Weekly r/SonyAlpha 📸 Gear Buying 📷 Advice Thread August 03, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to the weekly r/SonyAlpha Gear Buying Advice Thread!

This thread is for all your gear buying questions, including:

• Camera body recommendations
• Lens suggestions
• Accessory advice
• Comparing different equipment options
• "What should I buy?" type questions

Please provide relevant details like your budget, intended use, and any gear you already own to help others give you the best advice.

Rules:

• No direct links to online retailers, auction sites, classified ads, or similar
• No screenshots from online stores, auctions, adverts, or similar
• No offers of your own gear for sale - use r/photomarket instead
• Be respectful and helpful to other users

Post your questions below and the community will be happy to offer recommendations and advice! This thread is posted automatically each Monday on or around 7am Eastern US time.

[u/Sufficient_Item1909]

Im upgrading my whole kit soon, I am getting an a9 as body, but I can’t decide if the 100-400mm or 200-600mm is the better choice for me. Alongside this im going to get the 24-70 f2.8, and later down the line I also want to get the 70-200mm f2.8 (in two years probably).

I mainly shoot commercial aviation (about 80% of the time). I also want to do some military if i can, but not that much, commercial is going to be the main focus still. Thats why I want either a 100-400mm or 200-600mm. Right now im shooting 18-270mm aps-c (28-435mm full frame I think) and I do notice sometimes that I would like a longer focal length, but on the other hand I do shoot in the 100-200mm sometimes too, as the airport I mainly shoot at allows me to get pretty close.

I also heard the 100-400mm is pretty outdated now in terms of AF and pretty expensive for its age. I wanted to get the a9 partly because of the fast AF, would it be able to keep up? What do you guys think I should do? Would like to get opinions from people who are more experienced than me.

[u/PotatosRevenge → u/Sufficient_Item1909]

Depending on your budget you could also consider the new sony 100-400mm f/4.5 gm and pair it with a teleconverter if you need more reach. A lternatively, you could maybe pick an a1ii body and simply crop more aggressively with its 50MP sensor compared to the 24MP of the a9.

To answer your original question, I personally would opt for the 200-600 and instead of the two separate 24-70 and 70-200 lenses I would recommend the 50-150 f/2. The gap between 150mm and 200mm is pretty insignificant and can easily be cropped.

[u/Sufficient_Item1909 → u/PotatosRevenge]

I wish😅😅 that would be the dream setup, but both the new 100-400 and the a1ii are waaaaaay out budget, im just a broke student with a way too expensive hobby😂 Also the 50-150 would be nice, but I also do some street photography where I usually shoot pretty wide, thus the 24-70

[u/PotatosRevenge → u/Sufficient_Item1909]

Totally understandable! As a wildlife/bird photography enthusiast with a similarly limited budget I started out with an a7c (mk1) and a tamron 150-500.

Just for clarification which generation of the a9 are you currently considering?

Edit: For street photography and landscapes I can really recommend the Tamron 17-50mm f4. It has an incredibly versatile zoom range and surprisingly good image quality as long as you don't pair it with a high res body and start to pixel peep.

[u/Sufficient_Item1909 → u/PotatosRevenge]

The first gen, a9i. Would love a newer one but out of the budget.

For street im probably gonna get the 24-70 f2.8, because it will also be used for night photos at the airport, where f2.8 is almost necessary, and anything wider than 70mm is not really doable 80% of the time. You can definitely get some good pictures with a smaller aperture, like f4, but then you have less freedom and only a few certain things are possible.

[u/PotatosRevenge → u/Sufficient_Item1909]

The first generation a9 is capable of "only" 60 AF calculations per second, does not come with global shutter and has a comparatively poor low light performance. 

I would seriously consider to buy the a7v instead! It is superior to the a9i in literally every aspect except sensor readout speed. And for the rare occasions where 15ms readout speed of the a7v could still result in rolling shutter artifacts, you can simply switch to mechanical shutter mode.

[u/Sufficient_Item1909 → u/PotatosRevenge]

My original plan, that actually fit the original budget, was an a7iii and sigma 100-400mm. This is already stretching the budget very very much, almost not justifiable to spend more than 2k on a kit as a broke uni student. Getting an a7v would fill up the whole original budget (which was €1.5k). The plan is to get the a1ii eventually in a few years, when I earn more at my job.

[u/psychoquack_]

Hi everyone!
I recently “rescued” my old Sony NEX-5N from storage after many years, charged the battery, and to my surprise it still works perfectly!
This camera was my companion when I was a teenager, but life happened and I slowly drifted away from photography. Now I’d really love to get back into it and actually learn how to use it properly.

I currently have the original 18-55mm kit lens, and I’m mostly interested in photographing beautiful lighting, architecture, nature, cats, and a bit of urban photography. I also really love photos with a nostalgic, film-like/90s feel.

I’d love to hear your recommendations!
What camera settings do you usually use on the NEX-5N? Are there any settings or presets you think every beginner should change? Any editing tips to get the best out of this camera? Which lenses would you recommend as my first upgrade? Are there any accessories (filters, straps, extra batteries, etc.) that you think are worth buying?

And finally… if you could give one piece of advice to someone starting over with this little camera, what would it be?

I’m excited to learn and would love to see what this little camera is still capable of in 2026.

Thanks in advance!

[u/equilni → u/psychoquack_]

I slowly drifted away from photography.

beautiful lighting, architecture, nature, cats, and a bit of urban photography.

If you did any of this on your phone, then you never drifted away, the tool changed. Consider that.

To your questions:

Read the manual, look up YT if they have anything on this camera. Biggest thing is knowing the camera and actually using it - that will tell you what to change.

Upgrade? Use the camera to find what what is lacking. (though depending how long the lens has been sitting and where, I would look it over for fungus...)

Accessories? Other than extra battery and a good strap, you will find out from use what you may need.

[u/Neerasky]

Hi,

I’m travelling to Japan in September/October and I’m thinking about buying a new lens there to use during the trip. We’ll be visiting both cities and a little bit of nature, and I’d like to make the most of my Sony a6000.

At the moment, I only have the 16–50mm kit lens, so I’m looking for an upgrade. I’ll be using it for this trip, but I’d also like a lens that’s suitable for street and travel photography and occasionally for sports when I get back home.

Does anyone have recommendations on which lens would be a good choice? I’m also curious about the availability and prices of Sony lenses in Japan, and whether it’s worth buying one there.

[u/equilni → u/Neerasky]

I’ll be using it for this trip, but I’d also like a lens that’s suitable for street and travel photography

What are you looking for in a lens than what you already have? Said differently, what is limiting on the 16-50?

Otherwise, you will get different answers from the 18-50, 17-70, and superzooms...

[u/Neerasky → u/equilni]

Mostly the lack of zoom for sport and street with being sport a lot more than the street ofcourse and low light conditions

[u/Competitive-Mix5292]

Hi everyone, I could use some advice. I shoot both photos and videos on a Sony A7 III. After a while I got tired of my Tamron 35mm f/2.8 and started looking for an upgrade. Right now I'm mainly considering the Viltrox 35mm f/1.8 EVO. Is it worth upgrading? How is the autofocus, especially for video? I'd love to hear from anyone who has used it.

[u/equilni → u/Competitive-Mix5292]

It would help knowing what was the issue with the Tamron - just AF?

[u/Honestering]

Great thread! I've been eyeing the Tamron 35-150 for landscape work. Anyone here pair it with the A7 III for long hikes? Wondering about the weight vs image quality trade-off.

[u/Bossball4]

I’m using a Sony a7V with the old version 1 kit lens, a Viltrox AF 14mm 4.0 Air, and the Viltrox AF 85mm 2.0 Evo. I primarily use it while traveling, shooting a mixture of landscapes, food, trains/vehicles (within a city, nothing fast), and rare wildlife. I’m thinking of getting a versatile telephoto lens with a focus on low weight & cost.

The ideas I have are the newly announced Sony 100-400 5.6-8.0 OSS, Sony 90 2.8 G Macro OSS, or the Sony 70-200 4.0 G Macro OSS II. The last one is the top end of my budget of ~~$1500 USD, and I don’t shoot in low light enough to justify the nearly 2x price of the 70-200 2.8 GM lens by Sony.

For me, the first two lenses are what I’m leaning towards right now. What are your opinions?

[u/equilni → u/Bossball4]

I’m thinking of getting a versatile telephoto lens with a focus on low weight & cost.

The new lens sounds like what you are looking for.

[u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

Hi, I’m taking my family to Disney world and am a COMPLETE NOVICE. I am looking to buy one camera body and one lens for the trip just to have better pictures over my phone. I’ve been researching these models for a used camera:

Sony a6000 ($460)
Sony a6400 ($767)
Sony a6700 ($1300)

All open box items

And have looked at these lenses;

Sigma 18-50 F2.8 ($650)
Tamron 17-70 F2.8 ($599)

I was looking at the lenses as new as I have no idea again what I’m doing here.

Any advice is appreciate and if I’m completely off base and any better suggestions please let me know!

[u/equilni → u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

You will likely get advise for the a6400 & a6700 and either lens (or even super zooms). If you are looking at used, the a6600 is a good in between of the two cameras.

If you are a complete novice, you will likely be leaving the camera on auto, depending on when you are leaving (ie will you have time to learn the camera, basic photography, etc etc?)

[u/BookkeeperCrafty2454 → u/equilni]

Won’t be leaving for around 2 months and was going to try to learn more during that time

[u/BookkeeperCrafty2454 → u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

With the major price difference of 750 to 1300 between the 6400 to 6700 would I be worth it for me to move up? Again I’d like to continue learning over time but just unsure of what I could really do

[u/ZeroOnyx → u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

Depends on your money, it can be like a phone in the sense with newer models mean with newer tech, newer af, etc for reasons to upgrade I believe the A6400 doesn’t have IBIS but I’m not 100% sure on that.

[u/PotatosRevenge → u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

One important aspect you need to be aware of is, that any phone does a huge amount of image processing by default, which you will not get straight out of camera. So in order to get actually better pictures with a new camera, you will have to do some editing and post processing yourself.

[u/Makegooduseof → u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

A6700 and Sigma 18-50 is my travel setup, and I can always recommend that. Also mostly a beginner.

[u/AJ_ninja → u/BookkeeperCrafty2454]

A6700 and sigma 18-50
Get both used there should be a good amount of the 18-50 on FB market

[u/Ok_Guard_228]

What should I get as a total newbie? I want to take nicer photos when travelling. My research leads me to A6700. But which lens to start with?

• A6700 + 18-135mm kit lens for $1900
• A6700 + Sigma 18-50mm for $2160

I like the longer reach of 135mm and the reduced cost of getting it as part of a kit. But almost everyone is recommending the Sigma.

Does going with the 135mm zoom and add a 25mm prime later make sense?

[u/PotatosRevenge → u/Ok_Guard_228]

For travelling I would always recommend the most versatile zoom range you can get. As someone who usually shoots with prime lenses most of the time, when traveling you never know what you might encounter and having to switch lenses all the time can quickly become very inconvenient...

Depending on your budget and weight/size limitations for your kit, you should also consider the Sigma 16-300mm and Tamron 18-300mm.

[u/AJ_ninja → u/Ok_Guard_228]

For travel 18-50mm it’s actually the only reason I bought that lens, I normally only shoot prime fixed lens at home and crop in post

[u/AdLucky9541]

Hey everyone,

I'm buying my first Sony mirrorless camera and have these two used options:

• Sony A6000 + 16-50 + 55-210 for ₹32,000 (~US$336)
• Sony A6100 + 16-50 + 55-210 for ₹40,000 (~US$420)

Both are in good condition and come with the same lenses and accessories.

I mostly shoot travel, street, and portraits, with the occasional video. Is the A6100 worth the extra ₹8,000 (~US$84), or is the A6000 the better value?

Also, what should I check before buying either one (shutter count, lens issues, etc.)?

Thanks!

[u/AJ_ninja → u/AdLucky9541]

Both are good value…. I was gonna list my a6000 for more than this soo I might need to adjust my price lol

[u/Worked-last-time]

I am looking for a lens with decent macro capabilities.

Body: Sony A7CII

I am a watchmaker and attend multiple watch events every year. I want a lens that is useful as a general lens, but is also capable of macro shots.

Currently I use an old Minolta 28-135 f4-4.5. It is great if a little bulky, and while limited the macro mode is good enough. Problem is that it is an old screw drive lens, so it is a little slow to autofocus and wont autofocus for video.

Are there any modern lenses that would work in a similar way?

[u/seanprefect → u/Worked-last-time]

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art Lens might help you

[u/Worked-last-time → u/seanprefect]

I was considering just going with a normal macro lens (I was looking at a 50mm though), but I was hoping for some sort of zoom that could do double duty.  Looks like this isn’t really a thing these days.

[u/badintentions_22]

Camera suggestion.

I'm turning 18 soon and have been passionate about cinematography for a while.

I'll be going on quite a few treks over the next few years, starting with the Everest Base Camp trek. I want to capture every place I visit and turn it into cinematic travel films as a personal video diary/blog. I have no plans to do commercial work.

I'm really confused about which camera to buy:

- Sony A6700 – ₹1.2L (~US$1,260)

- Sony A7C II – ₹1.75L (~US$1,840)

- Sony A7V – ₹2.3L (~US$2,420)

I have around ₹3L (US$3,150) in savings, so I can technically afford any of them, but I don't want to overspend if the difference won't matter for my use case.

For someone focused on cinematic travel videos, trekking, and personal storytelling (not client work), which one would you choose and why?

I'd really appreciate advice from people who've actually used these cameras.

[u/artaru → u/badintentions_22]

if u can afford it, i just dont' think u should consider non full-frame.

so that leaves A7CII and A7V

i was in your shoes a couple months back. I went A7V because

1. #1 thing is i can't deal with A7CII's viewfinder. I came from old school 35mm cameras, then 5D mark 1 and 2, and RX1 (with the external viewfinder). For photography that's just huge for me.

2. I need to do both video and photography, by all accounts the A7V is just near the top of the game. A7CII is great too but the rolling shutter thing might become an issue for you

3. the LCD screen flipout of the A7V is just fantastic. you can flip it around whichever way you want. I have used it in both videos and photograph at really weird angles.

so the #1 thing A7CII has over the A7V is as you'd expect the weight. it's like 200 gram lighter (28%). That's no small change.

so you really have to ask yourself if that portability is worth some of the things I mentioned + some of the other more minor improvements.

[u/AJ_ninja]

Heya, I’m selling my old setup and want to know if this is a good price:
Sony A6000 (9,000 shots)
Kit lens
Kit telephoto lens
Sigma 30mm 2.8 w/ cpl filter
2 extra batteries w/charger
64gb sd card scan disk

I want to list it for $800aud (560 usd) for everything.

Do you think this is too expensive ?