Minimalist lense choice for travel

berni29 wrote:

The problem with the GM1 is going to be battery life IMHO. I would just use some snap wrap around the body to keep dust out and some sort of cloth tube or bandage around the lens if it were me taking one.

Yes but, 1 extra battery = 1 less snack.

I went for the lenses I already own.  Pleace C&C.

Mt Cristallo from Lagazoi @ 12 and 45 mm.   The movie "Cliffhanger" was filmed there.

australopithecus wrote:

ulfie wrote:

If the OP really wants minimalist, s/he should choose just one lens. For that I'd recommend either the Oly 17/1.8 or Panny 20/1.7. Versatile, small total package, and well above average IQ.

I'd second that ! Zooms can be handy but are slower and lumpy.

Yes but the Oly 12-40 F2.8 should cover every situation and is weather-sealed, so great for this type of travel.

PS:  BTW, I wonder about that "Australopithecus" avatar of yours; manual focus only, right? 

I've just received delivery of my final lens kit for an upcoming three-week holiday in Japan and Hong Kong. My camera bag will have the following lenses in it:

• Panasonic 25mm f/1.4
• Panasonic 14-140mm Mk.II
• Olympus 9-18mm
• Olympus 45mm

Plus various filters, spare battery and a shutter remote. I've just tested the weight on my shoulder, and it's barely anything. This is what m43 is all about.

Cheers,
Paul

I would imagine 12 & 45 could be all the lenses you'd need. However, I would take along a backup body.

How about a Panny GM1+kit lens (12-32) as a backup for both body and lenses.

Hello,

My samsung phone proofed to be a good enough backup for a ski trip. Quick stop, phone out of the zip pocket et voila!  OK for snapshots.

FOV is about 35 mm I guess.  During the day, the light on snow is horrible, whatever camera you use.  In the evening the oly primes are way better than any kit zoom...

I also used the 12 + 2X digital teleconverter to avoid changing lenses in snowdrift.  Basically I used the 12 mm for ski around/people and environmental portrait and the 45 in the evening for panorama and mountain scenes.

Yes, I wonder if I should get the 17 or 25 mm f1.8, but this would make the choice of what lense to bring on a trip more difficult...

12+45+ Samsung might be a good solution.

Steven

Thin_Ice wrote:

Hello,

What lense would you recommend for:

* ski traverse of a week through the Italian Dolomites (OMD with the prime attached)

* travel to Katmandu, short trekking in Nepal of the beaten track and a tiger safari in India

I have an OMD with the 12 and 45 mm primes and an E420 with the 14-42 and 40-150 kit zooms. I really like the 45 mm for mountain landscapes and the 12 mm for social pictures indoors and outdoors. I use the 12 mm as walk around most of the time. I hope to buy the upcoming oly 40-150 fast zoom for sport and wildlife, but this one won't be available before the Nepal/India trip. Most of the time i take no spare lense on a trip.

Would a 17 mm prime be an advantage over the 12 mm for adventure travel/mountain scenes? Before buying the 12 mm, i checked the flickr groups of th 12, 17 and 9-18. I concluded that the results of the 12 mm on flickr really stand out and went for the 12mm.

I would use the 12 mm in Kathmandu streets and the 45 mm in the dolomites on the ski 's and on trek in Nepal. For a panorama i would stitch when needed.

What can be expected of the current mFT 40-150 and 70-300? Is there much difference with the results of my FT equipment in daylight? Since i use my primes, i am underwhelmed by the image quality of my FT lenses...

I use to travel light. My current camera bag is a lowepro dashpoint 30. My ski backpack is a 30 liter mountaineering backpack stowed with gear,clothes and snacks for 5 days... For a second prime, i have to trade in 3 snickers :-(.

Thanks for your advise,

Steven

I travel with the E-PL5 and the 14mm, the Panasonic 25mm, and either the Sigma 60mm or the Panasonic 45-175mm. For close-up work, I'd use the Sigma 60mm with a good achromat diopter lens.

From your kit, you could easily sub the 12mm for my 14mm. But I think you'd benefit from some other lens in the 19mm to 30mm range (for me right now, I'd go with the Oly 25mm for quality speed and small size) - as well as any one of the longer zoom lenses. My pick would be the Panasonic 45-150mm, for build quality and small size.

But depending upon your shooting style, maybe you could get by with the 12mm and 45mm alone.  For me, for a once in a lifetime event, I'd want something longer, as well as something closer to normal perspective.