Thank you for your response. It's always good to get as much context as possible, and I can relate to your experience. I started back in 1980, doing initially industrial photography but quickly moved into stock shooting for wildlife and travel as I made my way around the planet. As time went on I continued part time, also doing commercial and some other kinds are opportunities allowed, as I got involved in careers with a steady income as I got married and had responsibilities! I too went into IT and retired from that in 2013, but I always had photography simmering in the background. I went digital early in the century (heavens that sounds a long time ago!) and have been shooting that way since. I have similar experience with 35mm (mostly Ektachrome transparency, but also some B+W), a range of brands of 35mm (but mostly Nikon and Canon, and some 4x5 stuff as assignments required. These days I predominantly shoot Canon, but also use Fuji, Nikon, Olympus and Sony.
I think I understand your challenge. I too like more basic functions, but they tend to be a part of every camera these days. It was for that reason I fell in love with the Nikon Df camera - a design by Totsuro Goto, who designed my first DSLRs, as his swansong and a love affair with simple, stills-only cameras. I have three and will never sell them!
However, we are here at Canon, and right now the camera you preferred is just not available. Canon have been withdrawing from both the DSLR and M-MILC markets for a while. I actually still have two EOS M5 bodies, which are better for stills photography that the M50 series, which was more for hybrid or vloggers because of its bias of controls in that direction. I too valued them for their lightness and compact form factor, especially when I had serious mobility issues and could barely walk.
Thus, if you are prepared to look elsewhere, the R-series is where the action is as far as camera and optical development are concerned, so really as a practical platform in terms of support and longevity, that would be the way to go.
Much depends on what we use the camera for, so some guidance on what subjects you shoot and any other preferences would be helpful. I am not sure what you will produce and that is also significant. As I constantly say, the requirements to produce for social media and digital display are somewhat less than for high-resolution, very large, Fine Art prints for sale, for example.
I shoot in a relatively simple way, much as I did 40+ years ago. I should explain that my preferred genre is still wildlife, but since retiring have expanded both my range and camera FoV to include other subjects one will find in a city. Still, with wild animals in mind I do value things like improved focusing, including the ability to follow eyes and faces, In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) as I tend to shoot with long lenses, hand-held. Still, I can just as happily work without some of those features - I still actually shoot on occasion with the Canon D30 (circa 2000) and D60 (2002) to remind myself it's more about technique than tech! You may favour other characteristics and that's good to know.
The next major question is really whether to stick with an APS-C sensor or go full-frame. Personally, although I owned both of the 7D series bodies and liked them, I have chosen to go with a FF body, the quality of image is just that much better IMHO. The MILC bodies are now much lighter and more compact without incorporating the pentaprism and mirror mechanism, so you will still gain benefits there in both areas. You will still need to get an adapter, but that would have been the case with going to the M-series, so no issue there and they are widely available. So, with the R-series a lot of the weight will be in your lenses, which again would have been the case with the M platform.
I shall hold back on going into more specific suggestions and look for guidance as to:
A budget value - no point in suggesting stuff you can't afford but also good to know how far I can look
What you prefer to shoot
What you prefer to produce in terms of medium
Any specific constraints in terms of weight, controls etc. I acknowledge your preferences with regard accessories but fear you may be out of luck there.
What lenses you currently use - and in particular, do you have any EF-S lenses?
What I hope to do is take all this info and offer you a couple of suggestions with features and benefits in the context of your shooting style and preferences. I hope this will an acceptable approach.
cheers, TREVOR
The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris
