imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

If it is not a "photography trip" and you are not submitting to NatGeo, GET the RX100VII and/or the RX100V for the faster f1.8 lens and you are DONE.

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I shot a trip there in 2008 with a Sony A100 and 18-70 kit lens. ISO 400 was my max. Don't worry about low light. I would, however, want something wide for interior shots. Pay attention to the little details like oil lamps and candle sticks. Each location is specific to what the church is commemorating.

But I would encourage you to also spend some time in each spot just looking around and being present in the space. It can touch you in deep and profound ways if you let it. It's not your normal tourist junket unless that is all you want it to be.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

“Little details” will hopefully remind me to be “present in the moment”, seeing both the large and small views. Maybe a Sony A7C is too big to take and will detract from the experience. Can always take it; don’t have to use it. Maybe something smaller is an good choice. Wish full frame digital cameras were the size of my old Pentax ME w/ fast 50mm f/1.2. We took that all over the Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1978. Perfect size with interchangeable lenses.

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

The dilemma is that there aren't any small zooms to match the form factor of the A7C, with the exception of the 28-60mm kit lens. So you will have to compromise somewhere. The Sony 24-105mm at 663g is a little larger and heavier. I would stay away from the 24-240mm because it is too heavy, the IQ isn't as good, and you don't really need 240mm on a trip like this. You could use the Sony PZ 16-35mm f/4 as your primary lens and use the 28-60 as a back-up for when you need a longer lens. These may not be the fastest lenses, but shooting at f/4 at night or in dark interiors is workable. You also can extend the reach of your lenses by using Clear Image Zoom.

Burkley Loc: Park City

A camera in the holy land is fun. Plenty of opportunities for great shots. A few of the churches seemed particularly dark, so a higher ISO is often needed. I would take the 24-105 and a 20 prime or 16-35. I love a 70-200 when traveling, but for a third lens I would take a fast 50 mm, like 1.8, for Israel. The people there are as colorful as the sites and are often within Mosques, synagogues or cathedrals.

johnny1950 Loc: Palm Coast, Florida

I shoot with the Sony A7 IV and use a Tamron 50 to 400 mm as my go to lens. Covers most of the bases.
Have a great trip
Johnny

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

If I were doing that trip again, I would take a Sony RX 100 (pick a version) and be good.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

I wondered about Clear Image Zoom. I’ve never used it and haven’t had the A7c long. I usually shoot with a Canon R5, but didn’t want to try the smaller sensor R7. I am tempted to take the Sony 20mm 1.8; Sony 55 1.8 and Sony 85mm 1.8. I am really concerned about dim/dark interiors, so I hesitate on the Sony PZ 16-35mm, tho the size and weight are nice. I’m also concerned by the short reach of the Sony 28-60mm; but I will check it out. Thx so much for all the interesting options for traveling smaller and lighter.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

I thought it might be a lot like street photography, so a wider (20mm 1.8 or 16-35 PZ) and normal faster (55mm 1.8) might be useful. Just debating what to do for something longer. Really don’t want to lug abound the Sony 24-105mm on this non-photography trip; plus it’s f/4. Maybe the Sony RX100 vii for its 200mm plus Clear Image Zoom, in a real pinch? Thx so much for your thoughts. Wish they had a smaller 24-105mm like Canon.

Burkley Loc: Park City

I would use a 50 1.4 for inside, a 20 1.8 for panoramic shots and the 24-105 4 as a walk around. The combo is fairly light. Good luck. Have fun. You will get some great shots even with just an iPhone.

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Clear Image Zoom comes in handy when you need a bit more reach. It's not a perfect substitute for a long lens, but it works just fine for travel. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it. If you go that route,you may wish to assign it to a button so you won't have to do a deep dive into a menu to activate it.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

If you are going to use CIZ, use it with the faster lens on the RX100v......

lreisner Loc: Union,NJ

Take the rx100vii for the extra reach. When changing lenses is impractical I use that camera in conjunction with my Sony A7R4. Indoors the f/4 could be problematic. Then again there is Topaz Denoise. As a walk around lens the 28-70 should serve you well. Taking a fast fix lens is a good idea. You are smart to travel as lite as possible.

bnsf

There would only be 1 lens that I would take with me. Take the 28 - 200mm lens with you. You will have a closeup lens and a zoom lens all in one which you will avoid hanging to change lenses. But there is one thing that you must have on a trip is at least 3 back up batteries just in case your only battery dies, and you left the charger at home.

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

I understand all these dilemmas--I too want to keep my kit small while having the lenses I need. I have settled on the Sony 24-105mm f/4 as my main travel lens. I was on sabbatical for seven months earlier this year; I spent half of it in Europe (Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland) and the other half in Kenya. I had with me two bodies, Sony A7III (similar specs to your A7C) and A7RIII. Lenses: Sony 24-105mm G, Sony 100-400 GM, Zeiss Batis 18mm, Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8, Sony Zeiss 55mm.I used the 24-105 for 90% of the shots, the 100-400 for wildlife and for some landscape shots, the 18mm for when I needed wide (lots of church interiors), and the tiny 35mm for street photography, particularly in Nairobi. I never used the 55mm even though it is a great lens.

I could absolutely trust to get a great image with my Sony 24-105mm under just about any circumstance. I have used it for interior shots in churches and urban night shots. I shoot at f/4 and ISO 6400 which usually lets me shoot at 1/30 of a second, depending on available light. The image stabilization in both body and lens work great in tandem, so I get a good shot to about 1/15 of a second, handheld. On all my travels, shooting at f/4 never kept me from getting the shot, even in poor light. I understand that you have reservations about the lens because of the form factor, and I get that.

Clear Image Zoom (CIZ) works great with all lenses, but it also has limitations. It only works in JPEG. The focus system is not as nimble--you only get zone focusing. For landscape or city shots this generally is not a problem. I get very sharp images. In contrast to cropping, you do not lose pixels, so you still get all the details. I would test it before the trip so you know how to use it. I have it programmed to one of my buttons.

Prime lenses: I think that the Sony 20mm would be a good lens for interiors. It is wide enough to capture interior spaces and fast enough to get shots that are in focus even in dark spaces. The Sony/Zeiss 55mm is a superb lens. I do not shoot much at 55mm, but that is a matter of personal preference. (I never used it on my seven-month trip.) The same with 85mm: I have a nice 85mm prime lens that I never use. I personally think that this is not a useful focal lenght for travel. If you want to take a second prime lens I would take a 35mm lens, or perhaps a 28mm--again, this a personal choice. I use the tiny Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/2.8--it weighs only 120g. Sony also makes a good 35mm lens at f/1.8 that is quite small too. Sony also issued three small primes (24/40/50mm) specifically for the A7C. But the limitation with primes is that you invariably end up changing lenses, which is difficult to do when you are part of a group trip. Taking the Sony 28mm f/2 would be an alternative. I think that 28mm is a useful focal length for travel.

I go through all these questions before each trip. And each time I grab the Sony 24-105mm.The IQ is great across the board, it is extremely versatile, and I can make it work in difficult light situations. If I was on your trip, I would take this lens. I also would take the Sony 20mm (or my Batis 18mm). I also would take a small 28mm or 35mm prime--the Sony 28mm f/2 or 35mm f/1.8 being good options.