Family Disney trip, 2020 edition

Highgrovemanor wrote:

Show stopper: I was thinking selfie stick with phones for uber-light, but Disney says no-selfies.

Current thoughts: Do the photo-package (all you can eat), so my shots are bonus-round but not needed. Old threads were quite valuable, and have me thinking 9-18mm Oly during the day and 50/1.7 for dark.

When I shot with Nikon APS-C DSLRs, I once used a 10.5mm fisheye at Disneyland. It was great for close quarters but it also, obviously, brought a lot of distortion. If you can get your family to sit close together in close quarters (like photographing them on the tea cup ride), I think 12mm on m43 will be wide enough. I have the 9-18 and had it at Disney World but it only accounted for *SIX* keepers from that park and its 9mm field of view wasn't necessary. The next time I go I'll just bring my 12-35/2.8 or 12-60/3.5-5.6.

When you say "50/1.7 for dark," do you mean the 25/1.7? If so, I think that's a good idea, although my preference would be the 17/1.8 or 15/1.7 just for the wider FoV.

I do have the 20mm, but its slow focus speed is a non-starter IMO. I would like to shoot some video, along with some pictures. Other lenses include 7.5 FE, 12-35/35-100 2.8s, 45/1.8. Think single body, 2 lenses max.

Hmm.  In your situation I'd probably use the 12-35/2.8 + 7.5 FE during the day.  Then, after the mental health break in the late afternoon, go back with the 12-35/2.8 and 25/1.7 for the evening.

Question 1: take the weight penalty of G9, right? Other options are G7, or GX1? G7 youtube videos seem its okay for 4k, but its focus drove me to G9. I like the GX-1 form factor (have EVF), but its quite dated and worst video of the bunch.

Since you're shooting video, I would take the G9 w/o question. It's your only camera with IBIS.

Question 2: Anyone gotten Gorilla tripods in w/o grief?

I've used a Gorillapod in DL before (worked great for a moving time lapse in Small Small World) but it was a small one that I used for my GoPro.

Question 3: Am I thinking of this right?

I know you said you can't buy anything new so of course I'll suggest something used. 

On my last trip to Disneyland, despite having my m43 gear with me, I shot 95% of the video with an action camera.  The stabilization combined with the wide FoV and deep DoF made it an ideal camera to capturing video while walking around the park and riding the rides.  Video quality and stabilization (if you're using something that doesn't have mechanical stabilization) will suffer in the evening but in that situation you could use your G9 for video duties.  So perhaps looked for a used GoPro 7?  Pair it with a short handle (it won't be counted as a selfie stick...I used a 10" floating handle with mine) and it'll work well enough for shooting selfie video plus give you a good grip for shooting video while on the rides.

But if you don't want to get an action camera, then pair the G9 with the 7.5 FE.  Then choose a focus distance and aperture to make it focus-free.  The wide FoV should make it easier to keep things looking stable but try it with and without electronic stabilization turned on.  If I recall correctly, the e-stabilization can cause some warping when shooting video with a superwide lens.  IBIS (mechanical) is fine to use, though.

Also use a very short tripod that you can also use as a handle for your camera.  That'll make it easier to turn the camera back towards you for selfie video.