So my trusty old Canon Rebel Xsi finally died on me yesterday right before my sister's graduation next weekend and Im kinda freaking out. Ive been shooting portraits for a couple years now so I know my way around a manual mode and basic prime lenses, but my gear fund took a massive hit recently. I only have about $500 total to spend right now. Is it even possible to get a decent DSLR bundle with a kit lens for that price anymore or am I totally screwed? If anyone knows what deals are out there right now for under five hundred bucks that wont completely let me down let me know...
Check out the Sony Alpha a6000 24.3MP Mirrorless Camera if you are open to switching systems. It routinely goes for under five hundred with the kit zoom. You get way faster autofocus and continuous shooting compared to older DSLRs.
- Phase detection AF covers most of the frame
- Compact body makes all day shooting much easier
- Huge selection of cheap adapted vintage glass later on Battery life is worse than your old Rebel tho so grab a spare third party pack right away. MPB or KEH usually have clean copies well under budget.
> my gear fund took a massive hit recently. Look at used Nikon gear instead. A used Nikon D5300 24.2MP DSLR paired with an AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens fits your budget and beats kit glass easily.
> So my trusty old Canon Rebel Xsi finally died on me yesterday right before my sister's graduation next weekend and Im kinda freaking out. You arent screwed at all. Grab the Canon EOS Rebel T7 18-55mm IS II Kit. It sits right around $450 and gives you a 24.1MP APS-C sensor which is a massive jump in resolution over your old Xsi. AF system uses 9 points with one cross-type at the center, so focus acquisition for portraits will be totally fine if you stick to single-point AF.