What camera?

Sony a6500 or the a7ii would be good choices to start out with if you want mirrorless!

Based on what you said though I would recommend picking up a used Canon 7d mark ii (usually around $800) and a 50mm 1.8 or a cheaper zoom to get started. (not sure what the best cheap-ish lens options are for Canon as I had my L glass before the Canon body). This body is a bit larger and heavier than the mirrorless options, but what you are going to get is an amazingly fast and advanced auto focus system that is best in its price range for shooting sports and wildlife (Also some crazy fast burst). I don't really want to give the full review here, but take a look.. if you can pick up a decent lens it would be a great option!

Canon glass is good but their bodies are shit for what the competition has had out for years now. My opinion would be to spend most on good glass, makes a hell of a difference

**This post was edited on Nov 4th 2019 at 7:12:38am

DaVinci Resolve, or since you have a MacBook you can go with Final Cut Pro student (which comes with Logic Pro X) for $200. If you have experience with iMovie go with FCP but if you don't want to spend any money, Resolve is great.

isaacwrongCanon glass is good but their bodies are shit for what the competition has had out for years now. My opinion would be to spend most on good glass, makes a hell of a difference

**This post was edited on Nov 4th 2019 at 7:12:38am

What do you mean their bodies are shit? Canon makes some of the best photo bodies, which is what OP wants...

Nikon and canon are a good choice. If you want the most bang for buck canon is the best way to go. You have a huge collection of Lenses to choose from of which most are reasonably priced if not cheaper than their competition.

I really do not recommend going for sony if you are on a budget. Their Lens collection is rather small and overpriced. I am not sure about the pricerange Fuji is in.

Things besides camera and lens which you probably want are a tripod and possibly a ND filter for Landscapes when hiking. Make sure you buy a tripod with a ballhead... that will make setting up your composition much more enjoyable.

Considering what you want it for, I would definitely go with a weather sealed body. Unfortunately no brand (other than Pentax) has weather sealing in all their bodies, so if you're after a small mirrorless with weather sealing for $1000 with a kit lens then you're not going to be able to get any recent cameras.

Sony a6500 and Fuji XT-2 are both good options for mirrorless (if you can get them for the price you;re after). If you're leaning towards the Sony then be sure to actually pick one up first. Their grips and general ergonomics kinda suck for people with large hands (and suck in general) as well as their weather sealing being the about as bad as it gets. The Fuji doesn't have IBIS, it has a huge lens selection, but their lenses are kind of expensive. Personally I'd lean towards the Fuji between those two.

If you're willing to consider DSLRs then a Nikon d7200 or Canon 7d mk2 can be picked up pretty cheap and there are a ton of cheap lenses around. But the bodies are huge compared to a6500 or XT-2.

Then there's the option of getting a full frame mirrorless, like the A7ii. The downside being for your budget you're stuck with much older models which are not exactly refined (shitty grips, shitty weather sealing, shitty battery life, etc). Still good cameras, but if you're after a camera body that will last you 5-10 years then maybe not a good option.


My best advice would be this:

Get a body based on the lenses available. You will absolutely get bored with a kit lens and will want to buy a ton more in the future. Do you think you'll get into shooting wildlife and stuff like that? Go price out all the lenses you could maybe see yourself buying and see if they actually exist for your body. If you get into photography you will absolutely upgrade your body sometime in the future, so make sure it's in a system that suits your needs for lenses so you won't have to sell and buy new lenses.

^ Shooting wildlife is the ultimate goal, on top of just taking pictures with friends, family, portraits, skiing, etc etc.

I'm currently looking for a used X-T2 as I loved the way it felt in my hands and it seems their lenses are pretty well received. There is also rumor of an X-T4 coming out with all the updated sensors and such, but with IBIS. My plan is to switch whatever lens I accumulate beforehand and get the XT-4.

I also love the canons but haven't found a 7d mark ii or 90d in my price range- even used.

If anyone knows of someone unloading any of the bodies I mentioned above let me know ;)

Sounds like you should go for the XT2 then. Still a solid camera despite being older. And yea, once the XT4 comes out I bet it will be amazing. Although it will definitely be like $1800 body only at release.