One of my biggest hobbies is photography. I just love getting out with a camera to snap pictures of the world around me. That could be landscape shots after a long hike, or simply wandering around town capturing life as it happens.
While I shoot on a range of analog gear, when it comes to my mirrorless camera, it's simple. I've been a Sony shooter all my life, and have found no reason to move on from my trusty A6100 just yet.
Well, that is until now. See, the Amazon Prime Day sale just threw a very tempting spanner in the works. That's because the Sony Alpha 7 ii camera – complete with a 28-70mm kit lens – is down to just £769 right now!
Sony Alpha 7 II: was £1,008.79, now £769 at Amazon
This Sony Alpha 7 II with a kit lens is 24% off right now at Amazon. That's everything you need to start shooting on a beautiful full frame setup, complete with in-body-image stabilisation for sharper shots.
That's a really tempting offer. While I've been very content with my setup so far, the allure of a full frame sensor is very real. This represents a staggeringly low price point to enter that market, too.
Kit lenses often get some stick within the photography world, but they're useful things to have. I still use the kit lens on my current camera, and the result are just gorgeous.
With that being said, if I were looking to move onto a full frame sensor, I'd probably upgrade my lens collection a little, too. I'm a big fan of prime lenses for their superior optics and limiting nature, which forces me to see compositions I may have otherwise missed.
Thankfully, I've found cracking deals on a pair of top Sony prime lenses, too!
Sony 35mm f1.8 prime lens: was £630, now £385 at Amazon
Save a cracking £245 on this brilliant 35mm prime lens at Amazon. The 35mm focal length is great for capturing true-to-life content with a slightly wider field of view.
Sony 85mm f1.8 prime lens: was £600, now £345 at Amazon
If you thought the deal on the 35mm was good, this might be even better! A £255 saving makes this perfect portrait lens an absolute bargain. It's a brilliant choice for mid-range shooting, taking you a little further from your subject.
Those two fast prime lenses – plus the kit lens that comes with the camera – should make for a pretty nifty setup which covers all but the telephoto end of the spectrum. That's enough for 90% of my shooting, and would be a lot of fun to use.
What's more, with a total combined price tag of just £1,499, that's a really solid deal. It's not an insignificant amount of money, but it's great value given the sheer volume of tech included.
Of course, if I wanted to save a little cash, I could just stick with my current camera and snag a new lens or two. For me personally, I'd love to find something which pushes a little further into the telephoto range. Having used a couple of longer lenses when testing the Fujifilm X-T50 and the Fujifilm GFX100S II earlier this year, I became hooked.
Fortunately, there are a pair of really solid choices for me in the sale.
Sony E PZ 18-105 mm f/4.0 G: was £530, now £339 at Amazon
A brilliant zoom which covers everything from wide-angle to on-the-edge-of-telephoto? Sign me up! At just £339, this is a brilliant do-everything lens, which would be a much better option for a wide range of uses.
Sony 55-210mm Telephoto Zoom lens: was £209, now £169 at Amazon
The easiest entry point into those longer focal lengths, this is a great value option for APS-C sensors. At just £169, you're getting a lot of range for peanuts – this one just might end up in my basket!
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Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.
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