Camera Suggestions for Intermediate/Advanced Photographers?

My next trip, Minox 35ML, loaded with Agfa 200ASA B&W.
I have hundreds of digital photos that I never look at. So I am going simple, basic, less is more.

For quite a few European trips, I took my Canon DSLR and lenses, plus tripod. Eventually I got tired of lugging it all around. Prior to my 2017 trip, I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FC1000. It's a "bridge" camera - a fixed zoom lens (24-400mm equivalent) with some DSLR-like qualities. I was skeptical that it could in any way replace my Canon DSLR, but I was very impressed with how well it worked for me and I have taken it on every trip since and left the Canon gear at home. I like taking wide shots, so one of the things I miss most is getting some of the super wide shots I can no longer get. Also, it has a digital viewfinder, and manual focus is quite challenging. That is probably the thing I miss most about the DSLR - I usually use manual focus in low light shots. But I'm very willing to trade and the wide angle limitation for having such a light plus very flexible camera.

Anyway, this specific camera had already been out a few years by 2017, so I'm sure it's long since been replaced by something else. I've never regretted not taking the DSLR again, even if I sometimes missed a few shots here and there.

tim,

Unfortunately I have a dissenting opinion, and this may not be what you want to hear.

I've always travelled with a dSLR (currently a Canon 7D) along with at least two lenses. I find that the majority of time, I use either a 24-105 zoom lens or the 10-22 wide angle lens. I also have a longer zoom available if needed. I've packed a compact travel tripod on some trips, and it's been really useful for longer exposure night photography.

I also always have a P&S and my venerable iPhone, both for "backup" in case of problems with the main camera, and also for snapshots of less important subjects.

While the dSLR is somewhat bulky and heavy to carry, it has the settings and flexibility that allows me to get the shots that I want in any conditions, so I'm willing to tolerate the minor issues. Many times I've taken a P&S camera out when I'm walking around in the evening, I've found that I'm usually frustrated by the inability to get good shots.

I figure that I may only get to some locations once in my lifetime, so I want good pictures to remember my travels. I haven't been able to travel abroad for a few years, and many times I've been so thankful to have my photos to remember past trips.

I take my mirrorless Sony A7RIII with a 24 to 105 lens. This gives me the versatility I want with a wide to zoom, while not taking up tons of room.

i suppose i fall into the photo-obsessive category. last year i traveled with my then brand new sony a7iv, the gm 12-24 and the gm 24-70. even though i had callouses on my shoulders i missed having a longer lens. so this year i added the gm 70-200. my bag weighed in at nearly 12 lb/5.4 kilos. more callouses but i am happy with the photos i got. don't know for how long i will be able to haul this much weight though.

What I have available to pack:

• Nikon D5500 DSLR with a zoom lens 28-300mm
• Fuji x100T camera with wide angle converter (no zoom, just prime lens and wider adapter but great for portraits and night shots)
• Insta360 v3 (new toy for 360 shots)
• iPhone 14 Pro (always the backup for quick shots)

I'd leave the Nikon at home.I'm not a fan of super zooms like the 28-300. They don't do anything well and unless it's a sunny day they aren't fast enough. You end up with having to use high ISO or slow shutter speeds when the light is prettiest. In darker interiors they don't do much good.

I used to tote my full frame Canon 5D2 with three or four lenses, including the big 70-200 f2.8 when traveling in Europe. I got tired of the bulk, weight and being conspicuous. I ended up going with a Fuji X-E3 and a couple of lenses. My kit went from 22 pounds to 7 pounds.

Consider picking up a used TCL-X100 for your Fuji and between it and your iPhone you will be good to go.

BTW, tomorrow, August 1 marks the anniversary of the beginning of my first trip to Europe when I was a high school student. That was in 1966 and I took a Sears Tower (Minolta) 35mm rangefinder with a fixed 40mm lens. The cute girl I met on that trip and I will be going to Austria and Slovenia in December. I just bought the new Fuji X-S20 to take along.