so I finally pulled the trigger on a used a6400 I found on ebay for my trip to Italy next month and honestly I am a bit overwhelmed with what else I actually need to buy before I leave. I am based in London and my budget is strictly under 150 pounds for accessories because the body alone cost way more than I planned lol.
Main thing is batteries because everyone says the battery life on these is trash. I am torn between just buying one spare official Sony NP-FW50 which is like 60 quid or getting one of those Neewer or Wasabi dual charger kits for half the price. Is the risk of them swelling up real? I dont want to fry my new camera but having 3 batteries for the price of one Sony brand one sounds tempting for long days walking around Rome.
Also looking at tripods for some vlogging and long exposures.
Is there anything else that is literally essential? Maybe a screen protector or a specific SD card? I have a 64gb Sandisk extreme pro right now. Just want to make sure I am not missing anything crucial before I head out...
Congrats on the a6400! Its a killer little camera for travel and youll love how compact it is for walking around Italy. Dont stress too much about the 150 quid limit, you can totally get what you need without breaking the bank if you shop smart. For the batteries, honestly I have been super satisfied using the SmallRig NP-FW50 Camera Battery and Charger Kit. I know people worry about third-party stuff, but SmallRig is a solid brand and their dual charger is way more convenient than charging inside the camera body. I usually get through a whole day of heavy shooting in cities like Rome with just two of these and the original Sony NP-FW50 Rechargeable Battery Pack as a backup. I have never had any issues with swelling or frying anything... basically just dont buy the absolute cheapest no-name ones and youll be fine. Regarding the other bits:
Like someone mentioned, you gotta watch the coins! Honestly though? Skip the tripod for Italy. Youll hate lugging it through crowds. Grab a Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap for security and a K&F Concept 49mm Variable ND Filter for that harsh Mediterranean sun. Its way more practical than a GorillaPod for street shots and keeps you light. Definitely a better use of your 150 quid!
Regarding what #1 said about "Congrats on the a6400! Its a killer little..." - i totally agree. i have run tens of thousands of frames thru these sensors and they are solid. but technically speaking, that 64GB card is a bottleneck. if you are shooting 100Mbps 4K video in Italy, you are looking at barely an hour of footage before you are stuck deleting stuff on the fly. I have tried many brands over the years and i usually suggest a V30 or V60 card for consistency. check out:
Did this last week, worked perfectly