Which Tamron lens is best for Nikon Z landscape photography?

Question

I'm honestly losing my mind trying to pick a lens for my Z6ii before my trip to Zion in two weeks. I've spent way too many hours on YouTube and I'm still totally stuck. I keep seeing people rave about the Tamron 35-150mm as the holy grail but it's way over my $1200 budget and honestly looks too massive to carry on an all-day hike anyway.

Then I read that the 70-300mm is a solid choice for the price but I'm worried it's way too tight for those big canyon views and I'll just be swapping lenses in the dust the whole time. Is there a specific Tamron Z mount lens that actually hits the sweet spot for landscapes or am I just gonna be stuck overpaying for Nikon glass?

DeepSpacePing · Accepted Answer

@Reply #1 - good point! Zion is brutal on gear tho. I've spent years shooting canyons and honestly, swapping glass in the wind is how you ruin a sensor. The Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD for Nikon Z is what you want. Its roughly $900, way lighter than the 35-150, and covers everything from wide views to distant peaks. TL;DR: Grab the 28-300mm so you dont have to swap lenses in the dust.

PolarCipher · Answer

Forget that 35-150mm beast for hiking Zion... your back will hate you. The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 for Nikon Z is the logical choice. Its only 540g and fits that $1200 budget easily. MTF charts look great and the f/2.8 is decent for astro. You might want something wider eventually, but for a one-lens solution, this basically hits the spot.