Kitpicking - and a new plan

All the in-transit items for the Z6 have arrived. 

Now what? 

It's time to select groupings! 

Part of the benefit of this is to check whether any lens might be expendable. The lack of small telezoom has caused to be creative in the 50-300mm zone, none of which is my favorite or final answer. 

Here are a few kits: 

• Max range: 20 + 24-85 + 100-400
• 24-85 + 70-300: two fx AF zooms
• 24-85 + 55-200dx* is lighter, but.. 
• Primes (20/40/70) plus telezoom of choice
• All manual focus: 28+50+70 + either 85+135 or Vivi 70-150/3.8
• The fastest kit: 20/28/40/70 + 80-200/3.5
• Lightest: 20/40/70 + 55-200*

Ah, but the weight.. 

• 
  Clearly the 100-400 adds plenty of range, but will not be carried often (1250g) when the Vivitar (510g) or Sigma (630g) will do. The 80-200 is pretty bulky too - but the 55-200* is even lighter! 
• Also clear is that the 300mm mirror lens is a decent alternative when grams and cubic inches matter. Weird bokeh and all! 
• Two wide-zoom alternatives have some merit. The 24-50 is a very lightweight option for the wide end - but far slower than the 28+40 primes and the 24-85. The 24-70/4 is better in that regard but is just 50g lighter; I feel what I have now is my best answer. All Z-native lenses have 5-axis stabilizer, but the 24-85G dual VR is as good - and is (minimally) wx sealed! 

One conflict that I see immediately is the 55-200dx vs 70-300. Both do good work but with strong compromises: much lower resolution* with the former, focus noise + no stabilizer² + slow AF with the latter, and no wx seals with either. The Vivitar and Tamron are sufficient, I expect. I shall not rush into anything though. 

* 80-300mm eq  - but @11Mpx resolution 

² see 24-85 shootout to see how much lens IS helps! 

---

Update! 

After the review above, I decided to make a rather large swap. 

So farewell to the marvelous yet still massive 100-400, to both of the lenses in conflict - and to the Viltrox 20 (I expect it to return later, assuming I ever pursue deep backpacking again). 

In return a Tamron Z-mount 70-300rxd will fill the telezoom gap, save me many grams, and use all the sensor unlike the dx 55-200mm. 

I'll be gaining 

• multiple weather seals 
• a better focus motor
• a USB port for software updates
• and the lightest 70-300mm zoom available in Z mount today!

The Vivitar and Focal zooms will remain for a while as I get comfortable with the New Order; their fate will be decided at leisure.