Ive been staring at my laptop screen for like three hours now and I am honestly about to just give up on this whole mirrorless thing. Prices are absolutely insane right now. Ive been shooting on a beat up Canon Rebel T3i for years and its finally dying on me—the shutter is sticking and the back screen flickers like crazy. I have my cousins wedding coming up in Chicago in exactly three weeks and I really wanted to have a new setup ready to go by then but everything I look at is either way over budget or just confusing as hell.

I did some digging and saw that B&H and Adorama have some sales but they dont seem like actual deals, just like the normal price with a free bag or a cheap SD card thrown in. I looked at the EOS R8 because the price is closer to what I can afford but then I read a bunch of reviews saying the battery life is garbage and it doesnt have image stabilization in the body which seems like a dealbreaker if Im shooting handheld at a reception? Then people say get the R6 Mark II but thats like two grand just for the body and I just cant justify that right now. I even checked the Canon refurbished site because everyone on Reddit says its the gold standard for deals but every time I click on something that looks good it says out of stock. Its so frustrating.

Here is what I am actually looking for:

• Budget: $1500 absolute max for the camera and at least one decent lens
• Use case: Mostly family stuff, low light indoor shots (weddings/parties), and some street photography
• Preferences: Must be full frame if possible but I could be talked into a crop sensor if the autofocus is actually as good as people say
• Location: Im in the US so I need stuff that ships fast before I head to Chicago

Are there any secret educational discounts or specific bundles I am missing? I feel like I am hunting for a unicorn at this point and I am worried if I wait any longer I am gonna end up with nothing for the wedding...