Just catching up on this thread — look, as a dad who fixes everything himself to save a buck, buying bundled junk is a trap. I grabbed the Canon EOS R100 RF-S 18-45mm IS STM barebones kit on sale, which saved me a ton compared to marked-up bundles (cost me way less per year than buying separate).

• Skip accessory bundles with cheap tripods.
• Watch for refurbished deals directly from the manufacturer.

Building on the earlier suggestion, > your brain is kinda fried trying to compare them all. Look, I don't blame you at all for getting a headache looking at all that junk. Back in the shop when we're ordering replacement torque wrenches and diagnostic scanners, half the catalog is just filler designed to empty your wallet — and camera stores are even worse with all those cheap SD cards and flimsy tripods they bundle in. Listen, before you drop hard-earned cash on anything, I gotta ask a quick question — are you planning on printing these dog photos or blowing them up large, or are they strictly staying on your phone for Instagram? Because that changes things entirely. If you just want a solid setup without the fluff, skip the R100 completely (trust me, that fixed screen is a pain) and look at the Canon EOS R50 RF-S 18-45mm IS STM single lens kit. It usually sits right around six hundred bucks, leaving you a little breathing room. But wait — before you pull the trigger, let me know what kind of lighting you're shooting in mostly. Indoor low light needs different glass than outdoor park shots, and I don't want you buying twice. Let me know. — Bill

Jumping in here — honestly it's ridiculous how these companies pad boxes with garbage just to jack up the prices. Canon and retailers know beginners are overwhelmed, so they prey on it with overpriced fluff that breaks in a week.

• Pure cash grab tactics
• Fillers nobody actually uses
• Zero respect for consumer budgets

Like someone mentioned, I have this exact same issue. I have been staring at these exact same camera bundles for like two months now and I am still completely stuck with no idea what to actually buy. It is so frustrating trying to cut through all the marketing noise.

Coming back to this after running through the exact same headache last year with my partner's setup — seriously, those camera store bundles are mostly filled with useless tripod junk you'll never use. Skip buying body and lenses separately though, because Canon's official two-lens kit is usually where the actual savings hide. I picked up the Canon EOS R50 RF-S 18-45mm and 55-210mm IS STM bundle on sale for right around $799, but wait for holiday drops or refurbished stock and you'll easily land under your $700 ceiling. That extra telephoto lens sounds like overkill for travel, but trust me, getting those crisp shots of your dog running across a park without having to chase them down is totally worth stretching the budget just a tiny bit.

Did this last week, worked perfectly

Do you care more about getting a second telephoto zoom lens later, or just want a solid single-lens kit like the Canon EOS R50 RF-S 18-45mm IS STM to start?

So funny you ask this — last summer I was staring at those exact same confusing bundles until my eyes crossed. Before I tell you what actually worked out for me, I gotta ask a couple quick things first:

• Are you planning to print these dog photos or just post them on instagram?
• Do you already own an SD card and bag, or do those need to fit in your budget too?

> your brain is kinda fried trying to compare them all Late to the party, but totally agree with everyone warning you off those bloated accessory bundles with cheap tripod junk. Like someone mentioned, keep it simple. Look at the Canon EOS R50 RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens Kit which regularly sits right around $600 to $680 brand new. That leaves you a little cash for a fast micro-SD card (wait, grab a V30 rated one — trust me on that for shooting a fast-moving dog). Skip the R100 completely because the screen doesn't flip out and the autofocus tracking isn't nearly as snappy for pets. Grab the R50 standard single-lens kit and call it a day, you'll be way happier with the tracking performance.