Re: "Everyone acts like the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC..."

• Honestly, that lens is overrated for travel. If you want true width, stop looking at standard zooms. Are you strictly shooting street, or do you need something that handles architecture too?
• Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM for a cheap, light option.
• Tokina AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX for better low light. Don't fall for the "legendary" label, just get something you'll actually carry.

To add to the point above: stop overthinking the weight and just get the Tamron SP 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II. Listen, for street work, you need range. Period. Check out the lens profiles on Digital Picture for distortion data before you buy. My tip? Always shoot a hair wider than you think you need—you can crop, but you can't fix a bad frame. Just keep your sensor clean. Dust shows up way worse at 10mm.

Everyone acts like the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art is the only lens that exists for crop sensors, but honestly, its way too heavy for actual travel. Walking around city alleys with that brick is gonna kill your wrist after an hour, and people stare at you like you have a bazooka. Dont believe the hype from those sponsored YouTube reviews. Real talk? The biggest mistake people make is buying a heavy zoom for street photography because they think they need the versatility. You end up not taking it out of the bag because its such a pain to lug around. Be super careful about buying into the gear obsession; a lighter prime is usually the move, but you gotta be honest about whether you really want to change lenses constantly in the middle of a crowd...

Rarely post but I had to chime in. Building on the earlier suggestion, the discussion is missing the best prime for street work. If you want lightweight and sharp, the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is essential. It costs around $150 and makes the 90D feel like a point-and-shoot. For true wide landscapes, look at the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC manual lens. It is wider than any zoom mentioned and captures massive cityscapes without the weight of the Sigma.

So funny you ask this — last summer I actually went through this exact same mental breakdown trying to gear up for a trip to Tokyo (my shoulders are still mad at me, wait no — my lower back is what really suffered). Before you drop any cash on a new chunk of glass, I gotta ask: what are we actually working with budget-wise here, and are you shooting mostly in broad daylight or do you need something that handles neon-lit night alleys without totally trashing your ISO? Because if you're trying to keep things super wallet-friendly, we need to look at stuff like:

• A used Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM if you want ultra-wide without breaking the bank
• Or maybe stretching for something like the Tokina opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF FX if you find a sweet deal secondhand Anyway, let me know what your dollar limit is and I'll drop a few actual sensible recs instead of just guessing what you're willing to spend.

Coming back to this, I have been through three of these wide setups and honestly, it depends on your gear tolerance.

• What is your actual budget?
• Are you okay with manual focus?

> "Coming back to this, I have been through three of these wide setups and honestly, it depends on your gear tolerance." Totally agree with that, man. It really just comes down to how much weight you're willing to lug around all day. Ngl, I used to obsess over the heavy glass until my shoulders started screaming during a city trip. If you want something super versatile that isn't a brick, you should lowkey check out the Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II. It’s technically an older lens, but it’s a beast for tight alleys because that 11mm is insanely wide on a crop sensor. It lets in so much light too, which is huge for moody street shots. I don’t know if it beats a prime for sharpness, but for travel, having that zoom range is honestly a lifesaver when you can't move your feet.

Same boat, watching this

TL;DR: Don't overspend on glass when you can find used deals, but honestly, have you looked into fixing your own gear? Adding my two cents here, I see everyone fighting over lenses, but it reminds me of when my dishwasher pump died last month. The dealer wanted $400 for the repair, but I just bought a $60 part on eBay and did it myself in an afternoon—saved me a ton! It’s all about the cost per year of ownership, really. I’ve got three kids and a mortgage, so I stopped buying brand-new gear years ago. You can find perfectly good wide-angle stuff used if you’re patient. Anyway, I should probably go check on my water heater, I think the pilot light is acting up again. Sorry, kind of went off track there.

Man, I feel this struggle so hard. I saw this thread popping up earlier today and just had to take a breath because I've been wrestling with the exact same dilemma for months. Like, seriously, my camera bag is currently a graveyard of 'almost perfect' wide-angle experiments that I just can't seem to commit to. I'm sitting here looking at my 90D right now, and I swear every time I'm out in a cramped city alley, I end up pacing back and forth like a weirdo just trying to get the framing right—it's exhausting, right? I've been flip-flopping between going for maximum reach or just sacrificing everything for that ultra-wide look, and honestly, I'm still not 100% sure what the 'right' answer is for us crop-sensor folks. IIRC, there was a point last summer where I thought I had it all figured out, but then I'd see a shot from a different focal length and immediately second-guess the whole kit. It's that classic gear-head paralysis where you want the versatility of a zoom but the optical perfection of a prime, and finding that middle ground is just... well, it's a headache. Anyway, bottom line is you're definitely not alone in this—I'm still stuck in the same loop of indecision, constantly swapping glass and wondering if the grass is greener on the other side of the focal range.

^ This. Also, stop overcomplicating your kit. I spent years in a machine shop focusing on precision, and photography is no different. You need the right tool for the job, not a bag full of heavy glass that stays in the truck. Listen, you are obsessing over focal lengths like they are torque settings. If you are in a tight alley, you need a wide field of view. Period. If you are worried about reach, carry a second small body or just crop the image in post. The 90D has a high enough resolution sensor to handle it. You do not need a massive lens to make a good image. Look, most of you are spending way too much time reading spec sheets and not enough time actually shooting. If your current lens is too tight for an alley, get something wider. If you cannot afford a dedicated piece of glass, find a used one that is weather-sealed. The gear does not matter as much as the technique. Stop worrying about the weight and start worrying about the composition. If you cannot get the shot with what you have, you are not moving your feet enough. Go out and shoot.

Re: "TL;DR: Don't overspend on glass..."

• Listen, stop wasting time on forum debates. Everyone is just guessing. You have a 90D, look up the lens specifications on the official manufacturer website.
• Check YouTube for "90D wide angle travel" reviews.
• Look at Reddit photography subreddits.
• Find a comparison site. It is all there. Just search for it. You will find the answer in five minutes without the chatter.