Want a good camera for taking family photos in the $2.5k- $3k price range
Asked a buddy for a do it all camera in 2.5k-$3k price range and a buddy suggested below. I didn’t mention to him that I wanted the camera specifically for taking family photos but that’s basically all I’ll be using it for.

This one he suggested to me a couple months back but i didnt pick it up, and I was about to pull the trigger yesterday and it now says discontinued::

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433711-REG/canon_eos_r_mirrorless_digital.html

So my same buddy recommended this::

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1733217-REG/canon_eos_r6_mark_ii.html
It has an option to select the same exact lense (24-105mm f/4 lense)  as well I believe? For $800 more. So if I did this option I’d basically just be getting the better upgraded body? I’m new to this and do not understand the difference between the lenses that come with these cameras


Found the discontinued model on this website though. Anyone ever order from this website?

https://www.abt.com/Canon-EOS-R-Mirrorless-Digital-Camera-With-24-105mm-Lens-3075C012/p/127082.html?store_code=&camptype=cpcUSGooglePLA&utm_source=google&utm_medium=sc&utm_campaign=SC%20Shopping%20-%20SSC%20-%20USA%20PLA%20-%20Canon&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgqKP1sHIggMV3EtHAR0gvw8EEAQYAiABEgL_3PD_BwE


Which of the two would you recommend of the two?

Are you taking the photos during travels?  Are you going to fly and/or go on long hikes, etc.?

I used to take my Pentax K5 with a 28/250mm zoom lens.

However, over the years and multiple family trips changed it to a kit of multiple smaller cameras that I can fit in my pockets.

Stuff I always take:
Panasonic ZS40 or a Sony RX-100 M7
Insta360 X3 (before I used a Ricoh Theta S) - it's impressive what you can do with it and the editing software
My cellphone (OnePlus 9 Pro that uses a Hasselblad camera system and takes very good photos)
I can fit all this stuff in my jacket or vest's pockets plus a couple accessories like a Manfrotto table tripod or a Platypod system, and also the Insta360 invisible stick.

Optional:
If I feel like it, I take the DJI Mini 3 Pro in its bag or the Hover X1.  For quick family selfies, the Hover is a lot easier and faster to use (and can also fit in a pocket).


I found that this is a more versatile and a lot more convenient to carry around, and did not compromise the photos' quality very noticeably and in total stays in your budget.

I edited the thread/op. I’m really focused on the two cameras i have listed. I Won’t really be traveling all that much and won’t need an action photos besides kids playing sports is the most type of movement I’d see for taking photos. Thanks for your help but If I wanted something small to take photos with I feel like I’d just use my phone

Digital cameras today are outstanding, and even relatively cheap ones are amazingly capable.  Buy a reasonably-priced or modestly-priced mirrorless body, and put the rest of your money into lenses.  If your budget is $2.5-$3k, spend $1k or less on an APS-C mirrorless body, and spend the rest on high quality glass.

Long gone are the days when digital cameras sucked so badly that you really had to splurge to get one that wouldn't limit you.   These days, my unpopular opinion is that the difference in camera accounts for essentially NOTHING in the family/amateur photo arena, you have to get into some niche areas before the body starts making a significant difference.   Fantastic family and travel photos are made by having an eye for aesthetics and art, and understanding how to use distance, posing, composition, and light....not by having a few more megapixels or a few more AF areas.

R6mk2 imo is a way better camera than the r, but both would be able to handle your needs for more entry level photography stuff.

I’m fairly pleased with my Nikon D850.

The Canon EOS R6 mkII is at least twice the camera that the EOS R is. The EOS R was Canon's first full frame mirrorless camera and sort of a proof of concept and test product to see if the market would actually buy a mirrorless camera. The R6 mkII has so many improvements over the EOS R that it would take too much time to list them all. And there's really nothing that the R offers that is better than the R6 mkII.

If you are looking to save some cash, buy from Canon's refurbish site. They have the R6 mkII refurb for $2,019.00, which is an absolute steal. Canon's refurb cameras are practically new, with full warranty and in great shape. You get all the standard accessories. (Definitely buy at least one extra battery though).

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/refurbished-eos-r6-mark-ii-body

Or if you want to save even more, and you don't think your photo taking needs quite warrant a semi pro level camera, the EOS R8 has most of the features of the R6 mkII, except for the In Body Image Stabilization, and I think not weather sealed. But I may be mistaken on the weather sealing. It's basically the little brother of the R6 mkII.

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/refurbished-eos-r8?color=Black&type=Refurbished

The refurb R8 is cheap enough that you could almost grab a refurbished RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens and still stay under your $3,000 budget. Only $3238 for the pair, and the 24-70 f/2.8 is a MUCH better lens than the RF 24-105 f/4. The 24-105 is a good lens, but the optics on the 24-70 and the wider aperture make low light and fast shooting much easier.

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/refurbished-rf-24-70mm-f2-8l-is-usm

I own the R6mkII, and the RF 24-105 f/4 as well as the 24-70 f/2.8 and there's no comparison. It's an amazing camera system that takes better pictures than I'm capable of. I also own the RF 70-200 f/4 telephoto lens, the RF 35mm f/1.8 and RF 16 f/2.8. I also own an EOS RP, which was Canon's second foray into full frame mirrorless cameras (after the EOS R, and before the EOS R5 and original R6 came out). Even the RP is capable of taking good pictures with quality lenses. It just doesn't shoot as fast, or have in body image stabilization, or weather sealing, and the auto focus and tracking is as good. But I mostly use it with my RF 35mm f/1.8 lens as my webcam for video conferencing.

Of the current lineup of Canon mirrorless cameras, if I was going to buy a back up to my R6 mkII, it would probably be the R8. (though I'm not fond of the arrow pad, instead of the scroll wheel on the back that the R6/R6mkII has).

FYI,

The picture and product description on this we page don't match. The Description say it includes the RF 24-105 f/4-7.1 IS STM lens, which is a bargain basement $350 lens and is a piece of garbage. The picture is of the 24-105 f/4 L IS USM lens which is a decent walking around lens (and the one I was talking about in my previous post).

long time nikon guy, but the new sony stuff is blown my socks off. never cared for canon. their naming convention is weird and I have avoided on principal. that and their over processed in camera look.

No worries.  My setup is designed to be light and very easy to use quickly.  When we are traveling, many things sometimes happen fast and I don't want to miss the moment.  I'm not into taking photos with everyone posing for the camera.

Since you mentioned no travels and focus on your kids' sports, a DSLR or a mirrorless with similar capabilities are unbeatable.  I used my Pentax a lot when my son was in the Little League and a swimming club.

As others said, the lens will play a critical role on this one.  Therefore, make sure to pick fast lenses.  Depending on the sport, how far you are from the action and overall lighting, the lenses will make or break it.

If you haven't done so yet, take a look at the Dpreview.com website.  Not sure how good it is after Amazon bought it.  Read mixed opinions about it.  However, it used to be my go-to for anything photography.

Talk with the folks at B&H also.  They have some good techs there who can give you some ideas and a used department where you might find very good deals.

Check Canon USA, to see what deals they have going; last couple years they've had some good holiday deals.


Of the options that you list... were it me... I'd buy the R6 MKII with the 24-105 f4 "L" lens. Better glass is always
1st choice over better body.

I would look into the Sony stuff.  If you are on a budget you can pick up Sigma or Tamron lens much cheaper than native lens.  I have a Sony a6700 and it is a phenomenal camera.  I have 2 Tamron lens, 1 Sigma and 1 Sony.  If you are only doing family portraits you really don't need full frame camera in my opinion.  If you were to start professionally then yeah, full frame.  I produce great pictures with the APS-C Sony cameras that most people would never know if it was full frame or APS-C.  And APS-C is quite a bit cheaper.

APSC - Canon R7
Full Frame - Canon R5

The R5 is out of the OPs budget, even refurbished.

Plus the R6/R6mkII has better low light capability. For what the OP wants to do, the 24mp will do everything he wants. He doesn't need the high mp count of the R5 or the 8k, or the high speed shooting.

I'm not a fan of APSC cameras. And their image quality sucks at lower light levels. Plus they don't have near the selection of native lenses that the full frame RF cameras have.

Thanks for the help everyone

I’m not so sure i want to go refurbished on the camera setup I’ll have to think about that. But Just to be clear, the  24-70 f/2.8 lense is much better than the lense circled in this photo below?

Attached File

Thanks
I’ll be doing the r6mk2

Don't be worried about buying a refurb from Canon. They are completely refurbished and  in great condition. I bought my first R6 refurbished and it was a great camera. Only sold it because I traded up to the R6 mkII because it has certain features that I wanted (mainly, unlimited recording time for video).

Yes, the 24-70 f2.8 doesn't have as long of a zoom range, but it has a wider aperture which means letting more light into the sensor, so you can take faster photos and better photos in lower light. But it also has better and more refined optics, which means cleaner, clearer photos.

It's a bit heavier and a bit larger than the 24-105 f4.

Don't even think about getting that 24-105 f4--7.1 lens. It's garbage. It's the most basic zoom lens and only fit for the most basic starter photos. Once you take a few pictures and realize that the image darkens up as you zoom in, you'll want to toss it in the garbage.

I once thought that the R5 was out of budget, but I made it in budget.  better to save for something you want vs settling and regretting.
I wanted both the R7 and R5, two different missions and totally worth the wait to pick it up.

I plan to use this for video too. Didn’t know the r6mk2 has unlimited video recording.

Im thinking of upping the budget a bit and going w the r6mk2 and the 24-70 lense that you linked if you say it’s that good.

And will go refurbished on canons website if it’s nothing to worry about. What else do I need to get off canons website to complete the package? Battery and charger?


Don’t know which website it was I was on, I think I pulled these off canon website reviews or bhphoto

Photos look great

Attached File
Attached File

The camera, even the refurb units, will come with a single battery and charger and strap. The 24-70 lens comes with lens caps, a storage bag for the lens and lens hood.

Buy at least one extra battery. Stay with the Canon OEM batteries. The LP-E6 NH will run you right at $70 anywhere you buy them. I have the battery grip which lets you run two batteries at a time and I can take 1,000s of photos all day long. I have 4 of the original Canon batteries. (Plus a bunch of off brand that don't work nearly as well).

I would recommend a better camera strap, the Canon strap is usable, but I like the Peak Design Slide Light.

I use Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards. I have two 128GB cards for my R6 mkII. (The R6 mkII has two card slots. And you can record to both at the same time. Or pictures to one, video to the other, or raw photos to one and jpegs to the other).

Some kind of case or bag to carry your camera and lenses in (you'll have more lenses soon, trust me).

A good USB-C cable to connect to your computer.

There's all kinds of extra accessories for video work that will run your budget through the roof: gimbals, cages, lights, microphones etc... But you won't need those you realize you actually do need them.

For the next lens you buy, I would recommend the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM. It's a good prime lens that is budget friendly and works well for both photo amd video work. It's only about $450, and can be had as low as $350 when on sale through the refurb site, so keep an eye on that.

Why not?  Buy from a reputable place like KEH or Adorama.  Trust their ratings.

Save thousands.

But you need to know exactly what you want (body, lens, etc.).  Buying used isn't for the "show me a camera that will let me take good pictures of my children" crowd.  Do your homework, decide what you want, and see what they have used.

Also, keep in mind you're really not buying a camera, you're buying a lens system.  Bodies come and go, but glass is forever.

Just so you know, those pics are as much a function of the post-processing work as they are a function of the gear used to take the pictures.  Not saying it's good, bad, or ugly, but don't expect frames like those to come directly out of the camera.

Fawn & Buck OOC by FredMan, on Flickr

Fawn & Buck by FredMan, on Flickr

Post processing work as in?… photoshop?

Also what scandisk extreme pro memory card exactly should i get?  They have ones with wide range of prices that have different mb written on them.


big money

I have the slightly older version of the Sandisk, the 170MB/s version. The 200 should work fine. Those are read speeds anyway. The write speeds are about 90MB/s.

I don't think you will need the 300MB version unless you plan to shoot a ton of 4k video.

Thanks
What’s the likelihood of these being a Black Friday sale on the canon website for these items? Or a 10% sale on everything ect?

There will undoubtedly be Black Friday sales on pretty much everything. But what those will be or how fast they sell out I can't say. My advise is to buy now if you see something in stock at a good price that you want. Otherwise you run the chance of things being out of stock through the end of the year with the rush to buy for the holidays.

I have a Sony RX100-7, and I highly recommend it. It is expensive, and is worth every penny to me. it has never failed me if I do my part, never. And if and when I wear it out, I will get another one, but I am expecting an upgrade to this camera anytime now. I believe it is now 3 or 4 years old.

I also had a Panasonic ZS50, it failed after 2.5 years, it had a free 2 year extended warranty, and Panasonic's USA contractor for repair would not repair it because they said I abused the camera. I didn't abuse it, I just used it A LOT. Panasonic does not have a company repair facility in the USA, so if you have problems with your Panasonic, expect to be treated poorly.

True to that. Sony A6700 is the cat's meow. BUT... the menu system is way more complicated than that of a Canon. If you get a A6700 I recommend at least 1 spare battery because this camera can be a power hog. I am using a 3rd party battery from B&H, and I get a warning from the camera that it could suffer damage, so far so good. I also have an A6600 that I keep as a spare backup body, or mount a WA 10-18 zoom lens. BTW Tamron makes a 10-18 zoom that is f/2.8 against Sony's F/4.0

Here’s your Black Friday deals on refurb Canon cameras and lenses:

R6mkII for $1799, and the RF 24-70 f2.8 for $1299. The R5 for just $2199! That’s a steal, they’re practically giving them away at that price.

https://www.canonrumors.com/massive-discounts-on-refurbished-gear-from-canon-usa/

Smokin deal!!!! Thanks again Grendel

I broke down and bought the refurbished RF 50mm f1.8 lens for $79.

I already had the EF 50mm f1.8. But this deal was too good to pass up.

Wish I had enough for the RF 70-200mm f2.8 or the RF 85mm f1.2.

What’s the difference between these two lenses?

The mounting system ef is the older dslr mount, rf is the new mirrorless mount. You can use ef glass on an rf camera body with the right adapter

Thanks

What is the RF 50mm f1.8 lens typically used for? It’s so cheap compared to the others

Buy a 3-5 year old mid tier camera and make pictures

It's typically considered the starter portrait lens. It let's in more light as the aperture is larger so you can take pictures at higher frame rates, and you get more background blurring (bokeh) with a 1.8 than you do a 2.8. The 50mm has a field of view close to that of the human eye.

The 50mm f1.8 is often recommended as the second lens to buy after a quality zoom. Often called the Nifty Fifty or Thrifty Fifty because they are so cheap. The cheap ones aren't super high quality images, but for the money they do a darn good job. Especially while you are learning.

In the end, it's just another lens that offers a different option for different looks.

Thanks. I would have grabbed one of the refurbished wasnt oos. Still thinking about buying full price for $160 for non refurb. I’m guessing the new non refurb lense is same price that the refurb price normally is without Black Friday sale.

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/eos-r50-rf-s18-45mm-f4-5-6-3-is-stm-rf-s55-210mm-f5-7-1-is-stm-lens-kit?color=Black&type=New

I already got the r6mk2

Thats a heck of a pro tool for civilian work

what will you do with these
"family photos"?

Walmart has a good Printing department in store

Going back, 50mm was considered the standard lens whereas now a days a zoom that covers 50mm is considered std.

On a full frame digital or 35 mm film the 50mm is closest to the same field of view as the naked eye.

I’ll be posting the photos here to share with you. I can tag you when I post if you want.

Cool, i expect something burn  worthy

They canceled my order.

Any camera websites still having extended Black Friday/ cyber Monday deals?

Sorry to hear that. I've had great experiences ordering from Canon. Got my last lens about 3 days after ordering. But I have them sent to my house.

Check B&H and Adorama. They are still running Cyber Monday deals.

For the money, don't over look the APS-C cameras.  While they are not quite as good as full frame cameras in low light and dynamic range, they are still really capable for family portraits (and many other forms of photography) especially when you get good lenses.  I was even at a wedding recently that the professional photographer was using Fuji X-T5's for their camera, which are APS-C.  The difference between APS-C and Full Frame currently is not that far.  And the nice thing about either Canon's or Sony's APS-C camera's is that you can use either their full frame or APS-C lenses.

You can get a Sony A6700 and 2 excellent Sigma or Tamron lenses for the cost of a full frame body alone.  The Sony's autofocus with AI is insanely good.  Or look at Canon's APS-C cameras.  They are very competent for what style of photography you are looking at doing.

If you are dead set on full frame look at the Sony A7C II.  A friend of mine has the Sony A7 IV with the same 33MP sensor that the A7C II has and it has extremely good photo quality with the added bonus of the AI autofocus.  Plus you can get either Sigma or Tamron lenses for a lot cheaper price than native Sony or Canon lenses and they are just as good, especially for basic family portraits.

For general use* - this post is gold. This is going to sound like sacrilege but AI has made such advances that you can get a decent resolution APC-C sensor, good glass and be ahead of the game monetarily for most purposes.

It's not like it used to be, where you did have to upgrade to full frame sensors to have that look. (I say this as someone with a Sony A7RIV who doesn't regret it - I always wanted a full frame high res sensor camera - but may have made a different decision if I was in the market right now)

*if you're making your living with the camera or are something like a landscape/wildlife photographer yeah, get the extra resolution. That's kind of niche though, and I know plenty of photographers with modern APS-C sensors that are doing excellent work.

Someone at canon made things right and got my order through :)


Plus right now the r6 mk2 is $1760 cheaper than it was on black friday

That's great to hear. You'll have a good combination to start taking some nice photos.