My advice when looking for a camera? Try before you buy.
Find a good camera store or go to a place like Best Buy and try them out. See what sizes fit your hands (too big or too heavy, and you won’t use it as much) and what menu system fits your brain. For example, Canon’s menu system confuses me, but for some reason, Sony’s menu system makes sense to me; you might find the reverse is try.
My Gear
Sony A7 camera There are different versions of the A7, some newer and lighter, some especially for video shoots. I got mine in 2014 and it’s still solid for my photography, although the most current version is the A7 III. Lately, I’ve been using two vintage Minolta lenses, one is 58mm and the other is 100mm. I also use these two lenses a fair amount: a 55mm Sony Zeiss prime lens and a Meike 85mm telephoto macro lens.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 point-and-shoot camera. This is good for quick shots out the car window or when hiking since it easily fits into a pocket. It’s the Panasonic version of the much more expensive Leica D. Same lens, same features, way less money.
I also use an Apple iPhone XS for taking shots on the fly, when carrying a bigger camera wouldn’t work as well.
Accessories
Strap – Peak Design makes comfortable, adjustable straps and I love Slide LIght.
Tripod – Lightweight aluminum tripod that folds down into a 16-inch x 5 inch bag.
Camera Case – I use two, one is a small bag with three compartments, so it holds the A7 and 2 lenses along with memory cards, lens cleaning pens, and cloths. The other one is a sterilite container that stores lenses and usually lives in my underbed storage.
Lens Cleaning Pens – I’ve had this set for six years now (thanks, Amazon, for tracking that info) and they’re still in great shape and work well to keep my lenses and camera glass clean and clear.
Photography is not about cameras, gadgets and gismos. Photography is about photographers. A camera didn’t make a great picture any more than a typewriter wrote a great novel.
Peter Adams