I've been eyeing the Sony a7 IV for a while now since my old a6400 just isnt cutting it for the wedding season coming up. I really need that full frame look but man the prices are all over the place right now. I spent all morning browsing B&H and Adorama and I see those basic bundles with the 28-70mm kit lens but I read on a couple subreddits that the lens is kinda trash and doesnt really do the sensor justice so I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on those.
Then I found some crazy cheap deals on eBay for like $1800 but I'm pretty sure those are gray market imports and I really dont want to deal with no warranty if the shutter craps out on me. I'm based in Oregon so no sales tax is a plus if I buy online but my budget is strictly $2500 for the body and at least one decent lens. I was hoping to find something with a 24-105mm or even just a good prime tucked in there for a discount. I need to get this sorted by next month before my first big gig of the year. Are there any hidden sales or specific retailers running bundles that actually save you money right now or is everyone just stuck paying MSRP?
> I really dont want to deal with no warranty if the shutter craps out on me. Good call, gray market is a huge gamble for weddings. I'd suggest looking at Greentoe; you can name your price with authorized dealers. Also, check Open Box deals at Focus Camera for the full warranty. You might snag the Sony Alpha a7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera Body and a Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 Large Aperture Prime for around $2500 if you're careful.
Just saw this thread and honestly, I was in the same boat before my first wedding gig last summer. I ended up avoiding the standard bundles because like you said, the kit lens is pretty weak for low light and professional work. I went with a certified refurbished Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera Body from an authorized dealer and I've been super satisfied with it. No issues at all and I still got a solid warranty. Heres what I'd do to stay under that $2500 mark while keeping things reliable:
- Look for an Open Box body at Best Buy or B&H, you can usually save $200 right there.
- Instead of the kit lens, grab the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2. It is leagues better than the 28-70mm.
- Pick up a high-speed card like the Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II 128GB because you dont want your buffer freezing during the kiss. The Tamron is basically the wedding industry standard for budget setups right now and it works well with the Sony autofocus. I've had no complaints with that combo and it definitely hits that pro look you're after without blowing your whole budget on just glass.
TL;DR: Get the body and a prime lens separately to stay under $2500. I once bought a gray market body and the mainboard fried... Sony wouldnt fix it. I would suggest buying the Sony Alpha a7 IV Body and adding the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Lens. That kit lens has terrible edge resolution. You really need better glass to take advantage of the 33MP sensor and the 10-bit 4:2:2 video specs.
Wow ok that changes things. Gonna have to rethink my approach now.
