Gx85 for Travel?

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?

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?

I think it's a great choice. I'm planning a trip to the Caribbean this fall and I will be bringing my GX85 with the Panasonic 12-32mm and 45-150mm lenses. I may bring a Pan/Leica 15mm with me if I buy one by then.

My heavy Nikon D750 and its lenses are not something I want to lug around on a trip.

Yes, the GX85 is a perfect travel camera. A HUGE advantage it has over normal cameras is in-camera charging. If you're bringing a cell charger already, you already have everything you need for it (maybe a cable, if you're an iPhone/USB-C user). Or charge via laptop! I don't know why this isn't standard on every camera.

But aside from that it's fairly small, stabilized, does 4K, etc. Not weather-resistant in any way (or humidity-resistant, depending on where you're travelling), so be aware of that.

The only addition I would suggest to your lens plan is to add a small bright prime, i.e. the PL 15mm f1.7 or the 20mm f1.7. On my last trip I ended up using the PL 25mm f1.4 from pretty much the golden hour on, and was glad to have it. Your proposed lineup sounds a little dark unless you'll only be out in bright light.

GCharma wrote:

Yes, the GX85 is a perfect travel camera. A HUGE advantage it has over normal cameras is in-camera charging. If you're bringing a cell charger already, you already have everything you need for it (maybe a cable, if you're an iPhone/USB-C user). Or charge via laptop! I don't know why this isn't standard on every camera.

But aside from that it's fairly small, stabilized, does 4K, etc. Not weather-resistant in any way (or humidity-resistant, depending on where you're travelling), so be aware of that.

The only addition I would suggest to your lens plan is to add a small bright prime, i.e. the PL 15mm f1.7 or the 20mm f1.7. On my last trip I ended up using the PL 25mm f1.4 from pretty much the golden hour on, and was glad to have it. Your proposed lineup sounds a little dark unless you'll only be out in bright light.

I do have the 14 and it might fit in the case.

Hard to comment would GX8, or GX85 be better to travel since it would be highly dependent on your own condition and style of travelling. A few posts in another forum said carrying few Kgs of gears are pieces of cake to them, or if one traveling by self driving and visiting places just be a few steps from the parking car, what to carry is not a consideration at all.

Speaking on my own experience (join a tour group, walk for hours a day touring around old town, ruins, museum, palaces etc) I must carry light, and have lenses covering the widest focal length with me all the time. I used G1, later GX1, then GX7 and now GX85 (but would fall back to GX7 as my wife like GX85). The size and weight of GX8 is definitely not my cup of tea. In fact, except for the weather sealing, GX8 doesn't likely give me more than GX85 for my travelling need. However, all of my previous Pany cameras were well proven under various adverse weather condition from heavy rain, snow storm, -25°C cold, dry desert etc and none of them failed me before I upgrade. Basically weatherseal means nothing special to me. YMMV.

As I must carry all of my lens with me for the few hours walking every day of my trip, I always have 12-35 f/2.8 on my camera, 7-14 f/4 and 45-150 in my bag. A total weight of 700g hanging on my neck and around 600g in my bag on my shoulder only.

Joining a tour = quick action. I don't have the luxury to walk around for human zoom (very often impossible) and change lenses dozen times for a single target. Zoom is my best friend.

Fast speed is also not a must as I rarely shoot fast moving object indoor/at the night. In dim lighting indoor like cathedrals etc there are always a lot of support I could making use of (e.g. wall, pillar, bench, handrail etc). I could use G1 well in the old days (usable ISO of 200 only), upon the improved ISO of GX7 (ISO1600) or GX85 (ISO3200), also the excellent Dual IS of GX85, I am now never happier. Although a mini table top tripod might sometimes be in my bag (for the human image stabilization system as per lovely members' teaching), it was rarely needed.

ADD: If GX85 be your choice, I strongly suggest you to buy an USB charger instead of using the in-camera USB charge because upon charging, the camera must be switched off. I used something like this:

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!

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?

No, I don't think you're wrong, as I got one about a month ago and feel it's perfect for your intended use.

It's the rangefinder style that Olympus still refuses to make, i.e. one with EVF and flash built in. Mine fits in a tiny Tamrac 5693 bag that has my 20/1.7 in the front zipper pocket.

It has the in-body dual stabilization for great stills and video that you'll be using on the fly. I'm impressed with the images that you can get with no "anti-aliasing filter."

As another poster mentioned you can do, I charge my battery with my Anker iPhone USB charger in camera while on the go. But also mine came in a package with a charger and extra 3rd party battery so that's nice to have if you don't have time to recharge.

The microphone that's built in is not as ineffective as some reviews might lead you to believe. I just used my GX85 to record some videos of musicians and was impressed with the results.

I think you will really like it.

It's a pity the GM5 is gone, otherwise that would be my recommendation.  The GX85 is the obvious successor.

When I travel, it's always my GM1 + (either GX85 or PEN-F) + 9-18 + 15 + 25 + 45 + 7.5FE + 45-150 in two separate bags - one bag comes with me and other bag holding the other lenses in hotel safe.

I agree. I don't see the point of adding a GX85. It's not that much smaller or lighter than a GX8 honestly. And you gain some features and lose some features.

I appreciate all of the thoughtful responses. A couple of things. I love my Gx8's, and if it were only me taking the trips, I'd use my Gx8's, 9-18, 12-35, and the 75-300II or PL100-400. But the part I left out is that I will be traveling with my wife mostly in urban settings. She does not want these to be photo trips, and thus the need for the smallest camera that works for what I want to do. Both the 9-18 and 35-100 fit into a pocket, I will be using a wrist strap for the camera. I will have a Canon 500D adapted for the 35-100 for any macro shots that come up - again it fits in a pocket. The Gx85 has a built in flash that will be useful for macros and other shots.

I'd love to take my Pany 14 for a little more speed, but I feel two lenses is the maximum for a non-photo trip.

It doesn't appear that the Gx85 is that much bigger than an EP5 with the VF2 which was my camera for this type of trip.

I am finding the 4K photo very useful and the Gx85 has it.

I've tried the dual IS with the 35-100 with the 60 fps 1080P on the Gx8's for video and it works even at the 100mm setting, I wonder if the GX85's 4K dual is video will be as good?

Jeff4500 wrote:

I appreciate all of the thoughtful responses. A couple of things. I love my Gx8's, and if it were only me taking the trips, I'd use my Gx8's, 9-18, 12-35, and the 75-300II or PL100-400. But the part I left out is that I will be traveling with my wife mostly in urban settings. She does not want these to be photo trips, and thus the need for the smallest camera that works for what I want to do. Both the 9-18 and 35-100 fit into a pocket, I will be using a wrist strap for the camera. I will have a Canon 500D adapted for the 35-100 for any macro shots that come up - again it fits in a pocket. The Gx85 has a built in flash that will be useful for macros and other shots.

I'd love to take my Pany 14 for a little more speed, but I feel two lenses is the maximum for a non-photo trip.

I do a lot of travel and constant lens changes can really get in the way, especially if photography is secondary or third-dary.

Two lenses make sense. But a short zoom and a longer one guarantee plenty of swapping… since you KNOW the other lens will cover a different range from the other.

ONE zoom, with a decent amount of range, along with a fast prime, for low light and night time, will do everything you need and minimize swapping. Zoom for day, prime for night.

I'd suggest you take a hard look at the 14-140mm II and 15mm or 20mm. One camera, and two lenses, that would pretty much do it. Nice and simple.

I agree, the 14-140 on this camera is a natural combination for travel photography in good light. Being free from lens-swapping helps one stay "in the moment".

Sterling
--
Lens Grit

I have to agree with You. In February I was with my family on winter vacation. I had M10 with S7.5, P20 and O45. All great lenses, but it is not fun to change lenses all the time. After that, I have decided to add GX80 and 14-140, which I did. Now I am waiting for my next trip in May, to see how it works.

I think that 14-140 + 20 f1.7 is enough, although I will probably bring S7.5 for UWA, and O45 for portraits.

SterlingBjorndahl wrote:

I agree, the 14-140 on this camera is a natural combination for travel photography in good light. Being free from lens-swapping helps one stay "in the moment".

When my girlfriend wanted a "real" camera, I picked up a GX1, a 14-42mm II and a 45-150mm.

Not zoomy enough. Didn't want to change lenses. Okay. Stupid me.

Bought her a 14-140mm II and she was happy. Now she uses it with our GX7 and likes it even more. It's a perfect travel lens.

jeffharris wrote:

SterlingBjorndahl wrote:

I agree, the 14-140 on this camera is a natural combination for travel photography in good light. Being free from lens-swapping helps one stay "in the moment".

When my girlfriend wanted a "real" camera, I picked up a GX1, a 14-42mm II and a 45-150mm.

Not zoomy enough. Didn't want to change lenses. Okay. Stupid me.

Bought her a 14-140mm II and she was happy. Now she uses it with our GX7 and likes it even more. It's a perfect travel lens.

Djordje Jevtovic wrote:

I have to agree with You. In February I was with my family on winter vacation. I had M10 with S7.5, P20 and O45. All great lenses, but it is not fun to change lenses all the time. After that, I have decided to add GX80 and 14-140, which I did. Now I am waiting for my next trip in May, to see how it works.

I think that 14-140 + 20 f1.7 is enough, although I will probably bring S7.5 for UWA, and O45 for portraits.

I used the 20mm and 14-140mm I for quite a while and for low light the 20mm never felt quite wide enough. Now I carry a 17.5mm, but if I wanted an autofocus lens, I'd definitely opt for a 15mm over the 20mm, even though i have a 20mm.

There's something about the 20mm's field of view that never felt quite right to me. That's probably just me.

As a current GX85 user and (in M43 practice) solely a Panasonic (GF1, GX1 and GX7 before the GX85), I've gradually pared down my travel lens collection. Given the insight provided by my wife about "photographic" versus "holiday" travel; plus my advancing age; plus my Nikon Ds80, 200 and 700 experience and the weight requirements of multiple lenses with the Nikons, I've eventually trimmed my travel equipment down to the GX85 (my GAS does not preclude a potential future GX9, for example) and one lens mounted while out and about, and a second, often never used backup lens in the bag (but I've increasingly less inclined to carry a bag while shooting on a trip and leave the backup lens in the hotel safe).

I'm now settled on the 12-35 f/2.8 Lumix, taking advantage of the Dual-IS connection with the GX85, with the 15mm PanaLeica as the backup back in the hotel. As I've posted recently I've even spent two weeks in Paris and Dublin with just the 15mm and never much thirsted for another focal length.

I have to add that my wife and my travel trips in our later years have been, luckily, principally to very urban locations in European cities and towns and long lenses have not been particularly useful. My practice on trips over the last ten years had been to take three, then two lenses on a trip, plan each day's touring and select just the lens most suitable for the day's touring, e.g., museums, churches, historic sites, etc.

I know that minimizing the potential benefits of a camera bag chock full of lenses has limited my options and might work well for only a very few others, but there's room in travel and photography for many different approaches

Jeff4500 wrote:

I appreciate all of the thoughtful responses. A couple of things. I love my Gx8's, and if it were only me taking the trips, I'd use my Gx8's, 9-18, 12-35, and the 75-300II or PL100-400. But the part I left out is that I will be traveling with my wife mostly in urban settings. She does not want these to be photo trips, and thus the need for the smallest camera that works for what I want to do. Both the 9-18 and 35-100 fit into a pocket, I will be using a wrist strap for the camera. I will have a Canon 500D adapted for the 35-100 for any macro shots that come up - again it fits in a pocket. The Gx85 has a built in flash that will be useful for macros and other shots.

I'd love to take my Pany 14 for a little more speed, but I feel two lenses is the maximum for a non-photo trip.

It doesn't appear that the Gx85 is that much bigger than an EP5 with the VF2 which was my camera for this type of trip.

I am finding the 4K photo very useful and the Gx85 has it.

I've tried the dual IS with the 35-100 with the 60 fps 1080P on the Gx8's for video and it works even at the 100mm setting, I wonder if the GX85's 4K dual is video will be as good?

You keep on adding lenses 😉. For a trip that isn't focused on photography I'd take one of your GX8's, pick up the kit 12-60 for a cheap general walk around lens that also does fine for close ups with .27x magnification and throw the 14 2.5 in your bag, or another lightweight prime if you prefer. If you need more reach than the 12-60 provides just crop your 20mp sensor. I know you argue that you need the lightweight lenses. I would argue you should minimize your lens swaps as much as possible. I bet your wife will thank you for it.

After reading Jim's post and yours, A Gx8 and my 12-35 does seem like an option, or even a Gx85 and that lens. Could always shot 4K or use the Digit Tele with Raw/Fine option set.

Of course I could save the $600 and by Christmas add another 1600 and go for a Gh5....yikes I am down the Rabbit Hole!