Im trying to upgrade my old dslr before a trip to iceland next month and honestly im totally overwhelmed by current sales. My absolute max budget is like 850 bucks including a kit lens if possible. Right now im looking at a used Sony a6100 thats about 600 or a brand new Canon EOS R50 thats hovering around 750 with the kit zoom. Gonna be mostly shooting landscapes and northern lights if we get lucky. Leaning toward the canon cause its new and has a warranty but heard sony has way cheaper glass down the road. Which one of these makes more sense for my trip?
Iceland is going to blow your mind honestly! If youre chasing northern lights and wide open landscapes, sensor dynamic range and low light performance are everything. I actually took an Fujifilm X-T30 II 26.1MP APS-C Mirrorless Camera on my trip there last year and dynamic range saved my highlights in every single waterfall shot. Between your two picks, grab the Sony and put that extra 250 bucks toward a fast prime lens like a cheap manual wide angle. Kit lenses are painfully slow at f3.5 or f4, which kills you when trying to keep ISO down during aurora shots. You want maximum light gathering power. Sony APS-C third party lens support from Sigma and Tamron completely destroys Canon's locked down RF mount right now anyway. Future you will be so glad you went with cheaper glass options!
> Right now im looking at a used Sony a6100 thats about 600 or a brand new Canon EOS R50 thats hovering around 750 with the kit zoom. Go with the Sony Alpha a6100 Mirrorless Camera Body setup tbh. You hit the nail on the head regarding lenses. Shooting landscapes and northern lights in Iceland means youll want a fast wide angle prime eventually, and Sony aps-c has tons of cheap third party glass from Sigma and Tamron. Canon RF mount is still pretty locked down for third party autofocus lenses. Plus you save 150 bucks to put toward a sturdy tripod or extra batteries, which you will seriously need in the cold weather up there. My old a6000 series body has survived freezing temps with zero complaints. Grab a spare battery and you are good to go.
Coming back to this cause nobody mentioned the battery situation for Iceland cold yet. Trust me, shooting northern lights at night drains batteries super fast when freezing your hands off. I would suggest checking out sites like DPReview or local forums for weather sealing tips before you go. Don't rely on just one battery whatever you pick, grab a couple spares or youll miss the shot.