Camera Kits Under $1300

In a recent DPReview TV episode, Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake (formally of TCSTV) gave themselves a $1300 CAD budget to pick out the best photography-centric camera kit, and best videography-centric camera kit! Although they were tempted by higher price tag kits, both Chris and Jordan found amazing cameras that you can buy at The Camera Store.

For the photography-centric camera kit, Chris led the race in finding the perfect combo, without going over budget. With many amazing options including the Sony a6100 with 16-50mm, the Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 with 12-60mm, and the Nikon Z50 with Z DX 16-50mm, Chris had to seriously narrow down his top contenders. There was a brief moment when he was almost lead astray by the Sony a6400 with 16-50mm, which is $50 over budget! Jordan did not let Chris add it to their list of options, but we decided to be nice and include it in ours. But, what was Chris’s final decision? The kit that was the best photography kit for under $1300? The winner was the FUJIFILM X-T30 with XC 15-45mm!! With great image quality, Fujifilm’s beautiful and classic body style and lots of room to grow with the camera, the X-T30 is an excellent choice!

For the videography-centric camera kit, Jordan had a bit of a tougher time. With so many amazing cameras way over budget, Jordan decided to focus on versatility. One of the first to jump out was the Canon EOS M50 Mark II with 15-45mm. An amazing camera, but wasn’t the winner. Jordan had to seriously think outside the box and over three hours later, he had his winner. With a strategy in mind, Jordan opted to go for a less expensive body that still had the main features he needed. This gave him the extra money to purchase a nicer lens! Now, what was Jordan’s winner for best videography kit under $1300? The winner was the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV with 14-42mm! (with some extra money to get the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f1.7 as a secondary lens). With full-width 4K and lots of versatility with the lenses, we have to give Olympus more credit because this camera kit is a great bang for your buck!

You can check out Chris and Jordan’s full list of Camera Kits Under $1300, here!