A camera dilemma....

Image via Sony.com

So I'm a bit of a photophile. My mom's a photographer so I've always had a camera around, so it's not surprise that I've caught the bug. I've always owned point-and-shoot style cameras, and for a while I owned what is known as a "bridge" camera where it has many of the functions as a DSLR but not every function. As my bridge camera started to show serious signs of wear I sold it and have been using just my point-and-shoot and my iPhone. However I'm attending Chicago TARDIS at the end of this month and headed back to WDW next month and I really want a nicer camera to take with me. There are just some shots you can't get with a point-and-shoot and Instagram (plus it saves my phone's battery and I prefer to use the point-and-shoot for video).

So here's my dilemma, I have a tight budget so at this point I have three options:

1) Buy new. I'm looking at the Sony Alpha 65 which all of the options I'm looking for but is in all reality out of my budget (at least for now so no go on purchasing before the end of the month).

2) Buy used. B&H has a pretty good used store with a couple of Sony A200's and an A350 that are in pretty good condition. They're both an older model than the Alpha 65 but would do the job, and are closer to my price range, but they are used and I'd be concerned about the battery among other things (and buying a back-up battery would add to my overall cost).

3) Rent. Now this wouldn't help me as far as Chicago TARDIS is concerned, but for WDW I could rent a camera from Kingdom Camera Rentals. I've have friends who have used them and have nothing but great things to say, plus this would be the most budget friendly. BUT, I wouldn't have a camera for Chicago or anything else that comes up in the near future (like Thanksgiving or Christmas).

So that's my dilemma, sure I could probably make due with my point-and-shoot and my iPhone, but if you've ever been into photography you'll understand that the equipment makes a difference. Any suggestions, anyone want to make any donations to my camera fund? (Just kidding....kinda....)