I check deal aggregators before I pour my first cup of coffee. That probably sounds obsessive, and honestly, it is. But after years of watching camera prices stay stubbornly high while supply stayed stubbornly low, I’d mostly stopped expecting anything interesting to find. So when I pulled up Watch the full tutorial on YouTube from Tony and Chelsea Northrup and saw they were covering actual meaningful discounts on cameras and lenses, I paid close attention. These aren’t the kind of people who get excited about $20 off a kit lens.
What makes this breakdown useful isn’t just the list of deals. It’s the context Tony provides around each one. Why a particular bundle matters. What the hidden value is in a free accessory. Where the real-world shooting limitations are that most marketing copy won’t mention. That combination of deal hunting and practical camera knowledge is exactly what makes this worth your time, whether you’re a beginner trying to stretch a budget or an experienced shooter waiting for the right moment to upgrade.
I’ve pulled the whole thing apart below so you can act on each deal without having to scrub through the video yourself.
Step 1: Start With the Educational Discounts if You’re Still Building Skills
Spring sale coupon code displayed for northrup.photo store
Before getting into camera hardware, Tony opens with his own store sale, and I think the instinct to mention it first is actually correct. If you don’t yet have a strong foundation in exposure, light, or post-processing, buying a better camera won’t fix that. His store is running 30% off using the coupon code SPRING30 at northrup.photo, which brings down his photography book, Lightroom and Photoshop video training, and flash photography courses. The book has been the top-selling photography title for years and comes with over 20 hours of companion video, so you’re not just getting text on a page. If you’ve been putting off learning Lightroom properly, this is a real window to do it at a lower cost.
Step 2: Evaluate the Canon R5 Bundle for What It Actually Includes
Canon R5 bundle shown with Flashpoint flash and vertical grip options
The Canon R5 is showing up at $3,399 through Adorama, which already represents meaningful savings off its typical street price. But what Tony correctly zeroes in on is the bundle structure. Adorama is offering your choice of a free Flashpoint flash or a free vertical grip, and the decision between those two matters depending on how you shoot. The Flashpoint unit they’re bundling has a round head rather than a square one, which produces softer, more natural catchlights in portraits. If you shoot people at all, that’s worth more than it sounds.
The vertical grip option is the smarter pick for sports or action photographers, and Tony explains a detail I hadn’t seen covered clearly before. The R5 drops its burst rate significantly once the battery dips below roughly 60 percent charge, and that threshold can hit in under ten minutes of heavy shooting. A vertical grip holds a second battery and keeps you above that cutoff longer. If you’re buying the R5 for fast action, the grip isn’t a luxury, it’s a functional necessity. Use the link at sdp.io/springcanon to pull up the Adorama listing.
Step 3: Assess the Canon R3 Deal Against Its Typical Price Point
Canon R3 deal with $500 discount and free flash bundle highlighted
The R3 sits at around $6,000 on a normal day, which puts it out of reach for most photographers reading a deals blog. But Adorama is cutting $500 off and throwing in a free Flashpoint flash, which makes the effective savings closer to $700 or $800 depending on which flash unit you’re comparing. Tony flags this as a deal that will likely sell out fast, and I believe that. The R3 is Canon’s flagship action and sports body, and anyone who’s been sitting on the fence waiting for a price break has no reason to wait longer. Find it at sdp.io/R3.
Step 4: Look Hard at the Nikon D850 if DSLR Still Makes Sense for Your Work
Nikon D850 listed at $2,496 with included extras shown
This is the deal that made me stop scrolling. The Nikon D850 is appearing at $2,496 through Adorama, which is a steep drop for a camera that has legitimately never been bettered as a DSLR. Tony makes a point here that I’ve argued myself: because the D850 doesn’t have to dedicate sensor resources to always-on face detection and tracking, the raw image quality it produces is exceptional, competitive with mirrorless bodies that cost more. You’re giving up some autofocus conveniences you’d get on a Z9, but if you’re a landscape, studio, or portrait shooter who controls your environment, those tradeoffs may not touch your actual work at all. The Adorama bundle at sdp.io/D850 also includes extras like a memory card and bag, so you’re not starting from zero on accessories.
Step 5: Consider the Nikon 200-500mm for Wildlife on a Real Budget
Nikon 200-500mm lens recommended as best beginner wildlife lens
Tony calls the Nikon 200-500mm his absolute favorite beginning wildlife lens, and it’s a recommendation I’ve seen hold up across years of forum arguments and real-world tests. The focal range covers almost every wildlife situation you’d encounter in the field, and the image stabilization on this lens is strong enough to hand-hold in decent light. For anyone who’s been eyeing expensive super-telephoto glass and feeling priced out, this lens is the honest answer to that problem. Check the Nikon spring sale page at sdp.io/springnikon for current pricing and bundle options.
My Take: Free Accessories Are Where Deals Get Interesting
I’ve been tracking camera deals long enough to know that the headline discount number is rarely the whole story. The bundles are where you figure out whether a sale is actually worth acting on. A “free” vertical grip for the R5 represents real money if you’d have bought one anyway, and most serious R5 users eventually do. Same with the flash on the R3. The manufacturers and retailers know that accessories are where margins live, so when they bundle them in, they’re giving up something meaningful.
What I’d tell anyone sitting on the fence: match the deal to what you would have spent regardless. If you were already planning to buy a vertical grip for the R5, the choice between bundles becomes obvious. If you’re a portrait shooter, the round-head flash bundle is the one. Don’t let the “free item” drive a decision that should be based on how you actually shoot.
The broader pattern here is that spring 2024 is genuinely a better time to buy camera gear than the last few years have been. Supply is back. Manufacturers want to move inventory. That combination doesn’t show up every season, and when it does, the deals close faster than most people expect.
Watch the full breakdown for yourself, because Tony covers a few additional items I didn’t go deep on here: Watch the full tutorial on YouTube. If you’re going to buy anything in this sale window, go in knowing what you actually need. The gear that fits your shooting style at a discount beats the flagship body you’ll second-guess all year.
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