Small lenses can be the best things for big adventures, and the compact Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G and Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G lenses are emerging as ideal lightweight options for hybrid content creators. In situations like recording while hiking the trails or vlogging while walking down a busy city sidewalk, these two lenses paired with a camera like the Sony Alpha 7C II or Sony Alpha 7CR create excellent lightweight, high-value combinations that won’t break your back, or the bank. See more of what vloggers who have used one or both of these lenses have to say about their performance in the videos below.

Pair the Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G or Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G with a camera like the Sony Alpha 7C II or Sony Alpha 7CR, and you have a compact super combo.

The Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G

In this video YouTube creator Sidney Diongzon takes the Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G on an adventure through Las Vegas’ Valley of Fire State Park. After hiking around for a while with the lens, he says he’s extra thankful that it’s so compact and lightweight. “I think it’s pretty cool. It’s an affordable option to have this nice wide vlog lens for cameras like the A7C and A7CR.” See more of what the vlogger was able to capture with the compact wide zoom below.

YouTube vlogger “Dunna Did It” takes a closer look at the Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G, which he says reminds him of his G Master II lenses, but smaller. “The overall experience shooting with this lens was actually really great. Being a G Master Version II owner, I felt right at home here. It looks almost the same. It feels almost the same. It responds in the same ways that I’m used to. It definitely had the ‘wow’ factor that I’m always looking for when I’m out shooting with the new lens. If I can take those first couple of photos and it makes me excited to take more, you know we’re onto something. Not to mention my back definitely thanked me for the noticeable lens around in the place of the heavier G Master Version II.” 

Vlogger Jeven Dovey says the Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G is a great choice for vloggers. While talking to the camera, out hiking and filming, this lens gives him the range he needs. “This lens really solves a problem for those creators who want a small, compact, wide zoom that opens up to an f/2.8. So you get the blurry background, you get the shallow depth of field, while still being a sharp lens and it looks very good.” He also mentions pairing this lens with the new Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G for the perfect little travel setup.

The Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G

YouTube creator Sidney Diongzon returns to review the new Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G, which he calls the perfect lens for travel. “If you travel a lot and you have a full frame Sony camera and you’re looking for a lens that’s not heavy at all, that’s compact, and kind of does it all, the Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G is the lens to get. It may not be as wide as the 16-35mm or have the reach of a 24-70mm lens. It falls right in the middle where its true strength for travelers is that it is compact and lightweight.” 

While Benj Haisch says he mostly shoots with prime lenses like the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master and Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master, he can’t ignore how high-quality and compact the new Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G is next to these two. “Honestly, if you want a lens that’s going to give you almost G Master quality in terms of optical performance and the way it works, and you are someone that doesn’t need the extra reach of something like a 24-70mm. Then the reason that I’m really considering it is because using this for both photo and video, 24mm is so much more helpful than 28mm.”

If you want to talk about handheld adventures, Sony Brand Ambassador and travel content creator Renee Hahnel is an expert. She’s often hiking trails with lightweight gear combos, like in the video below featuring the Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G paired with the Sony Alpha 7C II. “The new 24-50mm f2.8 G lens is incredibly compact and lightweight, and was really easy to carry on the hike when paired with the Alpha 7C II camera body. We loved the versatility of the 24-50mm zoom range and how it easily allowed us to capture adventure shots, portraits, landscapes, and even a selfie or two (the flip out screen is super handy for that!)”