Travel

I have a 2 week Europe trip planned for the summer. This will be a typical tourist trip, but once in a lifetime  for us. I typically don’t shoot much wide, but there will be more opportunities on this trip. I have the following and drive a lot for work so I always have most of these in the car. Definitely want to keep it light for the trip.  Need 2 light kits from this . Wife not quite as serious as me about photography.

Oly12mm 2.0

Oly17mm 1.8

Oly 25mm 1.8

Oly 45mm 1.8

Oly 75mm 1.8

Pana 25mm 1.4

Oly 12-40 Pro 2.8

Pana 35-100 2.8

Oly 75-300 I

14-150 II

EM10 II, EM5 II, Pen F , EP5, EPL6

I have been looking at a Oly 12-100 f4, but have not pulled the trigger.

TexasSnapper wrote:

I would take these:

Pana 25mm 1.4

Oly 12-40 Pro 2.8

Pana 35-100 2.8

Oly 75-300 I

EM5 II, Pen F

Hi,
You might provide a few more details about the trip - family size, such as traveling with small children, where you are going, and as mentioned, how much you mind changing lenses. How many people will be using the kit and such.
I would suggest one camera and two zoom lenses, the wide to mid-tele, and the mid-tele to tele.  Unless you're planning to sell your work, I don't think you would be disappointed.

My personal philosophy for vacations is that if I need to zoom in that much was I really there? I could just buy a postcard. I usually only take one of my lenses for vacation. My choice from your lenses would be:

• Oly 12-40 Pro

No changing of lenses, have reasonable low light for indoor and night, a little bit of zoom for framing. For wide shots I take overlapping images and make a pano in post.

My second or alternate choice, and for you, especially If you are nervous still about wanting more reach take something like the:

• 14 - 150 II
  • The key is to have 12 mm or 14 at the low end and what ever the long end is so be it.

When I first got my first MFT camera I didn't have enough time to get another lens and shot my entire vacation to Spain with the 14 - 42 mm F 3.5 - 5.6 Pany kit lens. Sure some additional zoom for details on the architecture high above me would have been nice but since it was outdoors there was enough light for a clean image and I was able to crop in post and have a nice close ups. Inside churches came out great even cropping the vaulted ceiling shots high above. I was very happy with the entire set of images for the vacation, no regrets.

I take the images for the memories and not so much for art. If you are more interested in the art or trying to get the postcard quality shot, take two primes, one wide, one long

Mark

TexasSnapper wrote:

I have a 2 week Europe trip planned for the summer. This will be a typical tourist trip, but once in a lifetime for us. I typically don’t shoot much wide, but there will be more opportunities on this trip. I have the following and drive a lot for work so I always have most of these in the car. Definitely want to keep it light for the trip. Need 2 light kits from this . Wife not quite as serious as me about photography.

Oly12mm 2.0

Oly17mm 1.8

Oly 25mm 1.8

Oly 45mm 1.8

Oly 75mm 1.8

Pana 25mm 1.4

Oly 12-40 Pro 2.8

Pana 35-100 2.8

Oly 75-300 I

14-150 II

EM10 II, EM5 II, Pen F , EP5, EPL6

I have been looking at a Oly 12-100 f4, but have not pulled the trigger.

I would probably settle on the following:

Pen F  + 14-150 and 17

E-M5 II + 12-40 and 35-100

If you thing you are both going to want a fast prime at the same time (evening walks?) then add the 25 as well (didn't pick the 12 because you said you don't tend to shot wide).

If you do splurge on the 12-100 it should replace the 14-150 and you might want to swap bodies to get the Sync IS (or does the Pen F support that?).

As others have said the "correct" answer depends on things only you can decide such as:

-how much weight are you okay with carrying

-what size camera bag(s) you will be using

-how willing are you to swap lenses

-etc.

Good luck with your decision and enjoy your trip!

EM5.ii + 14-150 for a complete outdoor walk-about WR setup.

PEN-F + 12/2.0 + 25/1.8 + 45/1.8 for a light-weight, indoor, low-light setup.

The two bodies and 5 lenses should be able to fit into medium-size bag.

TexasSnapper wrote:

I have a 2 week Europe trip planned for the summer.

Nature, cities or both..? How are you travelling (camper van, hire car or public transport?)

One other thing to consider is to make sure you have a means to download and backup your photos! Don't lose your one in a life time shots!

EM10 II + Oly 12-40 and enjoy that trip. It is (at least for me) more important experience than playing with cameras and lenses all the time.

TexasSnapper wrote:

I have a 2 week Europe trip planned for the summer. This will be a typical tourist trip, but once in a lifetime for us. I typically don’t shoot much wide, but there will be more opportunities on this trip. I have the following and drive a lot for work so I always have most of these in the car. Definitely want to keep it light for the trip. Need 2 light kits from this . Wife not quite as serious as me about photography.

Oly12mm 2.0

Oly17mm 1.8

Oly 25mm 1.8

Oly 45mm 1.8

Oly 75mm 1.8

Pana 25mm 1.4

Oly 12-40 Pro 2.8

Pana 35-100 2.8

Oly 75-300 I

14-150 II

EM10 II, EM5 II, Pen F , EP5, EPL6

I have been looking at a Oly 12-100 f4, but have not pulled the trigger.

Assuming one kit is for you & the other for your wife (less serious), I would suggest-

12-40 2.8 + 35-100 2.8 for you.

14-150 for your wife.

Plus I'd throw in a 'normal' prime or two for night time / indoors, e.g. 17 1.8, 25 1.4.

Another consideration is how many guided yours you will be taking.  The average tourist nowadays is taking photos and selfies with their cell phones.  The guide and group will not be waiting around while you are changing lenses.  For that reason alone, the 12-40mm needs to be your go-to lens.  It has a focal range that covers the majority of situations and is fast enough to be used inside churches and museums.  On my two most recent international trips to southern Europe and New Zealand, my 12-40mm stayed on my E-M10 the entire time.

Here’s a heretical idea; take your favorite m43 combo and a good compact like an rx100x or lx100 as the second camera. Tiny, flexible, and there really aren’t m43 equivalents. The rx100 mkiii and later have evf and different lens ranges, take your pick. The lx100 and marginally better lx100 mk ii are f/1.7-2.8 25-75 equivalent angle zooms on ¾ of an m43 sensor. Either will fit in a big coat pocket or small bag. Lx100 new will probably cost less than a two week rental of 12-200.  Both work well, minimum fuss.

Typing on an iPad sure encourages terseness ...

TexasSnapper wrote:

I have a 2 week Europe trip planned for the summer. This will be a typical tourist trip, but once in a lifetime for us.  Definitely want to keep it light for the trip. Need 2 light kits from this . Wife not quite as serious as me about photography.

I would keep it simple and make photography a secondary priority. Two weeks isn't very long. Your kit is fully fleshed out but you're looking to add more? I think you have this covered. I'd bring the E-M10 II + 17 + 45.

Oly12mm 2.0

Oly17mm 1.8

Oly 25mm 1.8

Oly 45mm 1.8

Oly 75mm 1.8

Pana 25mm 1.4

Oly 12-40 Pro 2.8

Pana 35-100 2.8

Oly 75-300 I

14-150 II

EM10 II, EM5 II, Pen F , EP5, EPL6

I have been looking at a Oly 12-100 f4, but have not pulled the trigger.

nevada5 wrote:

Save your energy. Another hit and run.

To be fair to the OP hit and run posts tend to have a lot more hit!!!

Sam in Hawaii wrote:

Here’s a heretical idea; take your favorite m43 combo and a good compact like an rx100x or lx100 as the second camera. Tiny, flexible, and there really aren’t m43 equivalents. The rx100 mkiii and later have evf and different lens ranges, take your pick. The lx100 and marginally better lx100 mk ii are f/1.7-2.8 25-75 equivalent angle zooms on ¾ of an m43 sensor. Either will fit in a big coat pocket or small bag. Lx100 new will probably cost less than a two week rental of 12-200. Both work well, minimum fuss.

Typing on an iPad sure encourages terseness ...

I quite agree. My point of view on these things is that some trips are to take pictures, but others are to see and enjoy new things and places.
If it's the former, take gear to do it (I do it and really enjoy it). If it's the second, take a really nice P&S and know how to use it (we enjoy that, too).