Gx85 for Travel?

Jeff4500 wrote:

I sold my EP5 and the two kit lenses yesterday. My "normal" cameras are 2 Gx8's. I plan on doing some traveling with the wife this year and need a small camera that does video and good stills. Normally I travel with the Gx8/12-35 and Oly 75-300 II, but on family trips I have used the EP5 and two kit lenses to keep things simple.

I have lots of lenses but will travel with the Oly 9-18mm, perhaps the Pany 14, and the 35-100mm f4 if I get the Gx85. Have to keep both the lenses and camera small. Budget is right at the Gx85 price of $600.

The Gx85 just seems like a the obvious choice, am I wrong?

If you already have 2 GX8s, why bother with a GX85?

My girlfriend and I travel often. I carry a GX8, 7-14mm, 12-40mm and Voigtländer 17.5mm, while she has a GX7 and 14-140mm II. If it's a nature trip I'll add the 100-400mm. We often just swap cameras when photographing stuff instead of swapping lenses.

I must say, it's really nice to have a weather sealed body and lens for those times when you have to go out, the weather is bad but you still want to capture images of where you're going, what you're seeing and eating. You're set, you already have both.

Just this past year we were in Cartagena, Colombia and St. Petersburg, Russia and there were a few days of nasty weather and we were was able to go on our usual long walks and still able to carry a camera and not worry about the rain. It was quite liberating.

I'd really think about getting a 14-140mm for one of the cameras. It's a really fun lens to carry and the extra reach over a 35-100mm f4-5.6 is very welcome. Minimizing lens swaps is a nice thing too, unless you're wandering alone. My girlfriend loves that lens!