Just saw your post today. Honestly, I have been pretty disappointed with the bundle offerings this year. I had issues with a generic kit recently where the extra items were basically junk, so I am very cautious about those sleeper sites now. Unfortunately, the quality of those deals is often not as good as expected and return policies can be a total nightmare. Quick question before I suggest a specific path: are you already invested in a lens mount, or are you looking to switch systems entirely? That really changes how far $2,000 goes. If you want reliability, I suggest looking at these specific bodies:

• Sony Alpha a7 IV 33MP Mirrorless Camera
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II 24.2MP Mirrorless Camera
• Nikon Z6 II 24.5MP Mirrorless Camera I dont really trust the third-party kits anymore. Sticking to body-only deals at Adorama or Focus Camera is usually a safer bet than those bloated bundles, imo.

@Reply #4 - good point! Prices have been all over the place lately, which is super frustrating when you're ready to drop two grand. Honestly, if you aren't tied to a specific mount yet, check out the Sony Alpha a7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera. It's pretty much the gold standard for travel work right now because the autofocus is just rock solid and handles NYC street shots perfectly. I'd also look at the Nikon Z6 II Mirrorless Camera if you want to save a bit more cash for glass. It feels way more professional in the hand than some of the newer entry-level bodies. I personally stopped chasing those random bundles because the included bags and cheap SD cards are usually trash anyway. Better to just grab the body and a decent lens separately from somewhere like Adorama or even a reliable used shop like KEH. You end up with way higher quality gear that way, and you're not paying for a bunch of extra junk you'll just end up throwing out or leaving in a closet.

Just catching up on this thread and it is clear everyone is hitting the same wall with these inflated bundle prices. Honestly, the consensus here is right, the current market is not as good as expected for value seekers. Building on the earlier suggestion, if you want something that actually holds up for travel, I would skip the bundles entirely and just grab a solid body.

• Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera
• Honestly, this is the better path for NYC street work and it often dips close to that 2k mark solo if you track it right.
• Panasonic Lumix S5II Full-frame Mirrorless Camera
• This one is super underrated for video if your travel work involves more than just stills. Unfortunately, almost every third-party site I had issues with in the past is still pulling the same gray market nonsense. Stick to official channels even if the price is a bit higher. It is frustrating, but at least your gear wont be DOA.

In my experience, sticking to major authorized dealers is the only safe way to go when spending that kind of money. I have seen too many people get burned by gray market deals on random sites that offer no real warranty. Over the years, Ive learned that if a bundle price seems too good to be true, it definitely is. Just dont trust those sleeper sites, honestly.

• Like someone mentioned, the promotional pricing has been highly volatile and unfortunately not as good as expected this season.
• While I disagree with the advice to completely write off alternative sellers, I have had issues finding any that actually guarantee long-term reliability and valid warranty support.
• Weeks of tracking data for a travel body under two grand have yielded zero viable leads, and it is incredibly frustrating to still be stuck in this same search.

100% agree