For many decades, cameras have improved incrementally, with the only truly big jump arriving with digitization. Now however, complexity is challenging. The price of versatility is complexity, but in the past the increments have been of a size that I found easy to surmount.
With the arrival of my R5 a few months ago I found myself struggling to digest it all! Is my age (I'm 86) involved? What is the right compromise? Mirrorless has nothing to do with it. For the first time, I've mismanaged the camera to the point of ruining many photos because I found the menu anything but user friendly. I'm improving rapidly as I learn my way around, but it is taking more effort and time to study and learn the brain of this camera!
No regrets on my part, but don't underestimate the challenge.
What do each of you find to be the best compromise?

I understand. If you want to master every aspect of your new camera, as I alluded to before, by all means, have at it.

Nowadays, I observe that many photographers become so preoccupied with the technology that they do that at the expense of creativity and spontaionaty,

I noticed that you have assigned many of your camera's features to various tasks and specific areas of photography. As long as you can train yourself to access these features seamlessly and efficiently as you require them, you will be good to go. Certain functions and effects can be applied manually in workaround scenarios.

Personally, I like my camera to be an extension of my hands, heart and mind. Sound too poetic but many of the settings and functions becomes a matter of muscel-memory and reflex, like playing a musical instrument witout looking at the keys. In mastering the mechanics and keeping them simple, I have more time for creativity, expression, light usage and all that good stuff. Takes practice! Weh it comes to computers, I am more of an appliance operator. I don't need to drill down into the circuitry. As long as the software functions, I'm happy. When things go south I call in the techies.

You are right- one size does not fit all and each of us must find our own comfort zone. New gear can be like going on a vacation trip- getting there is half the fun!

You are right that expertise takes practice, but I don't for a moment believe that making the camera become an extension of your heart and mind is "too poetic." Visual poetry is what the camera is all about - that's why I'm here, because I learn from others experience, and extend my own by doing so.

I'm not a news photographer, nor do I generally engage in situations where recording for history is my goal. I want to find and develop beauty. Although I have sold photographs here and there on request, and as a favor shot a very few weddings, I regard myself as a very advanced amateur. Nonetheless I have and will always have a great deal to learn, and there are always ways to improve my images either by better use of light or camera or personality in people photography (not just portraits). The same is true for post processing, but my interests don't extend to some of the wild productions we've all seen.

My goal for this topic is to learn how others see our modern tools, and how they approach their use. Someone above said the journey is part of the pleasure - I absolutely agree.

Don't worry, it ain't your age or any deficiency on your part. I'm 77 and still work every day as a professional photographer.

The engineers. designers, market research folks who make cameras and sell them are real whiz-kids. They are always figuring out more "bells' and Whistles" or should I say "pipe organs and air-raid sirens, to install in the cameras. I have an old D-90 in the shop- old technology and the menu is full of useless stuff! Much of the current stuff is worse! Many of the features are just too much and completely unnecessary. Some of the many settings are real booby-trapped and will mess up the proper settings that you already know about!

If you find any of the more complex settings useful, have at them. Otherwise, forget about all that newfangled nonsense and use the manual, or aperture or shutter priority setting you are used to and enjoy your PHOTOGRAPHY.

The instruction manual and menu for someof my camera would be better suited to a nuclear reactor. I set my shooting mode (M, A, S, or P), the ISO, White Balance, Aperture, Shutter Speed and set my meter to center spot readings because I know where to meter and lick in or I use my handheld meter or just set the exposure by instinct. I set the AF to a simple setting because I know how to select my focus point and utilize depth of field.

I love GADGETS- in the kitchen, not in my cameras. I usually buy them and they end up in the drawer because there is not better than a good sharp chef's knife for most tasks.

You are an old-timer in photography, you know a heck of a lot more than any camera menu has to offer!

I hope this helps!

When you become one with your camera, the magic begins.

If you want that magic, then yes, your camera needs to be an extension of yourself. Not in the Nikon Fanboyz sense of selfworth; but rather, in the sense you know every control and how to access and use that control without having to look at the camera. The ergonomic design of Canon EOS models, especially the high-end models like the market-defining EOS R5, are intended to be an extension of your mind and body.

But still, determination and practice are needed. Challenge yourself to have the finger dexterity to access all the relevant controls with the camera held to your eye in a shooting position. Challenge yourself to 'know' the current value of every exposure and AF variable setting in the camera at all times. Challenge yourself to know that three clicks counterclockwise on the aperture dial just opened the aperture by 1-stop in 1/3 increments. If shooting in manual without AUTO-ISO, you need to make the same change to the shutter making it 1-stop slower to keep the same exposure, or 1-stop slower on the ISO. That arithmetic and finger feel should exist in the same way thoughts and words form in your mind, without any thought at all.

For many decades, cameras have improved incrementally, with the only truly big jump arriving with digitization. Now however, complexity is challenging. The price of versatility is complexity, but in the past the increments have been of a size that I found easy to surmount.
With the arrival of my R5 a few months ago I found myself struggling to digest it all! Is my age (I'm 86) involved? What is the right compromise? Mirrorless has nothing to do with it. For the first time, I've mismanaged the camera to the point of ruining many photos because I found the menu anything but user friendly. I'm improving rapidly as I learn my way around, but it is taking more effort and time to study and learn the brain of this camera!
No regrets on my part, but don't underestimate the challenge.
What do each of you find to be the best compromise?