Look, waiting two years for a 2026 sale on a camera you want now makes zero sense. By then Canon EOS R5 might be way down, but your dogs aren't waiting. Listen, your $2,500 budget is close to getting a used or discounted body right now if you look around. Don't fall for fake holiday discounts. Buy it when the price is right.

Look, waiting until 2026 for a camera is just plain silly. I'm busy turning wrenches all day in the shop, but I saw this earlier and had to chime in. Your $2,500 budget is close, but you need to factor in glass too — you can't shoot fast-moving dogs without a decent lens. If you want a solid body right now without waiting around for holiday marketing gimmicks, look at the Canon EOS R6 Mark II 24.2MP Mirrorless Camera instead. It handles high-speed tracking like a champ and leaves room in your wallet for actual glass. Don't overthink the spec sheet. Just get out there and shoot your dogs while they're still young and fast. That's all there is to it.

Look. Re: "> My budget is around $2,500 and I..." — wait, no, let me finish my thought here. Listen to me for a second. Waiting around for two whole years just to maybe save a buck on retail games? That's no way to live. I wrench on old trucks all day long in my shop. When a customer comes in with a worn-out timing chain, I don't tell 'em to wait for the Thanksgiving discount catalog. You fix the machine when it breaks, or in this case, you buy the tool when you need it. Here is the thing about high-end gear and waiting around:

• Prices fluctuate, sure, but your time with those dogs at the park is ticking away right now.
• I bought my current setup back when prices were steady, and honestly, the photos I got of my old lab out in the dirt were worth every single penny I spent.
• Retailers play games with holidays, absolutely — they mark 'em up just to slash 'em down. But if you track the actual street value instead of falling for the Black Friday hype, you can find honest deals any month of the year. So don't overthink the calendar. Grab what fits your wallet when you're ready and go take those pictures.

Came here to say the same thing lol. Great minds think alike I guess.

totally agree with what the others are saying about waiting forever being pointless. ive been through three of these camera upgrade cycles and trust me, trying to time holiday sales for a specific body is just a headache. retailers play games with bundles and prices dont drop nearly as much as youd think. if youre just trying to shoot dogs at the park, gear specs matter way less than you think anyway. tried shooting fast action stuff years ago on older entry gear and it was garbage... though things may have changed since then. honestly id just say go with whatever major camera brand fits your hands best and grab a fast zoom lens. you cant really go wrong with any modern mirrorless system for what you need. dont overthink the 2026 sales hype.

> My budget is around $2,500 and I was thinking if I wait until Black Friday... ngl waiting that long is brutal tbh. I was stressing over prices too when I got my current setup, but checking Canon Price Watcher totally saved me. It tracks historical data so u wont get scammed by fake holiday sales. Also r/photography has a ton of wiki guides for beginners trying to shoot fast moving dogs at the park... id check that out first tbh

Following this thread

I'm no expert since I just went through this whole obsessive research phase last week, but honestly, your $2,500 budget is going to be pretty tight for a brand new Canon EOS R5 body, even with a holiday sale — wait, no, especially since the original R5 still holds its value surprisingly well. If you want something amazing for running dogs at the park without waiting until late 2026 (seriously, that's forever away!), you might want to look at a used one from a reputable spot like MPB or KEH. Check out the Canon EOS R6 body instead if you want to save some cash for good glass (which you'll definitely need for fast pups). Just my two cents from someone who was totally lost in the spec sheets a few days ago!

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> My budget is around $2,500 and I was thinking if I wait until Black Friday... ^ This. Also, everyone just blindly hypes up these crazy flagship setups like theyre the only way to take a decent pic, but honestly its all just marketing smoke and mirrors... reminds me of when my uncle spent literally his entire life savings on some ridiculously overhyped vintage guitar amp just because a few paid bloggers swore it would make him sound like Hendrix overnight. Turnout? The damn thing weighed like eighty pounds, gave out on his very first backyard gig, and ended up sitting in his damp garage collecting dust for a decade while rats used the cab for housing. Total nightmare ordeal. Brand hype is a real sickness in this hobby...

Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷