Are there any decent deals on mirrorless cameras right now because my old DSLR just completely died on me during a shoot and I am honestly so over it. I need something reliable for wedding photography by next month but my budget is stuck around 1500 bucks. Any ideas where to look?
Man, that sucks about your DSLR dying mid-shoot. Honestly, at the 1500 mark, you have some solid options if you look at the used market or current sales. I have been using the Sony Alpha 7 III Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera 24.2MP for a while now and I am super satisfied with its reliability and focus tracking for weddings. It works well in low light, which is exactly what you need. Check out authorized retailers for refurbished units instead of brand new, as you can usually grab a better body and maybe even a decent lens for your budget. The dual card slots on the Sony are basically a lifesaver for wedding work. Definitely dont gamble on a camera without them if you are doing pro jobs.
Jumping in here because weddings are unforgiving. If you are stuck at 1500, check the Panasonic Lumix GH5 20.3MP Mirrorless Camera or even the Nikon Z5 24.3MP Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera. Just watch out for low-light performance.
- Prioritize glass over the body
- Check shutter count carefully
- Dont skip on high-speed cards like the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I Card I lost a memory card mid-ceremony once and it was nightmare fuel, so buy reliable storage first.
TL;DR: Check out the used market for a Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Digital Camera 26.1MP or maybe a Canon EOS R6 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera 20MP. Honestly, wedding photography is brutal on gear so be careful buying used. If you go that route, make sure you check the shutter count before handing over any cash. You dont want to end up with a body that is nearing the end of its life, especially for paid work. Since you are on a strict timeline, I would suggest looking at major retailer clearance sections instead of random sites. You might find some open-box stuff that still has a decent warranty. Just take your time inspecting the sensor when you get it. Good luck finding something reliable, you definitely dont want a repeat of that last shoot.