Re: "It is now $400 off at Amazon, B&H Photo..."

• Tbh I used to be all about hunting those deep discounts at smaller shops like sora suggested, but I've become way more cautious lately. After a few stressful shipping mishaps and a weird warranty issue, I'm much more satisfied sticking to the official factory outlets or the direct manufacturer store these days.
• Safety over speed every time for me. I'd rather pay a tiny bit more to know for sure that my gear is covered by a legit local warranty.
• The kit I'm using now was an official refurb and it works well, honestly looked brand new when it arrived.
• No complaints at all with the reliability so far, and I didn't have to spend all day on the phone haggling with people or worrying about grey market stuff. Sometimes those "amazing" holiday bundles come with a lot of filler junk you dont actually need anyway, so I just focus on the core body. Keeps things simple and way less stressful... I'm happy to just get what I paid for without the drama.

I spent weeks refreshing tabs last year trying to get my kit under budget. Learned the hard way that the best prices usually hide in plain sight if you know where to look. I actually found that calling smaller authorized dealers directly can sometimes get you a better deal than the automated checkout on big sites because they really want to move inventory during the holidays. Heres where I usually look for the extra savings:

• Focus Camera (usually the best for bundle value without the garbage accessories others include)
• Sony Education discount (if you have an .edu email, the EDU rebates are massive and sometimes stack)
• Secondipity (they are the official Sony refurbisher and the gear is basically brand new) Technically the body is just the start. If your budget is tight after the camera purchase, dont sleep on the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2. I've shot professional gigs with it and honestly the autofocus is snappy enough that I didnt feel the need for the expensive Sony GM glass. Also, since the a7 IV produces pretty large files, look for a high speed SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB UHS-II SDXC so you dont hit a buffer wall while shooting. Saving a few hundred on the lens meant I could actually afford the media and a spare Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Battery to run the thing properly all day.

It is now $400 off at Amazon, B&H Photo Video, Adorama. (With free accessories.)