diff --git a/asyncssh/logging.py b/asyncssh/logging.py
index 828d85c..d28eb3b 100644
--- a/asyncssh/logging.py
+++ b/asyncssh/logging.py
@@ -61,14 +61,28 @@ def get_child(self, child: str = '', context: str = '') -> 'SSHLogger':
     def log(self, level: int, msg: object, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         """Log a message to the underlying logger"""
 
-        def _text(arg: _LogArg) -> str:
+        def _item_text(item: _LogArg) -> str:
+            """Convert a list item to text"""
+
+            if isinstance(item, bytes):
+                result = item.decode('utf-8', errors='replace')
+
+                if not result.isprintable():
+                    result = repr(result)[1:-1]
+            elif not isinstance(item, str):
+                result = str(item)
+            else:
+                result = item
+
+            return result
+
+        def _text(arg: _LogArg) -> _LogArg:
             """Convert a log argument to text"""
 
+            result: _LogArg
+
             if isinstance(arg, list):
-                if arg and isinstance(arg[0], bytes):
-                    result = b','.join(arg).decode('utf-8', errors='replace')
-                else:
-                    result = ','.join(arg)
+                result = ','.join(_item_text(item) for item in arg)
             elif isinstance(arg, tuple):
                 host, port = arg
 
@@ -76,14 +90,10 @@ def _text(arg: _LogArg) -> str:
                     result = '%s, port %d' % (host, port) if port else host
                 else:
                     result = 'port %d' % port if port else 'dynamic port'
+            elif isinstance(arg, bytes):
+                result = _item_text(arg)
             else:
-                result = cast(str, arg)
-
-            if isinstance(result, bytes):
-                result = result.decode('ascii', errors='backslashreplace')
-
-                if not result.isprintable():
-                    result = repr(result)[1:-1]
+                result = arg
 
             return result
 
diff --git a/asyncssh/sftp.py b/asyncssh/sftp.py
index 3157096..d3498fc 100644
--- a/asyncssh/sftp.py
+++ b/asyncssh/sftp.py
@@ -3679,8 +3679,7 @@ async def _copy(self, srcfs: _SFTPFSProtocol, dstfs: _SFTPFSProtocol,
                 raise
 
     async def _begin_copy(self, srcfs: _SFTPFSProtocol, dstfs: _SFTPFSProtocol,
-                          srcpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
-                          dstpath: Optional[_SFTPPath],
+                          srcpaths: _SFTPPaths, dstpath: Optional[_SFTPPath],
                           copy_type: str, expand_glob: bool, preserve: bool,
                           recurse: bool, follow_symlinks: bool,
                           block_size: int, max_requests: int,
@@ -3688,15 +3687,14 @@ async def _begin_copy(self, srcfs: _SFTPFSProtocol, dstfs: _SFTPFSProtocol,
                           error_handler: SFTPErrorHandler) -> None:
         """Begin a new file upload, download, or copy"""
 
-        if isinstance(srcpaths, tuple):
+        if isinstance(srcpaths, (bytes, str, PurePath)):
+            srcpaths = [srcpaths]
+        elif not isinstance(srcpaths, list):
             srcpaths = list(srcpaths)
 
         self.logger.info('Starting SFTP %s of %s to %s',
                          copy_type, srcpaths, dstpath)
 
-        if isinstance(srcpaths, (bytes, str, PurePath)):
-            srcpaths = [srcpaths]
-
         srcnames: List[SFTPName] = []
 
         if expand_glob:
@@ -3741,7 +3739,7 @@ async def _begin_copy(self, srcfs: _SFTPFSProtocol, dstfs: _SFTPFSProtocol,
                              preserve, recurse, follow_symlinks, block_size,
                              max_requests, progress_handler, error_handler)
 
-    async def get(self, remotepaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
+    async def get(self, remotepaths: _SFTPPaths,
                   localpath: Optional[_SFTPPath] = None, *,
                   preserve: bool = False, recurse: bool = False,
                   follow_symlinks: bool = False,
@@ -3846,7 +3844,7 @@ async def get(self, remotepaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
                                block_size, max_requests, progress_handler,
                                error_handler)
 
-    async def put(self, localpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
+    async def put(self, localpaths: _SFTPPaths,
                   remotepath: Optional[_SFTPPath] = None, *,
                   preserve: bool = False, recurse: bool = False,
                   follow_symlinks: bool = False,
@@ -3951,7 +3949,7 @@ async def put(self, localpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
                                block_size, max_requests, progress_handler,
                                error_handler)
 
-    async def copy(self, srcpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
+    async def copy(self, srcpaths: _SFTPPaths,
                    dstpath: Optional[_SFTPPath] = None, *,
                    preserve: bool = False, recurse: bool = False,
                    follow_symlinks: bool = False,
@@ -4056,7 +4054,7 @@ async def copy(self, srcpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
                                block_size, max_requests, progress_handler,
                                error_handler)
 
-    async def mget(self, remotepaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
+    async def mget(self, remotepaths: _SFTPPaths,
                    localpath: Optional[_SFTPPath] = None, *,
                    preserve: bool = False, recurse: bool = False,
                    follow_symlinks: bool = False,
@@ -4080,7 +4078,7 @@ async def mget(self, remotepaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
                                block_size, max_requests, progress_handler,
                                error_handler)
 
-    async def mput(self, localpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
+    async def mput(self, localpaths: _SFTPPaths,
                    remotepath: Optional[_SFTPPath] = None, *,
                    preserve: bool = False, recurse: bool = False,
                    follow_symlinks: bool = False,
@@ -4104,7 +4102,7 @@ async def mput(self, localpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
                                block_size, max_requests, progress_handler,
                                error_handler)
 
-    async def mcopy(self, srcpaths: Sequence[_SFTPPath],
+    async def mcopy(self, srcpaths: _SFTPPaths,
                     dstpath: Optional[_SFTPPath] = None, *,
                     preserve: bool = False, recurse: bool = False,
                     follow_symlinks: bool = False,