It’s the same price as a Sony A7 IV with much less resolution and without ISO 64. The Z lenses are excellent, and there are plenty of choices (although few telephotos). Its autofocus isn’t as fast as speed-oriented cameras, but it’s very accurate, and it’s not slow. The original Nikon Z7 is selling for $2500 right not ($300 below its regular price, and $800 less than it sold for before the Z7 II came out), and it’s got among the best image quality of any full-frame camera (especially because it has a noiseless ISO 64). Several of the most dramatic holiday discounts around on higher-end gear might appeal to landscape and other more contemplative photographers. The final option is to find a Sony A7 II still in stock, offering an inexpensive entry into full-frame Sony (or pony up for a more modern A7C or A7 III). It’s not image stabilized (some lenses are, others aren’t), and it’s neither the most consistent to use body in the Canon line nor the sturdiest – but it’s a reasonably priced entry into the RF mount. To get into the line Canon is pushing, RF mirrorless, the least expensive entry point is the EOS-RP. The full-frame Z5 can sometimes be found right around $1000, depending on sales, and that IS stabilized and uses the full-frame Z Nikkors without compromise. If the lens lineup is OK with you, they’re great little cameras – unlike the EOS-M models, they DO take full-frame lenses, providing a way to grow into the Z system. The APS-C Z50 and Z fc have relatively limited lens lineups without using full-frame lenses and often losing stabilization (the APS-C LENSES and the full-frame BODIES are stabilized, so an APS-C body with (most of) the full-frame lenses isn’t. Nikon is aggressively discounting the Z50, Z fc and Z5. The X-S10 stands out as the image stabilized member of Fujifilm’s lower-end line. Fujifilm has the best APS-C lens lineup around, and is a good choice for most types of photography.
There are a variety of mirrorless Fujifilm offerings at reasonable prices. There are DSLRs from Canon, Nikon and even Pentax, but Canon and Nikon seem to have lost interest in DSLR users while Pentax is a tiny niche maker. There are a lot of Micro 4/3 models, all with the Same Old Sensor (except for a few with the Even Older 16 MP sensor). There are plenty of Canon EOS-M models, with often excellent sensors, but generally limited controls and more importantly a terrible lens line. Looking at the less expensive cameras on the market right now, many of them have huge drawbacks. Now, FE comes with a $1800 starting price tag (unless you can find something in stock for less). The A7 II had sold for as little as $1000, which provided a great entry into the desirable FE mount. If you’re looking for a camera for a holiday gift, this makes Sony a lot trickier – historically, they’ve left older models on the market at low prices instead of introducing specific entry models. Good riddance to the ancient NP-FW50 battery, now found exclusively in the ZV-E10. Both Canon and Nikon offer full-frame mirrorless bodies around $1000 (depending on sales) and Nikon has two choices (Z5 and Z6) well below the price of an A7C.
The least expensive full-frame Sony is now the $1798 A7C (right now, the A7 III is also selling for $1798). If you want something with a viewfinder, the entry level is a $1398 a6600., which falls well behind the (mostly Fujifilm) competition – unless the recipient already has Sony lenses, it’s less desirable than a much cheaper Fujifilm X-S10, and nowhere close to the X-T4 (which is similarly priced once you have a good-quality lens on the Sony). The ONLY current Sony under $1000 is the ZV-E10, and that’s pretty much exclusively a vlogging camera.
In full-frame, we’re left with the A7C, A7 III line (including r and s) A7 IV and A7r IV, A9 II and A1. The only APS-C cameras that this leaves as current models are the expensive a6600, the vlogger-focused ZV-E10 and possibly the ancient a6000 (there’s still enough stock around that it’s unclear whether or not that camera is discontinued – but it’s approaching its eighth birthday). The affected lines are the A7 II (including A7r II and A7s II), a6400 and a6100 lines. It’s not clear what’s really discontinued, and what (if anything) will come back when parts availability eases. Sony has stopped accepting orders for quite a few older models that composed the majority of their less expensive line. If you are thinking about giving an interchangeable lens camera as a gift this holiday season, there has been a MAJOR shakeup that is worth knowing about. 1.) Holiday Camera Availability and Sales