Me: amateur photog, strictly hobbyist. Moving from an older Olympus. I shoot mostly kids sports (track and softball) and landscapes during travel and hiking trips. Some indoor shots at family events and parties. I want the ability to advance my skills and explore a bit more RAW post-processing, and try out some newer techniques and lenses.
I've narrowed my decision on a new dSLR purchase to three models on the refurb site that fall within my budget (~$800US) and seem to line up with my needs. Given my targeted spend, I want to maximize my bang for the buck with the overall kit, especially with the included lens(es), so I have enough options to work with until I save up for some more glass:
EOS 80D EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Kit Refurbished - $779
EOS Rebel T6s EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Kit Refurbished - $749
EOS Rebel T6s EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens Kit & EF-S 55-250mm IS STM Refurbished - $809
The 80D clearly gets me the better body but with a more limited lens at the start. The T6s is a step backward for the body, but I'd maximize value with the lenses - I'm just having trouble determining how much I'd be sacrificing with the T6s.
Also a factor, my father-in-law said he'd give me his 70-300 he no longer uses, so I'd have that in my bag. Just not sure I'd want to lug that around anytime I want to get past 55mm - the 18-135 sounds like a great "do-it-all" lens.
Ugh, I'm torn. But I need to pull the trigger soon, the refurb deals (which seem pretty phenomenal) likely won't be around forever.
Any thoughts?
