Quick reply while I have a sec. Are you planning to film your dog mostly inside or out at the park? I once bought a huge bundle and the cheap mic ruined my first vlog... was so annoying. Be careful with those kits.

• Look for open-box Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Lens to save cash.
• Skip 50-piece kits, they are junk.
• Get a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I for reliability.

honestly, you are picking a solid time to jump in. i have been shooting with mine for a while now and i am still incredibly satisfied with the quality for the price... been using the Sony ZV-E10 with 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens for my own travel videos and it works well without any real issues. if you are looking to stay under 700, it is definitely a tight squeeze but totally possible. here are a couple things i usually tell people to look for:

• check the adorama or b and h accessory bundles because they often toss in a free SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC or a small carrying case for the same price as the camera alone.
• since you are in chicago, maybe peek at the used section at central camera company downtown, sometimes you can find a mint condition body for way less.
• if you buy new, the Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Lens is currently sitting at 698 at most retailers. the autofocus on this thing is a life saver for pets. it tracks eyes like magic so your golden retriever will actually stay in focus even when they are being a goofball. i have no complaints with mine after thousands of shots... basically it just works. if you end up over budget by a few bucks, just grab a cheap Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod later on for the vlogging grip. let me know if you need help with the setup once it arrives!

> Im in Chicago and really need to stay under 700 dollars for everything. Re: "Bookmarked, thanks!" - coming back to this with a reality check on those bundles. Everyone is right about avoiding the huge 50-in-1 kits. Theyre mostly plastic junk that will break while you're out with the dog. If you want the best setup under 700, you have two main options.

• Standard kit: Get the Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm Lens. Its the easiest route. The lens has decent stabilization and it stays well within your budget.
• The DIY upgrade: Find a used Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera Body and pair it with a Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens. It performs way better in low light and gives that blurry background look, but you might go over budget by 50 bucks. Whatever you pick, grab a Rode VideoMicro II for the audio. Wind noise at the park will ruin your vlog if you just use the built-in mic. Simple is better here.

bump

^ This. Also, Antonio is spot on about those cheap accessory kits. Tbh I had issues with the first mega bundle I bought and it was a total letdown because the tripod couldn't even hold the weight of the camera properly. It was super frustrating and honestly just a waste of money. I have been using mine for a long time now and unfortunately, finding a truly good all-in-one deal under 700 is getting harder lately. Since you mentioned being in Chicago, are you mostly gonna be filming your golden retriever indoors, or are you planning on hitting the snowy parks for outdoor shots? Also, do you see yourself doing mostly walk and talk style vlogging or just setting the camera down to record the dog playing? Itll help narrow down if you actually need any of those bundle extras or if you can just stick to the basics.

Building on the earlier suggestion, Im not sure bundles are actually safe. IIRC, I bought a kit once and the parts were flimsy. Maybe piece it together for better reliability tho?

Bookmarked, thanks!