Ive been shooting with a DSLR for a decade now and Im finally making the switch to mirrorless before my trip to Tokyo next month. I know my way around a sensor but man, the pricing on these kits is weird lately. My logic was that buying a bundle would save me a few hundred on glass, but BH and Adorama are basically just charging full price for the kit lenses right now. Ive got about $1500 to drop and was looking at the A6700 or maybe an X-T5 if I can find a steal. Are there any hidden outlet sites or maybe edu discounts that actually move the needle on bundles anymore? The math just isnt adding up on the big retailers right now...
ngl, the bundle game has changed a lot since I started shooting years ago. I remember hunting for deals on the old forums and getting scammed by a grey market seller who basically sent me a box with no warranty and a weird manual. You really gotta be careful with those too good to be true prices you see on random sites. If you are stuck on that 1500 limit, I would suggest looking at these two options instead of hunting for hidden coupons.
- Sony Alpha a6700 with 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS: This is probably your safest bet for Tokyo since the autofocus is basically magic. Just make sure to check the Sony official education store if you still have an old edu email, they actually move the needle sometimes.
- Fujifilm X-T5 with 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS: Honestly, this one is a bit over budget brand new, but check the Fuji refurbished site. I picked up a body there once and it was basically mint condition. Just watch out for the slightly slower tracking compared to the Sony stuff. tbh, the math usually doesnt add up on big retail kits anymore. I usually just buy a used body and then find the glass separately on a forum marketplace to save the real money.
