Moving on from the Canon Rebel T3i for portrait & travel photography

[emilya]

I sold my Canon Rebel T3i with a 50mm lens & a 55-250mm lens a few months ago. I loved the upgraded quality and manual flexibility compared to a P&S, but I found I was reluctant to carry it around the city or when I traveled. I am looking to get back into photography now, and am hoping you might provide some recommendations given the following considerations:

I mainly shoot portraits, fashion/conceptual, and street/travel in natural light (hardly ever at night). Video features are irrelevant. Portability is important, and I don't plan to carry around more than one lens at a time. I have been looking at MILCs, but am a little overwhelmed by what's out there and how to weigh those cameras against the standard slew of DSLRs (particularly since my budget & options have increased since the last time I purchased a camera).

It's completely possible that I should just go back to the T3i, but I am wondering what recommendations you have if my budget is $1,200-$1,500 for body and lens(es) combined. I hope to use the camera as a learning tool, and want the option of it having resale value. Please let me know if you have any questions that would result in better advice.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[goodguy]

My advice is the Nikon D7000, excelent all around camera.

 

[jaomul]

If portability is that important you may need to look at another camera but if you get an interchangeable lens camera it still won't go in most pockets comfortably. Maybe a good carrying system fir your canon and possibly a fast general lens such as a tamron17-50 f2.8. This would be a good street setup along with what you have. if that does the trick a better 50 lens could be purchased as an upgrade and your still well under your budget

 

[gsgary]

Fuji X1 pro or X100

 

[Sayler]

Perhaps you should look at one of the mirrorless cameras. Some have manual control and interchangeable lenses. If you need to be incognito you can put a pan cake lens on and for other situations you can throw a larger lens on.

 

[emilya]

Thank you for all the recommendations so far! For MILCs, I was mainly looking at Olympus and Sony, so I will take a look at the Fuji cameras.

 

[Soulz3urn3lack]

Fuji X100s is coming out soon, it's going to be higher than the X100 of course but if that's in your budget I would think hard on it. That or a nice EP3 mirrorless camera, I had one for a while and absolutely loved it.

On the larger side of the mirrorless game but smaller than a DSLR is the Olympus OMD, which I also owned before and loved!

 

[EmmaBproductions]

Maybe a canon or nikon