So Ive been shooting with my Nikon Z6II for about a year now and I finally saved up enough to move away from my old adapted F-mount glass which is just... clunky with the adapter. I do a lot of lifestyle portraits and I have this big family reunion coming up in San Diego next month where I'm basically the designated photographer for like 20 people. I'm really looking at the Tamron stuff because the native Nikon S-line glass is just so expensive for what it is honestly and I'm not a pro making thousands yet. I've narrowed it down to two very different beasts but I cant decide.

First is that 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD. Everyone says it's like the ultimate wedding or portrait lens because you dont have to swap bodies and that f/2 at 35mm sounds amazing for environmental shots where you still want some bokeh. But man it is heavy and it's right at the limit of my $1800 budget. My main concern is just lugging that thing around for 6 hours on the beach or at the park. My wrist already hurts thinking about it lol.

The other option is the 70-180mm f/2.8 G2. It's way lighter and way cheaper too which would leave me room for a nice prime or even just some extra batteries and a better strap. I love the compression you get at the long end for headshots but I'm worried I'll feel too cramped if we move indoors for dinner or if I'm trying to catch candid moments with the kids playing nearby.

I'm really torn between the do everything nature of the 35-150 and the portability of the 70-180. I keep going back and forth every day looking at sample images on Flickr. Does the f/2 aperture at the wide end really make that much of a difference for portraits compared to just carrying a separate small prime? Which one would you guys pick for a long day of shooting people?