Ive been shooting with my old dslr for probably six or seven years now, definitely got my moneys worth out of that body. recently the shutter count is getting way up there and I noticed some weird banding in low light stuff, so its finally time to upgrade. looking into mirrorless now, probably gonna go with sony or maybe fuji but the body only prices are always tempting until you start pricing out glass. im trying to stay under two grand for the whole setup because I have a trip to iceland coming up in october and I dont want to be broke before I even get on the plane.
ive been checking the usual suspects like best buy and bh photo but honestly the bundles are all over the place. sometimes you get a decent lens and a bunch of garbage accessories, other times the pricing is barely better than buying it all separate. does anyone know which retailers are actually worth checking for real deals on bundles? like, are there specific shops that curate better starter kits or should I just stick to finding a solid body deal and wait for a sale on glass later? super torn on this one...
> bundles are all over the place. Unfortunately, I had issues with cheap kits. Better to buy a reliable Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera and one quality lens instead.
Been thinking about your setup since I saw your post. Honestly, the big retailers love pushing those massive kits with cheap accessories, and its super frustrating. I once bought a bundle thinking I was set, but the SD cards were absolute junk and failed mid-shoot. Unfortunately, you usually end up paying for a bunch of plastic trash that just ends up in a drawer. If you really want to save cash for Iceland, skip the junk bundles and hunt for open-box deals. I have had solid luck grabbing a Sony Alpha a6400 24.2MP Mirrorless Camera at a discount through authorized retailers. You should spend your budget on one solid lens instead of five mediocre ones. Look for a used Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens to pair with it. It is way sharper and much better for landscapes than whatever kit lens they try to force on you.
Honestly, buying those pre-packaged bundles at big box stores is usually a trap. You end up with cheap filters and bags that dont protect your gear. For a trip to Iceland, you need reliability, so I suggest sticking to reputable retailers like B&H or Adorama and skipping the third-party bundles entirely.
- Look for the Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera 16-50mm Lens Kit which is a solid, weather-sealed starting point.
- Check used departments for high-quality glass like the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G Lens to save cash.
- Avoid any bundles that include generic memory cards, just get a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I Card separately. Building your kit piece by piece is much safer. Dont get tempted by the extra junk included in those kits, just focus on the body and one versatile lens.
