Strategies for your backup body

My main body is a Panasonic GX85 and I have an Olympus E-PL6 as a backup.  I have some lenses that I don't use that often (14mm pancake and the 12-32mm). I'm considering getting the 20mm f1.7 to make it a stand-alone setup of sorts, and my wife may get a little use out of that, but she's not particularly photographically inclined.

Based on all the other lenses I have,, and lenses that I could get (currently contemplating getting the Samyang 7.5mm 3.5), does anyone have some suggestions as to how to keep the E-PL6 in my rotation?  I want to find a practical use for it.

+1 Richard.

That's how I use my E-M1 MkI and MkII.

Different cameras/lenses for different uses.

1. mentos77 wrote:

iPhone SE with camera grip on it and Filmic Pro app for very acceptable 4K video. Anyone recommend a good iOS app to get more controls and dynamic range from photos?

ProCamera (by cocologics) shooting in TIFF mode works for me in a pinch where there is good lighting and the native 28mm view is appropriate.  It also supports RAW in iPhone 7 and higher.

mentos77 wrote:

iPhone SE with camera grip on it and Filmic Pro app for very acceptable 4K video. Anyone recommend a good iOS app to get more controls and dynamic range from photos?

Kinda random question and practically off topic, isn’t it?

In the spirit of trying to be helpful, I use an app call Halide on my iPhone X.  It saves RAW files so a bit more dynamic range to post-process from, but I’m not sure if that will work on an iPhone SE, you can check in the App Store.

mentos77 wrote:

iPhone SE with camera grip on it and Filmic Pro app for very acceptable 4K video. Anyone recommend a good iOS app to get more controls and dynamic range from photos?

Yeah ... Android

Seriously though, adding a grip? to an already large phone? May as well have a GX85

1.  Use one with a tele lens, the other with a WA. I use the Ricoh GR as WA and the GX7 with 40-150 (or macro or, rarely, the Samyang 7,5 FE).
2. Use one with the 1,7/20, the other with a slower zoom. - But then there is a danger, you only want to use the versatile 20mm combo (fast, normal FOV, close focus, excellent IQ) and forget to carry the other one.

Peter

eques wrote:

1. Use one with a tele lens, the other with a WA. I use the Ricoh GR as WA and the GX7 with 40-150 (or macro or, rarely, the Samyang 7,5 FE).
2. Use one with the 1,7/20, the other with a slower zoom. - But then there is a danger, you only want to use the versatile 20mm combo (fast, normal FOV, close focus, excellent IQ) and forget to carry the other one.

Peter

This is what I've done in the past with my GH3 and GM5. At Goodwood Revival in 2016, I did the following for the airshow part:

• GM5 with Lumix 14-140mm to captured formations and take-off/landing (close enough to the runway).
• GH3 with Lumix 100-300m for single aircraft flying.

Both worked very well, and because I had the GM5 on shutter-priority in order to blur props, it only ever used the mechanical shutter.

The only thing I will say is that the GM5's battery went quicker than the GH3's!

Regards,

Paul

jsaras wrote:

My main body is a Panasonic GX85 and I have an Olympus E-PL6 as a backup. I have some lenses that I don't use that often (14mm pancake and the 12-32mm). I'm considering getting the 20mm f1.7 to make it a stand-alone setup of sorts, and my wife may get a little use out of that, but she's not particularly photographically inclined.

Based on all the other lenses I have,, and lenses that I could get (currently contemplating getting the Samyang 7.5mm 3.5), does anyone have some suggestions as to how to keep the E-PL6 in my rotation? I want to find a practical use for it.

The issue that you have is that the cameras are too similar. If you prefer the GX85, why would you take the E-PL6 instead? Changing a lens is just not that difficult. If you buy the 20mm and like it, why not just use it on the GX85?

In your situation, you can keep the E-PL6 as a true backup (i.e. use it only when the GX85 fails) or as a second body when you want to shoot with two cameras. In that case you could have a telephoto zoom on one and the wide zoom or prime on the other.

In my case, I have two different camera styles (E-M1 and E-P5) that are generally used with different lenses for different purposes.

I use GF7 as second body to G80. The GF7 tends to have wide lens Samyang 7.5 FE or Panasonic 7-14mm, with 12-60 or 14-140 on the G80. The GF7 sits in a belt mounted Lowepro case (all lenses up to the 14-140mm will fit). I also have GM1 but the GF7 tends to be used because its tilt screen is very helpful for low wideangle shots - often on the floor with Pixie mini tripod.

GF7 is also used as lightweight travel body (with7-14 /Samyang FE), usually in combo with a Compact/Bridge camera.