I tried to buy an open box Sony a6400 with the 18-135 lens today but Best Buy didn't realize the lens was missing. ?? 3 hours wasted going back and forth.

I like the idea of the 18-135 as I can just pack it and not worry for anything I'll want to do (best I can tell )

They have an a6600 which I'm thinking of trying to get them to give me a discount. Doesn't hurt to ask.

Of course, as price goes up I'm questioning the purchase. And all the reviews are from 2019 and 2020, including comparisons to other makes.

Is there something else I should be looking at? Newer technology that has come out? Better connectivity? Something with a new feature that's worth changing my mind over?

At $1050+tax I felt it was worth going to the 6400 open box over the 6100. At the 6600 price I'm really not thrilled as it's another 50% more than I want to spend.

It really seems like Sony has a great autofocus, great low light shooting, great tracking and that seems to stand out against everything in the price range. I'm seeing others that have better glass, maybe a better menu navigation, but the reviews seem quite positive. The one negative that keeps coming up is that their basically the older series in many ways.

All I really want to do is take pictures of my kid, some marketing stuff as I get my part time business going, and maybe enjoy a new hobby. Get a point and shoot for $600 and call it a day because I'll carry it more? Buy an iPhone?

Any thoughts?

Honestly if you're going to be taking photos of your kid it's hard to beat a modern phone and learning the basics about lighting.   Now if you want decent photos of your kid playing sports,.. then you pretty much need to be looking for a "real camera".

If you're looking for a new hobby i can't recommend photography enough.   Love love love it.   In general you want to spend more on lenses than bodies unless you're getting tip top bodies like the Z9 or A1 or other crazy expensive camera.   For your first camera though maybe grab something used and cheap before locking yourself into a manufacturer ecosystem?  I am not super familiar with the Sony a6400/6600, but try to get something with external manual controls for aperture, shutter speed, focal length, and ISO.  Hunting through menus on some of the entry level camera bodies can be miserable and not the best way to learn.

I also recommend using it as much as possible in full manual for the first year or so too as you learn.

I get crappy photos out of my phone even literally inside of a light box. Forget the kitchen. The digital zoom just makes things worse. Then I'm screwing around cropping and adjusting. I know, that's part of the fun but it's not fun when it's a $50 item for eBay. And you're still not fixing the focus being out.

I know I don't need a $1500+ camera to do what I want.

I'm looking at a Sony RX100 VII open box right now, and thinking I might try it guilt free for a couple of days. Will get more use if it's not at home in the bag, I guess. $900 point and shoot? Ugh. It has good reviews at least.

Lost all my excitement today, I probably just need to regroup and bug the crap out of y'all and then not take any advice in the end

being a Nikon guy, I can't recommend an older D750 with a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 enough.  

You can pick them up used for cheap now.    Huge bang for the buck combo.

You should look into Fuji. I’ve been into photography more years and I can remember. A couple of years ago I got rid of all my Canon gear and went Fuji mirror less. Couldn’t be happier

I haven't kept up with camera stuff for at least a couple of years due to the pandemic killing off most of the kids sports that got me into it.

That said, I have both the a6400 and a6500 and they're both great cameras. If memory serves, the a6400 has superior eye-focus and tracking while the a6500 has built-in stabilization. Either camera can also benefit from stabilized lenses.

I still sometimes use the a6500 over the a6400 depending on which lens I'm using so if you find a deal on an a6500, it's still worth considering despite being older. Also, the 18-135 lens is probably my most used with decent lighting and just a great lens for the price.

BTW the Apple Iphone phonecams are really good. Even though the Iphones have super small sensors, they use software to overcome their small sensor limitations; but if you want to take fast action phone cams won't do. The above post by "TheAmaazingCarl" is spot on.

I have a Sony RX100-7. Great little camera that I carry around. The Sony RX100-7 is way better than any cell phone. Personally where portability is not prime requisite, I would forgo this, at $1,300+tax it is really expensive.

I also have a Sony A6600, from what I understand from the rumor mill, there is possibilty that it MAY be discontinued, the price has increased $100 in anticipation. The A6400(BO'd) is a good compromise from the top-of-the line A6600(BO'd). The A6400 does much of the same as the A6600, so for your puropses as from your OP, you won't need the features of the more advanced A6600 and save yourself some bucks. BTW IF you get a Sony A6xxx, be sure to get some spare batteries, as they are really power hogs.

Also consider some DX cameras either mirrorless or DSLR from either Nikon or Canon. I have a Nikon D500 and D7500, and I've used the heck out of them, and they function perfectly today. I have taken >100k photos, on both camera. IF and when I wear out the shutter or other mechanism, it will be time for a replacement body.

Personally for me I'm a fan of the DX/crop-frame cams, as they provide me the best compromise between picture taking ability and cost & equipment weight.

BTW IIRC the  NIkon D500 is now officially being discontinued because of the current semi-conductor shortage.

I would also stay away from Panasonic cameras, lots of good hype; but they don't have company-owned repair facilities in the US, and so their repair is contracted to a 3rd party company. I had an older Panasonic RS50; which when it worked, it was great. But however when it broke down, they failed to repair my RS50 under their extended warranty, I had 2 months left.  True I used the RS50 hard and but they should've been repaired it under their extended warranty.


Personally I have bad experiences with Best Buy; so today, my "go to" camera retailers are either B&H or Adorama, even if you have pay more. They will come thru for you. I have found that some camera retailers are less than ethical, and to save yourself the heartarche, pain, & disappointment.