[vel0city]

Before buying the DSLR, I'd recommend at least checking out the 1" sensor size market. These cameras still take excellent quality photos in a wide range of lighting conditions but are so much more compact than having an interchangeable lens system.

I sold my DSLR a couple of years after getting my G9x Mark II. The DSLR was always gathering dust compared to the G9x which with a small belt case could easily be taken anywhere.

That said these cameras are definitely not as flexible as a full SLR nor will you get the same performance. Its a large sensor when compared to a camera or other point and shoots but its still nothing compared to APS-C.

[dylan604]

There are plenty of Micro 4/3 sensors that have interchangeable lenses too though, so you don't have to be locked into a compact camera with built-in lenses. You can have the best of both worlds.

[noahjk]

I've heard good things about Panasonic's LUMIX G7, and it looks to be at a very reasonable price point. I personally use a Fuji X-T3 which is also more reasonably priced than full-frame, between that and Micro 4/3 price-wise. The main differentiators for a smaller sensor are low-light performance & dynamic range, but 99% of the time these won't matter. Megapixels shouldn't really even be considered - any of these cameras can take a photo to put on a billboard, DPI scales in relation to optimal viewing distance

[vel0city]

Agreed, those are also an excellent middle ground from a full-sized DSLR to a compact shooter but still give most of the performance and about all the flexibility of a DSLR.