. The E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is lightweight at 325g/11.5oz given its shooting range and has Optical Steadyshot (OSS) in-built to help avoid any blur in your photography.
Ultimately, this lens is ideal for people who are unsure about the type of photography they want to take on their travels and don’t want to be constantly switching between lenses.
The E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS will work in the majority of shooting scenarios and you can easily get away with this being the only lens that you take on your travels, particularly if you’re not planning on doing much low-light or night photography.
With its crisp photo quality, the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS makes a strong case for being the best travel lens for Sony A6000 cameras if you’re looking for a mid-range all-in-one lens.
E 10–18mm F4 OSS
If one of the main reasons you love travelling is to take epic wide-angle landscape shots then you can’t overlook the E 10–18mm F4 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) as one of the best travel lenses for Sony A6000 or A6500 cameras.
This lens is ideal for capturing breathtaking scenery and landscapes, offering a minimum focal length of 10mm which most other lenses compatible with the Sony A6000 are not able to do. The E 10–18mm F4 OSS is also lightweight at 225g/8oz and has Sony’s Optical SteadyShot technology built in.
The E 10–18mm F4 OSS can potentially be used to complement the standard kit lens, as you’ll be able to get better quality wide-range shots with this lens, while still having a larger focal length to shoot with day-to-day for standard street shots.
Given its weight and range, the E 10–18mm F4 OSS is ideal for travellers looking to improve their landscape photography while still keeping their luggage light.
E 16–55mm F2.8 G
If you’ve been happy with the shooting range that the standard kit lens provides and you simply want a significant improvement in photo quality then you should certainly consider purchasing the E 16–55mm F2.8 G (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
One of the best premium travel lenses for Sony A6000 cameras available on the market, the E 16–55mm F2.8 G offers supreme photo quality which allows photographers to take a range of shots from landscapes to portraits.
The lens is lightweight at 494g/17.5oz and gives users more customisation options on the lens including options for specific settings as well as the ability to easily switch between auto and manual focus.
The E 16–55mm F2.8 G, similarly to the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is ideal for travellers looking for an all-in-one travel lenses. While it’s not ideal for wildlife or super-zoomed in photography, you’ll be able to use this lens in the majority of day-to-day situations so there won’t be a need for changing lenses.
Furthermore, apart from the improved photo quality, the E 16–55mm F2.8 G with its constant f2.8 aperture will perform better in low-light compared to the standard kit lens making it one of the best all-round lenses for Sony A6000 cameras.
E 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS
While most of the other travel lenses mentioned so far are ideal if most of your photography is street or landscape photography, none of them is ideal if you want to super-zoom capability for an upcoming safari trip. This is where the E 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) comes in.
The E 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS is a premium zoom lens that works best if used as a complementing lens to the E 16–55mm F2.8 G or even the standard 16-50mm kit lens. I would only consider purchasing this lens if you have a specific purpose for it, such as wildlife photography.
It weighs 625g/22.1oz which is reasonably light given the range that this lens offers and also has Optical SteadyShot built-in. It has various other perks built-in such as a shake compensation switch and the ability to easily switch between auto and manual focus which can be quite handy if shooting wildlife.
All in all, if you’re looking for the best travel lens for Sony A6000 cameras because you want to shoot wildlife from a distance, then the E 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS is the best choice for a great telephoto lens.
E 20mm F2.8
If you’ve got your heart set on a prime lens for your upcoming trip, then one of the best all-in-one options is the E 20mm F2.8 (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
The E 20mm F2.8 has a good focal length to allow you to take a range of shots including landscape shots as well as day-to-day street photography. Its f2.8 aperture will also mean you can take low-light photography.
The E 20mm F2.8 is incredibly light at 69g/2.4oz with a similar pancake design to what you have on the standard 16-50mm kit lens.
It offers photographers good picture quality and makes it one of the best travel lenses for Sony A6000 cameras if you’re a minimalist traveller that just wants to travel with one prime lens or possibly to complement an existing zoom lens.
E 35mm F1.8 OSS
While the E 20mm F2.8 does work as a complementary prime lens, the E 35mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is arguably the better choice if you already have a zoom lens with wide-angle compatibility.
The E 35mm F1.8 OSS lens allows you to take beautiful night photography, making it ideal for travellers who might be heading into the great outdoors or shooting the Northern Lights. It’s not a lens I would recommend as an all-in-one option but is ideal as a second or third travel lens to pack in your bag.
Weighing 154g/5.5oz, it is not as compact as other prime lens options but its ability to take low-light photography means you are gaining the opportunity to take photos that most other lenses will struggle with. You’ll also be able to get some great portrait shots with a shallow depth of field given its f1.8 aperture.
All in all, the E 35mm F1.8 OSS is a great travel lens for Sony A6000 cameras for photographers who don’t mind packing multiple lenses and want to be able to take some night photography.
As one of the best budget cameras available, it’s no surprise that are a number of great travel lenses for Sony A6000 cameras available on the market, regardless of what type of photos you plan on taking on your upcoming trip!
Are you searching for the best travel lenses for Sony A6000 or A6500 cameras? Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!
