Ive been shooting on my trusty a6400 for about four years now, mostly doing street photography and some local events. I know the E-mount system inside out at this point, but I just got booked for a pretty major indoor evening wedding next month and I desperately need to upgrade to a full-frame body for that low-light performance. I am aiming for an A7 IV or even a clean A7 III if the price is right.
Here is the issue. I usually buy all my gear refurbished from places like KEH or MPB, but lately their prices are barely cheaper than buying brand new. It is kind of crazy how inflated the used market feels right now. My budget is capped at $1300 for the body since I also need to grab a 24-70mm f2.8 lens.
Since I am in Boston, I checked some local shops but no luck on promos. Are there any hidden forums, specific authorized dealers that run unadvertised discount codes, or maybe seasonal trade-in events that I am missing? I need to pull the trigger in the next two weeks. Where are you guys finding the best actual discounts on Sony mirrorless bodies these days?
> My budget is capped at $1300 for the body since I also need to grab a 24-70mm f2.8 lens. For an indoor evening wedding, you need to be careful with low-light autofocus tracking reliability. I would suggest looking at Greentoe for custom bids on new gear, or checking B&H Photo's refurbished section early in the morning. At your budget, here is how the options stack up:
- Sony Alpha 7 III 24.2MP Mirrorless Camera
- Usually runs around $1000 used. Pros: Dual card slots which are essential for wedding backups, and great battery life. Cons: Older 693-point AF system that struggles in dim reception halls compared to newer tech.
- Sony Alpha 7 IV 33MP Mirrorless Camera
- Hard to find under $1500, but has the Bionz XR processor. Pros: Incredible real-time tracking and low-light AF down to -4 EV. Cons: Stretching your budget limits your lens options. You might want to consider the Sony Alpha 7C 24.2MP Mirrorless Camera too, but be careful since it only has a single card slot which is risky for paid gigs.
> My budget is capped at $1300 Unfortunately, used market prices are terrible now. I had issues finding a clean Sony Alpha 7 III under that budget, so I just rented one from ShareGrid instead.
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