Best budget system (35mm emphasis)

Heya.

To revive my drive for photography, I decided to "solve my gear" yet again.
A lot of the times, I find the gear is not sufficient or up to the task regarding image output/quality, which is one pillar of discouragement (of many).
In the process of mitigating as many of these, I also decided to jump back again on the FF bandwagon.

The primary setup I will certainly use is a compact setup with 35mm lens. I will use both UWA and telephoto lenses, but most work will be between 24-80mm, with emphasis on 35mm.

For that I look for most compact and powerful setup.

I got EOS M6 II, which is nice, but oh well, not FF, no stabilisation with 22mm. I will miss its compactness.

Closest budget substitute and upgrade I found is Sony A7R III with Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8. It is a stop dimmer than 22mm f/2 of Canon, but I did not find anything better, while the IBIS FF sensor can certainly make up for it. I might buy fast 35mm lens on top of that. The goal is to have compact setup available.

I would love to stay with Canon, but their approach on size and prices is a nogo for me.

Is there any other option, or the shrinking market dictate this as an easy choice?
Mamy thanks for ideas and any kind of responses.

Can you upload an example of the kind of output/quality you are after?

A gently used Z7 II maybe? Should be plenty of those around, with Nikon's most recent release in mind.

samyang 35 1.8 would be better.

Basically, what I get from my M6 II up to ISO400/800. The issue is, that many pictures I need to shoot ISO3200/6400, especially indoors or dark moments, where it falls apart. With stabilised FF sensor, ISO1600+double the exposure time will get me just there. It halfway did with original A7R and Nikon D610, but I had issues with handling, menus and mainly nonAF Samyang lenses. Times changed in that regard.

Quite pricey here, but not discarted. What about lenses though? 35mm pancake and affordable primes.

There are plenty of lenses I would like to get. Having two 35mm lenses is not an issue as long as I get this compact 35mm setup.

I am very certain that it would sway me to keep my M6 II if only it had IS. What a pitty.

I don't know.
Maybe I am too restrictive.
It might as well be, that I get RX100 or Canon G7X and/or swallow the size and weight of other FF systems, and free myself from that problem (although adding new one). It seems to me that EOS R with 35mm f/1.8 IS would suffice, with outlook to change the body in next years while progressing with glass. I am fine with Canon EF glass too.

The added size and weight though will cause me to shoot less, or do other stuff less. It is easy to whip the M6 and take pictures in the forest while carrying few kilos of mushrooms "on the hunt'. Not so with R5, two of its lenses and supportive gear.

One time I had to stop every few steps to put down the load and rest on my way from the forest. It got kind of scary, making me think that the forest could "keep me for itself". Heavy photo gear would not help these situations obviously.

Thanks Alan for the response.
If i was about to stay on APS-C, I would definitely stay on EOS M and just purchased needed lenses.especially fast and IS lenses. Any other jump will indeed mean a move to FF.
I will consider buying EF IS lenses for the M system too.

may be compact sony a7c?

Size wise, it is very tempting. But there is still no f/2.0 compact pancake to shrink the whole system desirably, sensor is "just" 24Mpx, while I plan to shoot tele, macro, cropping and such, and so the whole package of A7C based system will not sway me to go that way. Many thanks for mentioned it though, it is very close and I didn't know about such option.

Bhaha, good one! I know about that one, but it is fixed lens. No Macro magic, battery life? Out of budget for single focal length.

I must admit, that maybe, my requirements are borderline unreasonable, when I look at it.

Not sure if the offer holds yet, but with a small caveat, I am seeing a sub $900 Sony A7R III to get.
If that works out, that will do.

Nikon Z5, on sale now for a grand--IBIS, weather sealing, 2 card slots, gorgeous FF IQ and lowlight performance from that "old" D610\D750 sensor. Start with the excellent Z40mm F2 "muffin" prime for a light, compact, fast budget combo, or spend more for the superb, still quite compact, slightly faster Z 35mm f1.8 S.

(Z5's Video is cropped, so disregard if video is your priority. This camera is a present from Nikon to stills shooters.)

If you want FF IQ and a prime faster than f2.8 or f2.5, that's about as compact as it gets short of Leica M and Leica 'cron prices. The Voigtlander APO f2 manual focus primes are also quite compact, but they're not budget lenses.

Very nice. Although I am not happy with 24Mpx, I would sacrifice that requirement, if it was just one. Body alone, although bigger than Sony A7R, and the lens, again little bigger, that would be acceptable still.
But then lens portfolio adds up to the inconvenience, either by choices or by price, lower res display which I use 100% of the time, although very nice, it is still half stop weaker sensor than better competition. I know I know, the price of the body suggesty it cannot be a better deal. For $1000 that would sway me today, but it is €1200 here, and so it is very borderline.

This is very good tip from you, but now I also get more confused and undecisive. 🤦

I found about the LCD/EVF noise issue of the Z5 I am used to with D610. Added to not that small size, no 35mm/pancake, lens choice for Z mount, "just" 24Mpx, that is too much of a conpromise. Nikon is dismissed, sadly.

Z6 is little less DR, more money, and that does not make sense to me either.

I might either wait and see if Canon makes 30Mpx+ R8 sized body with IBIS, or bite the bullet with Sony.

Z6 weight is par with Z5.

Sounds as if something's gotta give with your wish parameters. If you want smaller than the Z5/6/7 form factor and FF, and a small, light prime faster than f2.8 or f2.5, your choices are:

Canon RP (485 grams . . . but is there a small fast prime for it?)
Sony A7C (what about those little Samyang primes?)
Sony RX1Rii (fixed-35mm lens, over $3K, no IBIS)
Leica M + 'crons (you know the prices)
Sigma FP (and . . . ?)

Otherwise, you're looking at APSC and the small Fujicrons, or Nikon zfc/Z50 and the 40mm f2 muffin (60mm equiv on APSC), or Ricoh GRiii/GRiiix, or Nikon D3500 + DX 35mm f1.8 (as light a package as it gets)

Sony a5100 20f2.8 - most compact apsc with 30mm ff equiv. :)