Photography

I can only recommend what I've owned, so this is primarily a "here's what I've used before and how I've used them".

I started with the Fuji XT2 and absolutely loved it. It was compact enough so I was always encouraged to take it around with me wherever I went. Fuji's out-of-the-box color profiles are awesome too especially if you don't do any post-processing.

The physical dials feel great and really make the camera - it felt like it was made by photographers. The Fuji lenses are optically some of the best around, but can be a little pricey. The upside is that Sigma and Tamron make lenses for the X mount now (they weren't available back then), so you have a lot more options these days! The autofocus was generally pretty slow, but the newer XT3, 4 and 5 have substantially improved on that if you're concerned about it.

I eventually switched to a Sony A7III because I needed better quality portraits and headshots with a full frame sensor, and I've also come to love Sony's mirrorless system so far. Sony's FE prime lenses are really good value for what you get, and are really compact for what they are.

Sigma and Tamron also make excellent glass for E mount at a much more affordable price than Sony's GM lenses (some at nearly equivalent quality).

My current daily driver is a Sony A7CII (but the A7C is also really good if you want something more affordable). The reason I picked this up over the A7III was because I found myself not wanting to carry it around as much. I love street photography and the A7III's screen didn't articulate in a way that allowed me to shoot in the incognito way I did with the Fuji XT2.

So far, I've been really surprised at how good the A7CII is, especially for how compact it is. I've also started using it for my portraits and headshots and haven't missed the A7III at all.

It's quite an investment for any camera system (cameras and lenses), so make sure you spend time looking at the range of lenses that you want/need, and if possible rent them for a little bit to get a feel for them.

Fuji will be the more affordable option purely because of the smaller sensor size and the lenses that go along with it, but if you're interested in full frame quality (especially for better low light shots), then I'd recommend looking at Sony.

Good luck with your hunt and I hope you find something that fits you perfectly!

Sorry about the trauma of losing your kit.

I have bought quite a few cameras from Canon Refurbished site (I never transcended to SLR/mirrorless). Occasionally, there will be extra discounts to sweeten the deal.

Also, there might be a very slim chance that your trip insurance or homeowner/renter policy might help ease the sting of your loss.

When you say old gear is not cheaper... I take it you're looking for some pretty modern stuff? When I decided to get more involved in photography I picked up a Canon Ti4 used from ebay. It was about 6 years old at the time and I picked up a good one for around $250. The same thing with lenses, everything I have is from ebay and everything was relatively cheap (although I'd love to get one of those Sigma 600mm lenses, but oof!). Yeah my body is closer to 12 years old now but I still use it all the time and it's done well for me, plus the EF mounts are common as hell, and all of my lenses have image stabilization built in.

If you're having trouble getting trash photos, maybe check back with this group on what lenses match the shots you're trying to take? There's definitely some garbage lenses out there, and early-on I discovered Canon's own 300mm EF lens have two different models that look identical, but there's a huge difference in the quality between them (which is why the good one costs twice as much, even used).

One good thing about Canon is that you have Magick Lantern available. Most of us can't afford the functionality that this software provides for free! If you want to stick with Canon and get the best bang for your buck, check to see which bodies ML is compatible with to narrow down your selections. After that I would check the lens mounts to see what other mounts can be adapted to fit a body to give you the widest selection of lenses possible. This is usually a one-way street due to focal length so it might pay to choose a body with greater adaptability.

I have been very happy with my Canon RP. Mirrorless is a lot more common now and the range of lenses offered by Canon at a variety of focal lengths and price points is substantial. I use an adapter so I can use EOS EF mount lenses which helps a lot with the cost as you can buy older lenses if you want. Also you would have less of a learning curve with the logic behind the menus since you are familiar already with a Canon camera.

The one can see through that khaki pants :)

I think the the least amount of BS from a major camera company is probably Panasonic:

• Panasonic uses two lens mounts (micro four thirds and L-mount), both of which are shared with other body and lens manufacturers
• Old bodies get firmware updates
• Features are rarely artificially restricted for market segmentation
• Third parties have written apps to talk to Panasonic cameras

The biggest downside to the brand is that until very recently, Panasonic bodies had only contrast-detection autofocus, which can pulse if used in video and doesn't track moving subjects very well.

A drone camera, because if it flies, you can't drop it.