camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I could be visiting Israel in November. My plans are to take with me my Olympus mirrorless camera and a cheap Dolica tripod for night photography.
Your Sony has a so called "cropped sensor" which in reality is a full frame sensor IF you use the lenses that Sony makes for the camera. I am willing to bet that your 16-50mm zoom will be working full time during your trip. The 16mm focal length is going to be very useful in narrow streets and for many landscape views. If the other lens is not too heavy I will take it too.
A 35mm lens used with your camera will result in the equivalent of a 52mm lens with a full frame camera. It could prove to be a great buy. Understand your camera before that trip and try to learn some basic photography although the time is short. The best gear will not do justice to your photography if you are not familiar with the camera and at least understand exposure.
Good luck.

FalconChase Loc: Canton,Ohio, USA

Your 55-210 is not going to add much weight, but if you are determined to take only one lens, take the 16-50. Should you buy a prime something in the 24 to 35mm range would be best. Consider Samyang 24 f2.8, Zeiss Touit 32 f1.8, or Sony Zeiss 35 f2.8, all good, lightweight choices. But the 16-50 is really all you need.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I would take the 16-50 as my walk around and pick up either a 35 or 50 f/1.8 for interiors. Also, if you haven't done this already, switch from auto to P/program mode and learn to use the exposure compensation function in your camera. Hope you'll post some of your images.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I keep the 16-50mm on my a6000 all the time, although I occasionally use my Tamron 18-200mm (I think). There's a very good video about using that camera - actually two videos, one free and one not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYXwCGWb7Yg
https://www.garyfong.com/products/unleash-power-your-sony-a6000
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+transfer+photos+from+sony+a6000+to+smart+phone+or+computer+using+wifi&qpvt=how+to+transfer+photos+from+Sony+a6000+to+smart+phone+or+computer+suing+WIFI&FORM=VDRE

Low Budget Dave

Here is my best advice:

1. For travel, I find it is easiest to keep the 16-35 on the camera. This is a nice tiny lens, and offers good sharpness, good color, and a good zoom range.

2. I find it best to shoot in JPG, and allow the camera to correct any distortion.

3. Consider full auto in any situation where the amount of light will be changing. If you are fiddling with low-light shots, then it might be worth switching to manual, so you can decide how slow you can shoot. My camera tries to shoot at 1/60 in low light, for example, and I am usually not steady enough.

4. I use AF-C, but a lot of people prefer AF-A, which offers some of the same advantages.

5. I prefer to set the drive speed to low or medium, so I can fire off six or seven shots just by holding down the shutter. This is useful in those situations where I can't tell if someone is blinking, so I just take a few extra. Some people leave this in "single shot" so they can recompose each time. Recomposing is a good habit, but memory cards are big these days, so you can do both.

6. If you are going to be doing a lot of indoor shooting, get the 35mm 1.8 or the 50mm 1.8. The extra aperture will allow you to shoot in much darker conditions.

7. Get an extra battery. One extra battery in the pocket frees you up to walk around most of the day with the camera on (if you like). There is nothing worse than missing a shot because you were trying to conserve battery life.

8. Don't forget to put the camera away every once in a while and just enjoy the day. If you see a great sunrise, for example, enjoy it first. Then take a picture so you can remember how much you enjoyed it. The picture will never match the sunrise itself, and you don't want the only memory to be fidgeting with the camera.

anotherview Loc: California

For your trip, stick with the 16-50mm zoom lens. Travel light.

As to learning photography, study composition. It will most improve your results.

Good luck.

RKL349 Loc: Connecticut

If you would like, I would be happy to give you, only for the cost of shipping, David Busch’s Sony a6000 Guide to Digital Photography and a Wasabi battery and charger. PM me if interested.

radiojohn

Someone's #1 (taking ISO off auto) was not great advice for a person who says, "First of all I am a real, real novice at photography."

We need to assume that he doesn't know about ISOs and the relationship between shutter and aperture.

At best, getting VERY familiar with the +/- exposure compensation might be suggested.

It's very hard to drag a person into what some might call "real" [manual?] camera settings if they have not already taken steps down that path on their own.

This may be a once in a lifetime trip. Left him experiment with non-auto setting at home in the park. Stay on auto.

anotherview Loc: California

Yes, he should study the Exposure Triangle for how it controls the facets of exposure.

He should also acquaint himself with the other two legs of photography: Composition and the importance of Subject.

radiojohn

It is tough for those of us to have some technical and/or artistic interest in photography to understand that some folks "just want to take pictures" and don't want to know a lot.

These folks used Instamatics far more than Nikons and have now dropped "too complicated" compact digitals for Smartphone cameras.

You can lead a horse to water...

This is no way is meant to mock those who are not photo enthusiasts.

lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA

Always amazes me that some people have to post a comment whether if meets the request or not.
You want to take one lens. If you can afford another lens (a good one) go for a zoom lens in the 18-135 range. While you might get by with the 16-50 there will almost surely be some picture you will see in your mind for which you will wish you had a little more reach. Also get a good circular polarizer for the new lens or your 16-50. The desert is high glare and this will help a lot.
Since this new lens might be one that will get little use later on consider KEH or one of the other reputable used equipment outlets. I use KEH and I've found their ratings to be very conservative. Their UG is my EX and they ship promptly so you'd have plenty of time to buy, get it on the camera and experiment with it a bit before you go. Have a great trip!

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

I have had several lenses over the years...i now only have 2 lenses...and 18-140 and an 18-300 zoom. Rarely do i take the 18-300 off the camera...it meets all of my needs and is light weight. The only reason I keep the 18-140 is for backup in case the 18-300 is damaged or quits working...I really don't notice any difference in the pictures I get from the 2 lenses...

Have a nice trip and post some pictures with whatever lens you decide to take...

Paul J. Svetlik Loc: Colorado

You probably will enjoy a lecture by Gary Fong: "Unleashing power of your Sny a6000"

traderjohn Loc: New York City

"This is no way is meant to mock those who are not photo enthusiasts."
Of course, it is. That is what some boorish, pompous self-serving A$$ does.

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

Jimmer,
Except for my already having some experience with the camera, I was in a similar situation last summer when I took my son with me to Greece. Specifically, I brought with me a (full spectrum-converted) Sony a6000 camera with Sony 18-55 mm & 55-210 mm lenses (& a few infrared filters). We were initially in Athens and then in Mykonos with a half-day excursion to Naxos. Interestingly, after the 2nd day, I didn’t feel any need whatsoever to use my 55-200 mm lens again for the entire trip!

It wasn’t till two months after I returned that I "discovered" Sony had released a new zoom lens the previous January that has garnered favorable reviews: an E-mount APS-C 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens. I paid the list price of $598 and haven’t regretted it! It is my default lens for my two a6000 cameras (the other was not converted.) Since then, I’ve seen its price reduced by $100 consistently over time.

I agree with just about every post I’ve read in response to your request for help, particularly your gaining greater familiarity with your camera, which means getting outdoors and just shooting with it! But IF you really want to bring only one lens with you on this trip and IF you’re willing to shell out ~$500, if I were you, I’d buy the Sony 18-135 lens.

By the way, in my humble opinion, there’s just one type of external optical filter you should consider acquiring first for shooting outdoors: a Circular Polarizing filter. Before selecting one, make sure, of course, that it’s the correct size for the intended lens! I see your 16-50 zoom has a filter diameter of 40.5 mm. My 18-55 zoom takes a 49 mm filter size. But the 18-135 mm lens takes a 55 mm size filter.

Good luck!