best micro 4/3 travel system

[Stephb]

I have a nikon D300 and am looking for a smaller lighter camera system to take with me while traveling in Europe. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Labe]

I think the GH2 with 14-140 would cover most general stuff along with the 20mm pancake and if more reach needed add the 100-300 pany to it . cheers Paul UK
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new to technology,always learning

 

[kev777zero]

there's quite a few options depending on your need so it's hard to say "best". my compact travel consists of the olympus EPL1+pany20mm f1.7 (a very dynamic focal length equivalent along with low light capabilities) alongside an oly14-150mm that basically completes all my photo opportunities in a nice small pack. get the EPL2 of course if your thinking of purchasing a PEN and if you must have wide angle the oly 9-18mm is a great compact solution.

 

[alex66]

There are a few Questions that you have to have in mind before you decide on what to use. Is it just for stills, with video as an after thought or is video important ie Gh1/2 or another. I am a still shooter with little interest in video, so as a compact system I went for an Ep-1 with the Panasonic 14-45 and an Olympus 17mm, I have an Epl-1 as a spare just in-case. I hardly shoot telephoto, hence my choices, if you do perhaps the 14-140 would be a better choice. The oly 14-42 is within a hair of the Panasonic, I am tempted to travel with it due to that. On your Nikon you will lose out on the low light ability, but an Ep-1 is a lot smaller and lighter, you can fit them in a waist pack with comfort. The live view on them is great for making exposure adjustments, you can see what you get.

 

[Jman13]

I've done a lot of travel in Europe, and I have to say a good wide angle is a near must. I'm not sure whether you're looking for a little thing to grab in your pocket, or whether you're looking for a lightweight travel kit. If a kit, and want something very small, then an E-PL2 or GF2 would be great. For the ultimate in small, the GF2 with 14mm f/2.5 would be a very nice pocketable kit with good image quality and a wide lens.

If a kit...then the GH2 is the best camera, but you'll have to decide if that form factor is too much for you. If not, the GF2 or E-PL2 is still a great bet. For a tiny UWA zoom, the Oly 9-18 is very good and is collapsible, while the Panny 7-14 is an amazing lens (I love mine to death), but is a little larger. Both aren't super cheap, though. Then a good standard zoom like the 14-140 or the 14-150 (built in OIS or lighter)...or even one of the shorter zooms like the new 14-42 Oly or the 14-45 Panny...but it's hard to tell what you like. You can't go wrong with the 20/1.7, which is a small and brilliant lens, but I wouldn't bring it as my only lens to Europe..there's just too many shots that need a wider angle.

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http://www.jordansteele.com

 

[Doug Brown]

EPL2 -> 14-150mm -> EVF ... and you're done.
Enjoy your trip!

Douglas Brown

 

[subneil]

Any of the m43 bodies will do, depending on your preferences.

I would bring my GF1, a 20mm, 14mm, and (maybe) legacy 50mm with adapter in a small inconspicuous pack. It all depends on what you like to shoot, and how you like your lenses (versatile zooms or quality primes).

n

 

[jeffharris]

I think the GH2 with 14-140 would cover most general stuff along with the 20mm pancake and if more reach needed add the 100-300 pany to it . cheers Paul UK

Absolutely. The GH2 is a wonderfully flexible camera. The EVF and articulated LCD give you myriad shooting and framing options.

I would opt for the 7-14mm wide angle over the 100-300mm, since the 14-140mm will give you quite a bit of reach. When I used to carry a longer lens I rarely used them. Besides, you'd really need to use a tripod for the 100-300mm except in the brightest light.

The 7-14mm is fairly small, light and just a beautiful lens to use. It's great for landscapes, interiors, etc.. It's my second favorite lens after the 20mm, which is great for street photos, museums and night walks.

 

[photo5]

My kit is GH2 & 14 to 140 , 20mm 1.7, 9mm to 18mm. Small and easy to carry. Works great for me.

 

[Teru Kage]

My main camera is the D700, but for light travel I use the E-PL1 mounted with the 14-42mm kit lens, and bring along the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and 45-200mm OIS. This combo pretty much covers all my needs.

--
Photography - It's not what you look at that matters; it's what you see.

Galleries: http://www.photo.net/photos/teru
http://www.fotop.net/teruphoto

 

[john m flores]

Ultra small, high quality Panasonic setup
GF2
14 F2.5
20 F1.7
45 F2.8 Macro*

Small, best M43 quality Panasonic setup
GH2
7-14
20
14-50* or 14-150* (requires 43 to M43 adapter, AF slow)

Mind you, I don't own all of these cameras or lenses. This is based on what I've gathered online.

Properly used, you'll be surprised at the quality.

contains magic Leica dust
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john m flores
gear - my eye, my mind, my passion
http://whatblogisthis.blogspot.com/

 

[sderdiarian]

My vote would be the E-PL2 2 lens kit (14-42mm and 40-150mm), Olympus 9-18mm and Panasonic 20mm. This covers 18-300mm 35mm equivalent range along with low light and street photography (Panny 20mm) for a combined cost of about $1500.

Or just go with the E-PL2 kit for $550 or 2 lens kit for $700 if they're closer to your budget. This provides 28-300mm 35mm equivalent range, IBIS, Truepic V colors, flash and art filters along with the ability to add the excellent VF-2 EVF at some point.

For impressions from a pro photographer whose working body is a 5D Mk II, go to Kirk Tuck's site:

http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/01/and-so-it-begins-my-first-impressions.html
http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/01/olympus-epl2-first-installment.html

http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/01/olympus-epl2-final-installment-kirks.html
--
Sailin' Steve

 

[jalywol]

I have a D90 and several lenses, and never take it with me on travels since the kit is heavy and bulky.

I have an E-PL1 and the 14-42mm kit lens, 20mm Panny, 40-150mm M zuiko, and the vf-2. All of these fit very, very nicely into a tiny, lightweight bag that weighs considerably less than my handbag. If I want to go out without a bag and have a jacket with pockets on, I put one or two lenses in one pocket and the camera (and lens) in the other, and voila, I have the entire kit with me without a bag to worry about.

The E-PL2 is even smaller than the E-PL1, and the GF2 is supposed to be downright tiny, so any of those will be an excellent choice for a small travel kit.

You will really love both traveling with and using this kit. It's a refreshing change from the boat anchor DSLR world, and being able to get very, very good IQ in this kind of tiny package will spoil you forever

-Janet

 

[DP13Photo]

I have the Olympus E-P2 and E-PL1.

I keep the Pany 20mm 1.7 on the E-P2 all the time, since it doesn't have a built in flash.

I use the Oly 9-18 and the Oly 14-150 on the E-PL1.

I also bring my other pancake lenses, Pany 14mm and Oly 17mm, for other small set-ups.

Dave

 

[Ollie 2]

All good advice.

Because of the lightness of its being I'm taking an Ep-2 with a 20mm, a 9-18, the 14-150 plus the 300 to Europe with me next month. All of this fits into a very small case and weighs less than a large full DSLR. I'm also going to suggest you look at the brilliant Lensbaby Composer for 4/3. I find it's a great tool for inspiration - a just a lot of fun.

 

[larsbc]

I have a nikon D300 and am looking for a smaller lighter camera system to take with me while traveling in Europe. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I opted for the GH2 as my travel camera. The EVF is just too useful for me to ignore it, likewise with the flip/twist LCD. Its ergonomics and image quality are also the closest you'll come in the m43 segment to the D300 (which I also have and really, really like).

I've got 3 lenses for it: 14-45, 20/1.7 and 45-200. The 14-45 and 20 get the majority of the use, about 50-50. The only other lens I really want is some kind of a superwide. For now, that means the Olympus 9-18 (I can't justify the cost of the Panasonic 7-14, plus I sometimes use filters even on a very wide angle lens).

I don't use long telephotos very much so I prefer the smaller size/weight of the 14-45 but if you frequently use telephoto, then consider the Panasonic 14-140. It'll save you some size/weight compared to the 14-45 + 45-200.

larsbc

 

[Dan Clark]

I have a nikon D300 and am looking for a smaller lighter camera system to take with me while traveling in Europe. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Rob Zwissler]

I have a nikon D300 and am looking for a smaller lighter camera system to take with me while traveling in Europe. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I opted for the GH2 as my travel camera. The EVF is just too useful for me to ignore it, likewise with the flip/twist LCD. Its ergonomics and image quality are also the closest you'll come in the m43 segment to the D300 (which I also have and really, really like).

I've got 3 lenses for it: 14-45, 20/1.7 and 45-200. The 14-45 and 20 get the majority of the use, about 50-50. The only other lens I really want is some kind of a superwide. For now, that means the Olympus 9-18 (I can't justify the cost of the Panasonic 7-14, plus I sometimes use filters even on a very wide angle lens).

I don't use long telephotos very much so I prefer the smaller size/weight of the 14-45 but if you frequently use telephoto, then consider the Panasonic 14-140. It'll save you some size/weight compared to the 14-45 + 45-200.

larsbc

I second this, I cannot do without the EVF on the GH2, and once you stick a larger lens than a pancake on it, the size advantage of a GF1/Oly PEN disappears, especially if you add on the external EVF. But thats a decision in and of itself.

Lens wise I had a 14-45 and a 45-200 and got a 14-140 and I much prefer it, it is lighter than those two lenses combined but I found it to be more convenient, you can go from shooting a wideangle to a portrait without changing, all these lenses are slow, if you want some subject isolation you might need to zoom out a bit beyond what the 14-45 can handle, but thats just my shooting style.

The 7-14mm is awesome and my second most used lens for travelling (after the 14-140), but if I didn't already have it I'd consider the 9-18mm for a few reasons (size/weight, can use a filter, cost) but of course you'll give up quite a bit of FOV (114 degrees vs 100 degrees).

Third most used travel lens is the 20/1.7 it's a great general use focal length and comes out when the lighting gets bad or if I have to travel light.

After that a fast manual focus lens or two would be nice or the 100-300mm if you're going to do some nature shooting.

Rob

 

[Stephb]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm seriously thinking about the gh2 with several lenses and I think my shoulder and neck will be a lot happier carrying that load. Thanks again. Stephanie

 

[ryan2007]

FYI, the conversion factor for Panasonic MFT is 2x. So 14-45 is 28-90 equivalent and so forth.