The best camera is the one that's with you

I'd consider myself a casual hobbyist at best; I've been invested in Sony full-frame gear since 2020. I'm still learning the art of photography, so as I go along I hope to post sample galleries at some point in the future.

Then again, I'm totally convinced the best camera is the one that's with you - and in that sense my iPhone 13 pro is my most often used gear. Especially when it comes to capturing family moments or videos. While my Sony camera is a hybrid shooter, I don't think I've ever actually shot any videos with it since its mostly used for stills photography.

Here's my current Sony lineup:

• α7 IV - body only. Never wanted the kit lens.
• FE 20 mm F1.8 G - wide angle + the typical lens I use on Zoom calls
• FE 24-105 mm F4 G - general purpose standard zoom. Mounted 75% of the time. Wish I had the 24-70 mm F2.8 GM II instead, but that's just insanely more expensive. This F4 version has OSS stabilization and that 105mm reach does come in handy. For the most part, the F4 is perfectly workable provided I have adequate lighting
• FE 50 mm F1.2 GM - impulse buy since I got a good deal by trading in a few older micro 4/3 lenses. In retrospect, I could have gone with the cheaper but virtually just as sharp 50 mm F1.4 GM instead. It could also be argued that the 35 mm GM might have been a better focal length for my style. No regrets though. The lens is top notch. Just too good for my humble needs.

The main/only body I have is the α7 IV - just recently got this by trading in my older α7 III (along with some ancient Olympus micro 4/3 gear I had lying around unused). At the time of writing (December 2023) - it was a toss up if I should go with the α7 IV or the recently release α7c II. At the end of the day, I didn't really want to spend too much (and trust me, I've spent way too much as it is), and the α7 IV was on sale + had trade-in bonuses so I went with that. But don't get me wrong, the a7c II's smaller, lighter and has some of Sony's fancier/newer firmware going for it. The full body α7 IV has its own advantages, and personally some of those proved to be more compelling for me. Watched several reviews (some are listed below) but it was very close either way.

I can't stress enough though - the a7 III is still quite the capable camera in of itself and is still actively being sold by Sony. Found a good deal and decided to trade it in.

For better or worse, I'm trying to overcome GAS i.e. gear acquisition syndrome.