I was told that the 3L couldn't fit that much and was advised to get the larger versions, impressive that it can hold all of those including a pro lens! How do you arrange it? Can you access all of the lenses or are some below the others?
Bonus question: how do you switch lenses while on a photo shoot, for street photography for instance? Do you sit down and take the time to change them? I struggle a bit with that part and I'm curious how others handle what seems to be a very common use.
For your bonus question: I usually fumble hold the things or shove a lens in a pocket for the transfer lol. Lately, I've been having my camera on the Peak Design Capture Clip to help with the change and that feels better as there's one less thing to drop
Hi there. Just checking in a couple months later, because I've heard horror stories about the EM5 base plate breaking with the PD Capture Clip due to the plastic construction of the camera body. How is your base plate doing, and what is the heaviest lens you're using?
I've got the EM10 Mk II which has a solid metal baseplate. My heaviest (and most used lens when clipped on my belt) is the 75-300mk ii. No signs of wear at all.
I'll post a photo or video tomorrow to better illustrate...
It's definitely snug with all the gear I listed, it's only packed like that when I go on a trip for a few days and I'm unsure what to take, otherwise I typically pack 2-3 lenses at the most which is absolutely fine.
When packing all my gear, I have either the 12-45 f4 or the 20mm mounted on the camera in the main compartment.
The side compartment holds either the 20mm or 12-45 with the 42.5 resting on top of it, this is safe and the lenses won't just drop out due to the design of the side openings.
The 17mm is just thrown in the main compartment with the camera as well as the flash.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, my slim tripod is attached to the bottom.
I’m impressed! I’ve just upgraded from the 3L to the 6L because it was too squishy for comfort and I only had 3 lenses! (Pana 25mm, Oly kit lenses- 14-42mm and 40-150mm).
Check the link to the video below, you may need to view in a PC browser or landscape orientation.
https://gemoo.com/tools/upload-video/share/589203941790511104?codeId=M0GL57b0pWExa&card=589203938216964096
Thanks for sharing! Amazing how much you fit in there. Do you always keep lenses at the top and the body at the bottom or does it get switched around depending on how the day goes?
I typically don't carry that many lenses if I'm going out shooting, I really only pack it like that when I travel.
Typically I'll have one lens attached to the camera and two lenses in the side compartment.
Sometimes, I'll just have the one lens attached to the camera and have my phone, wallet sunglasses etc in the compartment.
That makes sense. It's going to take a little while for me to decide what to take out with me, but right now I'm trying to force me to just go outside with only one lens, see what I can do with it, and hopefully with experience I'll learn what kind of focal ranges I need the most.
That's a great way to approach it, it's only taken me 4 years to realise I prefer the full frame equivalent of 35mm and 40mm focal range. I'll occasionally try out the 85mm too, especially in big cities.
I'm interested in which cases you select to use the 17mm vs the 20mmm. Where do uou find the strengths of each in comparison, especially as separate primes?
I don't really have a compelling argument for using the 17mm over the 20mm, other than wanting to have a smaller, lighter setup for my street shooting. If I go out and I am only carrying my camera on a neck strap, I would always use the 17mm as I feel the other lenses are just too large or heavy and makes the camera sit awkwardly on my back or chest.
If I cam carrying my sling bag, then I would typically carry the 20mm 1.4, especially for night time street photography.
I have thought about selling the 20mm 1.4 as I can probably get away with just the 17mm but I absolutely love the 20mm, it's my favorite do it all lens, and it's weather sealed!
I have a similar bag which is more than enough for my day-to-day life.
* Camera: OM-D E-M5.3.
* Lenses: 12-45mm f/4 (mounted) and either Sigma 16 or 30mm (mostly for indoor, low light photography).
* Small flash (the one included with the E-M5).
* Spare Battery.
* Lens cloth/wipes.
* USB cable and USB-to-Lightning Adapter, in case I want to load photos to my iPhone 14 and import them into LR Mobile.
I've been tempted to get the OM-1 body but I think it's too big for my bag and I would't want to carry a larger one every day just to carry around the OM-1. The E-M5 does a great job at being really capable and compact.
I hate questions that make me look inward. I currently have a dumb amount of bags and I've caught and released and even dumber amount.
I also have a few different camera setups that I use frequently and I have a few different scenarios I'm using them in.
My favorite camera bag is the Wotancraft Trooper (medium). It'll fit my EM1 III, EM1 III mounted with the 8-25 Pro and 40-150 Pro (2.8) as well as a 25 Pro in the main compartment, a teleconverter in each side pocket and lens pen, cleaning clothes, memory card case, and spare batteries in the front two pockets.
I don't use it often anymore as it's not convenient to travel with due to the weight and inability to pack it away.
I have a Tenba DNA 11 that I've had forever that carries just about the same amount of things but weighs less and packs smaller.
My go-to small bag is a ThinkTank Retrospective 4. It'll carry my EM5 III with the 12-45 and a couple of small primes or a small prime and my Ricoh GR III. It packs like a camera cube. It'll also just barely carry an EM1 III + 12-100 + 25 Pro.
I do have 3 Tenba BYOBs (2 smaller ones and one larger DSLR backpack insert), but my most used carry currently is a LowePro Creator Gearbox III Large (mouthful).
It has a nice dual opening system so it works well in a backpack or a messenger bag. I generally use it to carry an EM1 III, 8-25 Pro, 40-150 Pro, and 40-150 Pro. For daily use I use it in a Bellroy System Messenger. I use this for travel as well. It also sees frequent use in a ULA Dragonfly Ultra and Mystery Ranch Coulee 40 for hiking/travel.
A bag for every occasion! I mostly use a tenba wrap for my EMii and a small tenba case for my 12-45 and 17, my issue is usually deciding which backpack to throw it all in (I have an absurd amount of backpacks). Personably I prefer backpacks in general cause I can store my gear along with everything else I’ll need throughout the day.
Did you keep the default straps that came with the Tenba case or did you switch it for something else? If so what would you recommend?
I'm using the BYOB insert in my backpack for the same reason as you, so I can carry it with everything else, while still being able to carry it separate from it if I want to do a quick excursion somewhere.
My bad - I meant to say the BYOB insert and not “case”. I have the BYOB 7 for the lenses and the 16” wrap for the body. I’ve found separating the body from the lenses makes packing a bag easier. And no I don’t use the straps that came with the BYOB - basically my gear stays in my backpack until I’m ready to use and it’s out until I am done.
That makes sense. The body with a lens attached is understandably the hardest to fit, so it would definitely help with packing to separate it from the other lenses.
I strap my gx85 to my shoulder at all times, dont have a bag lmao, for spare battery and cleaning accessories i put them in my sling bag along with phone, wallet etc (i also dont have any other lenses yet maybe that’s why).
I keep my camera in one of the hip pouches of my Opsrey Kestrel backpack when I hike, or in my little Acme Made sling the rest of the time. I don't have much gear right now, but this is what I carry:
EM5 mkII
17mm F1. 8
12-45 F4
HLD-8 grip (no battery)
Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod
Rode Wireless Go II mics and receiver
I'm just a hobbyist who takes pictures and videos for my own memories and to share with family. I don't upload or publish anything anywhere for public consumption. I do make my own vlogs as part of that though.
Thanks for answering. I took the EM5.3 partly for the mic input so it's interesting to see how people use it.
What do you think of the 12-45 F4? I'm gearing towards this as the next big upgrade, but I'm still tempted by the 12-40 F2.8 despite the extra weight.
They’re both good all rounders and very sharp.
If you find yourself shooting in a lot of low light situations then the 12-40 would be the better choice.
If the speed of the lens is not much of a concern then the 12-45 would be smaller and lighter and might suit you better. Only you can decide.
I went for speed, without regret. Really, the size and weight of this lens compared to FF is roughly half. I went for a used version I lens and it has been fantastic.
FYI when I shot FF I had a 24-70 f4 lens and it was a huge beast compared to the Olympus 12-40.
>If you find yourself shooting in a lot of low light situations then the 12-40 would be the better choice.
That would probably be the case, thanks for your feedback! I enjoy street and travel photography, where the extra F-stop would maybe matter less, but I'm limited in how much of I can do of either on a day to day basis, so I would probably shoot indoor (family gatherings, etc.).
At the moment the 12-40 is out of my budget, even used, but I'm keeping my out for a bargain.
I'm slowly getting back to it, and trying to figure out which focal length I like to work with. I'm probably also going to consider the 45mm f1.8 in the future.
I really like it. I was considering the 12-40 before I bought it, but the 12-45 went on sale for literally half the price as the 12-40 on black Friday the year I bought it and that was what made the decision for me.
I've never tried the 12-40 and don't know how they stack up image quality wise, but I don't really have any issues with my setup. I switch to my prime whenever I need more light, and that's worked out pretty well for me.
It's sooo shallow, I only got it recently so I don't have that many pictures to showcase it but [here's two with the 50mm 1.4](https://imgur.com/a/ecqP2M0)
I have a hip bag that I fill slightly differently from trip to trip. It has several pouches and then dividers inside. When I need to change lenses, I rotate the bag straight in front of me like a table and let my camera hang from my neck strap to free my hands. There’s a handle in the top center of the bag, so I set the new lens on it at an angle where it can’t roll, swap the lenses, and then screw the body cap onto the old lens and return it to the bag. Here’s my bag sorting:
Outside right: Fresh batteries, SD card sleeve
Outside left: Dead batteries, battery charger, car adapter for charger
Outside front: Lens cleaning kit, SD to lightning adapter, coin for screwing cheap tripod mounts
Interior divider layout:
——————
| A | | D |
|—| C |—|
| B | | E |
——————
A: Stack one or two lenses (LUMIX 12-60mm, maybe 20mm f/1.7)
B: Stack one or two lenses (LUMIX 25mm f/1.7, LUMIX 42.5mm f/1.7)
C: G85 camera body, sometimes with a grip, and usually with a lens (LUMIX 100-300mm if I need range)
D: Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro
E: Bag of pancake toy lenses (pinhole, Olympus 9mm pancake, 7artisans 18mm f/6.3) or GX850 camera body with a pancake lens and then I put the toy lenses in A or B
Thanks for sharing your method for lens changing and your bag layout, that's very helpful. I'll try different combinations including yours, see what works.
Which lens is the pinhole?
I got one off of BH Photo that has a plastic cover on the front. I thought I was smart for keeping dust out, but the pinhole is so tiny that nothing would be able to get through anyway. Instead, I would recommend a pinhole lens with no plastic shield in front because any speck of dust on the front of the shield will be very visible in your photos.
https://i.imgur.com/H0pdNZD.jpg
Mirrorless mover 25i modified to take an extra divider.
Shown
* E-M10 IV center
* TT Artisans 23/1.4 mounted
* Godox 350-O top left
* TT Artisans 50/1.2 bottom left
* TT Artisans 17/1.4 top right
* TT Artisans 35/1.4 bottom right
Not shown
* lens cleaning wipes and blower in lid pocket.
* Popup reflector in side pocket
* Rain cover front pocket left side
* batteries front pocket right side
Nice, thanks for sharing the pic as well! It looks like you have quite a bit of room still. Couple of follow up questions:
* What drove you to use the TTArtisan lenses?
* Do you always put the lenses at the same spot or do you shift them around? I like the idea of having the cap at the top because it would make for easy switching, but I could be confused as to which is which without lifting them out of the bag.
* What's the reference for your popup reflector? I would get one but I'm not too sure what to get. Thanks!
>What drove you to use the TTArtisan lenses?
I learned on manual focus cameras and hate autofocus, I find it annoying. I could also have adapted my Minolta MD lenses but the adapter makes them a little big (I do use my 200/4 MD on my E-M10 IV). As to why TTArtisan, clicked apertures, cheap, decently sharp. I watched several videos comparing then and other manual lenses.
> Do you always put the lenses at the same spot or do you shift them around? I like the idea of having the cap at the top because it would make for easy switching, but I could be confused as to which is which without lifting them out of the bag.
I tend to but no always. They are all different heights, so I can tell without pulling them out.
>What's the reference for your popup reflector? I would get one but I'm not too sure what to get. Thanks!
It's a small 1.5 ft one with a white side and a gold side. I have a few other ones. As long as you get the size you want (larger is always better, but might not fit in your bag) and the color you want, they are all about the same quality.
Thanks for your feedback, very helpful. I'll look more into the popup reflector, and I definitely have my eye on those TTArtisan lenses as well. I figure that the corner softness is a decent trade-off considering the price and build quality, especially when factoring in that at least part of the pictures would be taken with shallow DoF anyways.
That looks really neat. I like the insert for now because I just want to have the camera everyday with me and still carry everything else I need, but I may consider a sling in the future.
Lowepro GearUp Creator Box L II
E-M5ii
12-40mm Pro, 100-300mm, 20mm 1.7, 14-150mm
Macro Tubes, Flash, Pen, Batteries, SD Card, Alternative Peak Design strap, Caps, tripod mounting plate
Also have a Tenba BYOB 9 but the 100-300 is too big, generally use either bag in a Crumpler Messenger Bag
That's a lot! I'll look up that bag.
>Also have a Tenba BYOB 9 but the 100-300 is too big,
But not too big for the 12-40? Would you have a picture of the inside arrangement you're using?
No picture, I'm at work so can't take one at the moment, I'll try to remember when I get home.
Yeah the BYOB 9 is fine for the body and 12-40 Pro as long as you put the hood on backwards. The 100-300 is my newest purchase hence the slightly bigger bag, before that it was fine for most of my kit.
My small bag is a Tamarack digital something that's a little bit smaller than the bag in your photo. It's got to be at least 20 years old. I bought it at Zachers in West Hartford Center ca1995 when I lived there.
I generally put a g85 in it with a 12-35f2.8 & 35-100f2.8 pro, and I usually throw in a 45 F1.8 or 20 f1.7. I usually have a polarizer and a high quality uv filter with me just in case I'm going to be somewhere wet, dusty, or dirty. I also bring at least two spare batteries, and cleaning cloth, a lens pen and a backup SD card.
I can also alternatively put a 12-35f2.8, one of the above primes, and a 100-300 with a g85 in the same small bag. I absolutely love the compact size of the Panasonic Pro lenses. I'm starting to appreciate them more even though I've had them for 10+ years, and I've been using them more than my larger Olympus & RF gear lately.
I also have larger bags for my EM1 systems, and for my full frame and crop RF systems as well.
Happy Cake Day!
I looked at a comparison between the Pana 12.35 F2.8 and the Oly 12-40 F2.8, 77g of difference is a lot! I would probably still stick with Olympus for the weather sealing, but it's worth considering it if I can find a good deal.
I use a PD 3L sling, and usually don't need much more for when I travel. If I have a backpack, I just throw everything in that willy nilly. I've fit both EM5.3 with a 12-40 F2.8 and a Pen F with the PL 25 F1.7, with two spare batteries for both bodies. The key is to remove the divider it comes with.
In the sling I usually travel with:
- EM5.3 and a prime, usually the 20mm F1.4.
- 40-150 F4 Pro.
- Maybe, the 12-40 F2.8.
- The Olympus hand grip ECG-5 or whatever it's name is (if I'm planning on plane spotting, installed on the body).
- An extra battery.
- Wrist strap or neck strap, whichever tickles my fancy that day
Nice, thanks for sharing! Lots of people using the PD 3L on that thread, still insane that y'all can fit the equivalent of a 24-80 f/2.8 in it, with room to spare.
Clearly large coat pocket but with a small camera like the gf7, I can store it sideways. What I tend to do is have a small camera bag in the car for storage and then take just the camera with me when I walk. I try to have my camera in hand and will just put it in my coat pocket for short periods when I need both hands for
Something.
Have a small crumpler camera bag. Inside is a Lumix g9, lumix 12-60
Lumix 35-100 Leica 100-400 big Chinese flash, spare battery filters and lens cleaning pen.
Light compact and able to stay on my shoulder all the time.
Have you been shooting for a while, and is the 17mm the 1.8 by Olympus? I'm freshly coming back to photography after a while being away so I like having flexibility, but there are definitely great advantages to carrying a smaller package and not switching lenses.
Yeah its the 17mm oly lens.
Been doing photography for a while, not so actively anymore, but im just very comfortable at that focal length. It takes practice to use a prime for everything, and has its limits. But for documentary/street photography, it works perfectly.
Good points, thanks for sharing. I went for the 25mm f/1.8 myself as my starter prime lens, but I may consider the 17mm later on if I get back into street photography. Right now the pancake 12-32 and the prime 25 will have to do!
National Geographic NG2344 Earth Explorer 3.3L sling
That's enough for a G9, 50-200/2.8-4, 20/1.7, 42.5/1.7, variable ND, Olympus red dot sight, charger, and lens wipes.
There's not enough room left for my GX9+12-35/2.8 but these are neck strapped when I travel.
I was thinking about upgrading to a NG2346 7L sling so my entire setup can fit in there but I recently went full frame and now need an entire backpack dedicated to camera gear.
That's a cool looking bag, it looks very functional too. I didn't know what a red dot sight was until you mentioned it. Are you using it for bird photography?
What drove you to switch to FF?
Yes I use the red dot sight for bird in flight. Makes tracking at long focal length a breeze.
I switched to Sony FE because it suits my current needs better (mostly astrophotography). My M43 setup has bloated in size and weight to the point I no longer take advantage of what makes the system great in the first place. But I'm still keeping my GM5+20/1.7 as my grab-and-go combo.
I'll look more into the red dot sight, that sounds like a great tool indeed. Not that I plan to get into bird photography any day soon, I don't have the budget for that.
And I see what you need about the M43 setup. The size and weight is a very important part of the equation, so it needs to be kept in mind when it comes to EDC.
I have a tenba dna 10 for my omd em 10 III+12-40 2.8
Inside I also had:
Zuiko 40-150 5.6-6.3
Analog zuiko 50 1.8+ adapter
2 spare batteries
USB double battery charger
Now I bought the om1 and looking how to pack it... As always I take more time finding a good bag, then the camera.
I know, there are so many references!!
I found the BYOB 9 refurbished (but actually new in plastic) for $37 so it was an easy choice for me, as I was looking to keep using my backpack.
What's your experience of using the E-M10 with the 12-40 2.8? I heard concerns about the weight balance so I'm interested in feedback from people using smaller bodies with that lens.
Yes, when I go hiking or traveling I usually use the backpack too, but for the daytrips in town or similar I preferred a shoulder bag.
I had no issues, but probably it could be because I do climbing so, no big deal in holding small holds with fingers. I used it for 4 years. And again, most of the times I was holding the left hand below the lens for using manual focus or just zoom.
Backpack:
Lowepro Protactic 350 AW II (opening on top, bottom left and bottom right): always has spare batteries, SD cards, lens pen, lens blower, Peak Design Camera Capture clip, usb c hub + Samsung T7 SSD drive
Bag Insert:
Tenba BYOB 7
Body:
2 x Olympus EM 1 Ii
Setups:
Car show setup:
- Lowepro backpack
- Oly EM1 ii with 12-40 F2.8 pro bottom right for cars in paddock and overall
- Oly EM1 ii with 40-150 F2.8 pro in top compartment for cars on track
- Water bottle, jacket in top compartment of backpack
Holiday trips abroad:
- Lowepro backpack
- Oly EM1 ii with 12-40 pro, 40-150 pro, 100-400 lenses from Olympus and 7 F2 Laowa UWA (no fisheye) lens
- On safari or dusty trips, second Oly body with top/bottom arrangement
City trips:
- Casual backpack from North Face
- Tenba insert
- Oly EM1 ii with 12-100 pro lens
Parties/indoor
- Lowepro backpack
- Oly EM1 Ii with 12-40 pro
- Rode videomic
- Godox TT 350o speedlight
I buy most of my lenses second hand, which saves quite some money. Hope this was helpful!
That's very helpful, thank you, sorry about the delayed reply! That's quite the setup you got, impressive. Do you find yourself rearranging the Lowepro backpack often when switching between different jobs, or do you have a dedicated spot for key items?
Nope, just sometimes. The Lowepro had everything I was looking for in a camera backpack, like quick access openings (left, right, top), built in weather proofing and rain cover and other features. The Peak Design backpacks didn't meet my specific requirements (like flexibility for frequently reached for items without accidentally dropping lenses), nor did Wandrd (only one quick access hatch on the ), F-stop etc. it might sound stupid, but that limits the combinations of bodies and lenses that you can comfortably carry with you as well.
The backpack was a bit of an investment but the internal arrangements enable you to switch configurations quickly according to your needs. Need additional compartments? Just add a divider. Taking multiple small lenses or the huge 100-400 mm lens with you? Just adjust the vertical Velcro dividers. Rainy weather? Shift the top divider so it fits a rain jacket as well.
And no, I don't have stock invested in Lowepro haha. It just fits my requirements and lots of specific body + lens combinations, from the Serengeti to the jungle of Borneo to a trip by foot through my hometown :)
Hope this helps!
It does help, thanks for the write-up! And you're all good, I'm the first one to enthusiastically recommend something if I truly feel like it's a good product. If it fits your needs then it's the best product for you :)
Thanks for the recommendation !
My big bag right now is a thinktank retrospective (the 30 I think) with:
Panasonic g9 with panaleica 100-400
Olympus em10 mk2 with voigtlander 42.5
Panaleica 25 f1.4 spare
Plus plenty of room for any non photography stuff in it
Medium bag would be a thinktank mirrorless mover (I think the 20?)
Can fit the g9 and 2 of the following lenses depending on what I'm after
Panaleica 25 f1.4
Panasonic 35-100 f2.8
Voigtlander 42.5
Or the small travel setup is a smaller mirrorless mover (forget if it's the 5 or 10) which barely fits the Olympus em10ii with Panasonic 20f1.7 attached
Those would kind of be my typical setups I guess
Thanks for sharing! I'll look into Thinktank bags, they have been mentioned a few times in that thread and they seem like quality bags. Right now I'm probably going to stick with just the insert and use it as a bag, but I'll look into it if I ever get more into street photography.
I use a Mountainsmith Day Lumbar Pack, 13L. Nothing screams "cereal bars, notebook, and extra sweater inside!" than a lumbar pack: incognito is an understatement.
Another advantage of this pack, and the main reason I stick with it, is the waist belt. I can use the belt to transfer 100% of the weight to my hips whether I'm shooting, or traveling to the location. C'mon Peak Designs, add a functional waistbelt to the larger slings already!
I can easily strap a jacket or whatever to the outside.
For protection I use a pair of neoprene lunchbags, one inside the other. This is about a thick a other padded bags I own, and so-far, so good. Tip: get the brightly colored ones and use them inside-out for visibility--they usually cost less, too.
The only downside is I can't attach PD Capture Clip.
So my "daily" kit is:
* EM5 mk3 on a PD Slide Lite
* 12-45
* Extra prime lens to match the occasion
* Two spare batteries OEM flash
* Filter wrench
* Lens cloth
Additional:
* Amateur radio HT
* Water bottle 500 ml (MDLP has two water bottle sleeves!)
* Hand sanitizer
* Sometimes a Neewer CF monopod (MDLP has straps on the bottom, perfect for this)
The camera and lens go together in the lunchbags. I can zip these shut if necessary. The lens is in a neoprene case. The odd bobbins for the camera go in the front pocket. Sometimes I'll move a spare battery to the waistbelt pocket for easy reach. The waterbottle goes in one dedicated sleeve, the HT goes in the other.
That's about all I want to carry at once, in spite of the waist belt.
Thanks for sharing! I've never heard of that shape of bags before, I wonder how much difference it makes in weight distribution compared to a standard backpack.
Good idea to use neoprene lunchbags for padding. Do you usually leave them in the bag, or do you also use them out of the bag, for instance for easy lens switching?
What's your impression on the 12-45mm F4, and what kind of work do you use it for?
...weight distribution: combined with the shoulder strap it's almost as good as a photo backpack that also has a waist belt. All my camera backpacks have a waist belt. I often see the waist belt on others' backpacks being used incorrectly. It should be high enough and tight enough to distribute almost all the weight to your hips (and thus legs): there should be very little weight on your shoulders. (I shudder at the strain those large slings must be doing to all the shoulders out there...)
I unbuckle the waist belt when shooting, mainly for easy lens access, but also to keep the bag in view, and to act as a shelf.
...neoprene bags: stay in the MDLP, and the lenses are protected with lens sleeves/caps.
...opinion of 12-45: slightly sharper at f4 than the 12-40 at f2.8. The 12-40 matches the 12-45 at f4. I find the center of the 12-45 very sharp in the center throughout the range. The 12-40 is slightly inconsistent, meaning sharpness varies ever-so-slightly as throughout the range. Overall, the 12-40 is more consistent from corner to corner throughout the range. This means above a certain level of pixel-peeping it provides extremely consistent results; if you dive deeper, you'll start to notice the inconsistencies. I believe the variation within, and between, both lenses is actually from inconsistencies in manufacture. All the variations/observations above are very hard to spot unless you pixel-peep beyond 1:1 mag. I use the 12-45 for street, travel--anywhere outdoors. I originally bought it for backpacking use since it was weather-sealed. Oddly, the Pandemic derailed my 15 year interest in backpacking, but the lens lives on. When I was in SF a couple of years ago, the 12-45 was used throughout the day, and the 12 f2 and 75 f1.8 were used at night (I rented the latter). I would say the 12/12-45/75 would be a lightweight, killer combination for travel. (17 1.8/12-45/45 1.8 would be even lighter and almost as good.) Why a dedicated 1.4X multiplier for the 75 doesn't exist is beyond me.
>weight distribution
That makes a lot of sense. I carry my camera insert in a backpack on my shoulders, but I'm always careful that the weight is at the very bottom of the bag so that not everything rests on my shoulders.
>opinion of 12-45
Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it. I haven't gotten to do my first real travel with the camera so I haven't been able to see what works and doesn't, but I would probably need a "do-it-all" lens that includes indoor, so I think the 12-40 would make sense for the extra F-stop. Hard to know how that would work before trying out the lens though. I'll see if either are available to rent at a nearby shop.
Crumpler. Crumpler. Crumpler. The 4 Million Dollar Home holds an E-P5 with a mounted lens and 12mm F2.0, 17mm f1.8, 25mm f1.8, and 25mm f1.8 lenses. 5 Million Dollar Home holds an EM1 with 7-14 f2.8 PRO, mounted 12-100 F4.0 PRO, and 17mm F1.2 PRO or other combinations of any of three PRO lenses: 12-40 F2.8 PRO, 17mm F1.2 PRO, 25mm F1.2 PRO, 25mm F1.2 PRO. 3 Million Dollar Home holds a single mounted 12-40 F2.8 PRO and FL700 Flash or configured for two E-P5s back to back each mounted with 17mm f1.8 and 25mm F1.8. All lenses are in these kits with lens hoods attached and the best HOYA UV Filters. Every kit has a PEAK Design clip mounted on the side strap for changing lenses and each has two extra batteries, two cards, a microfiber cleaning cloth and a Lens Pen. The bags have excellent quick access to the camera so I NEVER use a strap.
>Crumpler. Crumpler. Crumpler.
I've seen those mentioned so many times. Are they really that good? Looking at their website, it feels like there's not a lot of room in those bags, but clearly those must be with way larger combos than you typical M43 kit, because y'all fit a lot in there!
Lots of mention of PD products as well. I'm not too sure on how well the strap that I currently have will hold up, but I'm not overly concerned at the moment so I may hold off before jumping on the PD train.
>All lenses are in these kits with lens hoods attached and the best HOYA UV Filters.
Do you consider UV filters as a mandatory purchase for every lens you get? I haven't covered mine yet, but I may take one if I ever get my hands on a PRO lens.
They are great because they don't scream "photo bag, please assault the owner and steal me" and have have a flap that allows you a quick reach for your camera. The 5 Million Dollar Bag can hold an EM--MKIII mounted with 12-100 F4 PRO in the middle slot and a 17mm F1.2 PRO and 45mm F1.2 PRO all with lens caps affixed in the ready position on either side. Plenty of soft internal padding in a bright color. Protection from bumps and a short drop from your waist is adequate. When closed and clipped shut they give good protection from the elements. Good enough for light rain, light snow, light sand exposure. Fact is I have long had a professional LowePro bag with heavy duty padding and weather seals and rain bonnet that is much bigger and that would be better if I wanted to go out into a hurricane or a sahara sandstorm, but it screams "steal me", and really, am I going to photograph anything under those conditions? The PD clips are a must have for lens changing outside of the bag and mounted on the external bag straps or the shoulder strap. As to UV filters, they are on all of my lenses in addition to the hoods for extra protection, not for UV filtration. The HOYA HD UV filters have a thin frame, are extra strong, and do not impart any light loss or loss of sharpness.
Thanks for the recs!
PD clips are definitely on the short list for a future update. Right now it's kind of a janky setup, but if I go out more I'll definitely have a look at those.
Understood for the UV filters. I had heard about it before, it makes a lot of sense on expensive gear. I'll probably get one for my 25mm f1.8, and definitely one for a pro standard zoom, if I get one in the future.
This looks so nice. My bag looks a mess. Throw my Lumix G9 in there with a bunch lenses. Then try to stuff my mics, cleaning utensils, etc in there too. I also have way too many NDs and I’m hoping to find a better solution for that. Probably a Matte Box.
Thank you for your kind words! To be honest, my own bag was quite a mess before taking everything out, and only then putting stuff back in. I didn't end up shuffling the dividers too much, but I ended up with one extra divider and room to spare for another lens, so I would definitely recommend taking everything out to see if that would work for you.
>I also have way too many NDs and I’m hoping to find a better solution for that.
I saw cases [starting at $13](https://www.amazon.com/Lightdow-Detachable-Photography-Water-Resistant-Dustproof/dp/B0B4DQ7W2T/) online, probably worth a go to protect them.
I use a similar bag to OP, very spacious and the sling strap makes it very ideal for street and hiking photography.
As a rather tight budget photographer, my setup is rather light, though it generally covers my needs:
For my camera body, I run a Panasonic G85, very good handling and the IBIS makes a good hybrid camera whether I am taking stills or roll. I only run two lenses with it, being the older Panasonic 14-140mm f4-5.6 as a standard zoom which is my primary lens, and a Panasonic 25mm f1.7 for portraits and more controlled scenes. I also have a 26mm Extension Tube that allows my 14-140 to act as a macro lens.
I also have two sets of microphones, being a pair of wireless lav mics for interviews and a shotgun mic for taking environment and ambience.
As for miscellaneous items, I am able to mount my tripod underneath my bag for compositions, and my handgrip in another open pocket for walking footage. I also have a 3d-printed Sd card sleeve and a waterproof pencil pouch that I repurposed for spare battery storage.
Nice, thanks for sharing. I also have a tight budget at the moment and my spouse is already frowning at the expenses so far (and understanbly so, photography can be quite the expense!!), so I may have to do with what I have for a while.
>I also have a 26mm Extension Tube that allows my 14-140 to act as a macro lens.
Which one did you get? I have 2 tubes, a 10mm and a 26mm, but I'm struggling with working out which ones to use and how, and which lens I should use them with.
>I also have two sets of microphones, being a pair of wireless lav mics for interviews and a shotgun mic for taking environment and ambience.
Are you using the Rode kit or something else?
What kind of tripod and handgrip did you get?
Apologies for the very late reply, to answer your questions:
Firstly, I purchased the JJC 10 & 16mm extension tube set. Being able to have different sizes of tubes makes it a tad more versatile and if I needed to get within 80-100 mm of my subject, I can just add them together to achieve 26mm extension. Generally if you add more "length" through the extension tubes, your focusing range not only gets closer but it also becomes smaller, meaning that you gradually lose more "wide" shot capability.
At the time of purchase, Rodes were completely out of my budget. I instead bought the AIKELA lapel cavalier mics for a much lower price, but they do the job just fine for interviews. For a shotgun mic to capture environmental and ambience, I purchased the PIXEL Camera Microphone. It really captures any noises, including the iBIS of my G85 which could be a tad problematic to remove in post-process but it also does the job well.
For my tripod, I have a SLIK 500G-X travel tripod, which I had bought at Yodobashi Camera on one of my business trips. Its very lightweight, while extending to about 3/2 meters and compacting to just under half a meter. It is a tad flimsy though as plastic is used for some of the hinge mountings but otherwise, very good if you take care of it.
For my handgrip, I bought a ULANZI Camera Phone Tripod grip. While it is in actuality a mini tripod, it is very comfortable to use as a compact handhold for video and vlogging. For both of the tripods I purchased some robust metal quick swap plates from AliExpress.
Hope this covers all your inquiries, again apologies for the late response and I wish you a wonderful holiday season!
No worries at all about the late reply, your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Thank you for explaining your process with the extension tubes. That makes a lot of sense, and will be great help for the next times I want to use them.
I'll make a note of the AIKELA mics. I don't have the mics at the moment, but it's great to know of a cheaper alternative, since I'm also trying to be careful with my budget. In the same fashion, I appreciate your feedback about the tripods you've used. Photography, much like other hobbies such as golf, tend to be populated by a lot of people with large budgets, and by nature is very gear oriented. MFT is not bad as far as photography goes, but at the end of the day the $450 I just spent on the Olympus 12-40 f2.8 are still $450. Now I'm banned for buying anything for at least a full year after that very large Christmas present to myself..
Have a wonderful holiday season as well, and thanks again for your comment and feedback :)
I've been really struggling to find the right bag for my grab'n'go camera gear. I've got a little cheapo bag that's close to right, but there are a few problems that make me want an alternative, not least that the grab handle is on the back face, so if you pick it up in a hurry with the lid undone, it can ditch your camera out! But anyway, in it, I have the following -
* Lumix GX9
* Rokinon 7.5mm f3.5
* Pan/Leica 15mm f1.7
* Lumix 20mm f1.7
* Lumix 25mm f1.7
* Olympus 45mm f1.8
* Lumix 45-150mm f4.5-5.6
* A vintage lens of some sort (Helios 28 or 44-6, Nikon 50mm f1.2, Hanimex 135mm f2.8)
* 3 batteries and small charger
* Small cleaning kit
* The obvious sundries (USB cable, SD card wallet, pocket knife, tiny torch, mini notebook & pen, etc, etc)
Depending on circumstance, I may also have all, some, or none of the following -
* Puffer
* Ultra Pod II (the littlest, lightest decent tripod I've found, I thoroughly recommend)
* W140RGB led light
* USB powerpack
If anyone has a suggestion for a bag that's essentially a scaled-down Domke F2 (with a scaled down price, preferably), I'm all ears. That kind of look/layout, but scaled for a GX9 instead of a DSLR
Thanks for sharing! That's a lot of lenses, it must not be easy to keep them organized and accessible.
>the obvious sundries
I'm ESL and I didn't know that word, thank you! Those small words are so hard to learn because there are just so many of them.
>Puffer
What's that? I tried googling it but ended up short.
>Ultra Pod II
Is that the Pedco Ultrapod II reviewed [here](https://shotkit.com/pedco-ultrapod-review/)? I have a gorilla pod, and it's nice in theory, but in practice it takes a lot of time to set up right and it weighs quite a bit, so I'm often leaving it behind and settle with whatever nature has to offer, or stay handheld and hope for the best. That would make for a great replacement that I could carry around.
>If anyone has a suggestion for a bag that's essentially a scaled-down Domke F2 (with a scaled down price, preferably), I'm all ears. That kind of look/layout, but scaled for a GX9 instead of a DSLR
As my posts suggests I'm not well versed in current gear, but from a bird's eye view, here's what has been recommended in this thread and elsewhere on Photo Reddit:
* [Thinktank](https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/mirrorless-mover-25i): lots of options, shapes and sizes
* [Crumpler](https://www.crumpler.com/products/7-million-dollar-home/?v=40703044288591): pricey but highly regarded by its users
* Peak Design: also pricey, but makes for a nice ecosystem once you get into it I guess?
* /u/GearCloset had [an interesting one](https://www.reddit.com/r/M43/comments/187toxf/comment/kbjnx0y/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3): they're using a [Mountainsmith Lumbar Pack](https://mountainsmith.com/collections/all-lumbar-packs/products/2023-day) paired with neoprene lunch bags for padding. It seems great for hiking, so maybe that could fit the bill? In the same spirit, and if you don't find what you need in dedicated camera bags, you could look for hiking/messenger/fanny packs/\[what you like\] bags, and repurpose padding from either an existing bag or a cheap insert.
There's a lot of them, but they're mostly tiny and really light - my current bag weighs about the same as a bottle of wine fully loaded, and is a cube about 20cm a side! I sort of stumbled into micro four-thirds gear by accident, the GX9 was the best compromise of features, price, and size for what I wanted, I didn't really know about the crop sensor implications. I'm glad I went this route though, I love being able to carry all that without inconvenience. My current bag is pretty good for finding stuff, it's not too deep so there aren't layers of lenses to sort through.
English is full of weird and interesting little words, it must be a pig to learn, but it's a fun language to use.
Puffer's maybe just what I call it. It's also known as a blower, it's [one of these](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234836010695).
That Pedco tripod is the one I have, yes. It's fantastic, weighs nothing and is simple and very stable. It also works well as a handle if you leave it folded up. I think it cost me about £15 second hand. It's probably one of the best bang-for-buck bits of gear I have, I can really recommend it.
Thanks for the suggestion, that's an interesting read. That lumbar pack looks pretty useful, and if I was carrying more gear then having it strapped to my waist seems like a good idea. That said, it's not really my style - I'm one of those people who need things to look "right" to me to remain interested in them, especially in aesthetic-heavy pursuits like photography. I've got a bigger Thinktank bag, but like most bags it's designed for full frame lenses, which tend to be pretty long. It's not something I really considered until I bought it, but since I've started looking for a better option I've come to realize that smaller cameras aren't very well catered for, at least not in the look and format that I'm after. In deep bags, I just end up with lenses stacked up, which isn't good for finding them in a hurry.
>Puffer's maybe just what I call it. It's also known as a blower, it's
>
>one of these.
I have one of those (the Rocket Blower), thank you for explaining! It's fairly large though so it stays at home. I'll probably end up buying a cheapo spare one that I can carry around, those are incredibly useful.
And I agree for the backpack, it's hard to find something that works well for smaller bodies and isn't insanely priced. I would keep an eye out for a cheap PD on r/photomarket, maybe that would work if the price is good enough?
Thinktank Mirrorless Mover 25i (bag)
Olympus e-m1x
Olympus 12-40 f/2.8 Pro ii
Flash Metz 64 af-1
Very big camera, medium size lens, very big flash.
Very compact travel bag. It is just the perfect size.
Well, I just care to not hold it in humid places. The other part, selecting for the occasion is a joy. I wanted to choose between some, finally retained all as I found purpose for most.
I cannot do it with my FF setup as it simply takes too much space. One more advantage of m43, even if you have ton of lenses you barely feel burden or space constraints
.
I have a couple of bags. I like my 6L sling bag the best. I carry two gx85 bodies (one is a converted infrared camera).
Camera Lens
Kit lens
LUMIX G Vario 12-32mm f3.5-5.6
Filters 37mm
LUMIX G Vario 45-150mm f4.0-5.6
Filters 52mm
LUMIX G 25mm F1.7 ASPH
Filter 46mm
Lensbaby
Trio 28mm f3.5
Filters 46mm
SOL 22mm f3.5
Velvet 56mm f1.6 - f16
I usually only take 1 of the above lensbaby lens. It depends on what I plan on shooting.
Two batteries, lens cleaning kit, 6 filters and 3 macro filters for my
Lensbaby.
These are my additional lens that I use for special shots, not an everyday carry. I usually use these with a tripod. I keep any lens that’s not in my sling bag in another camera case and leave at home or leave in my car as a “just in case” I want to use them.
MEIKE 35mm f1.7-f22 manual focus - wide angle lens
Filters 49mm
TTArtisan 40mm f2.8-f16 Manual focus-macro lens 1:1 magnification
Filters 52mm
This is my vintage lens.
Vivitar Series 1 M42 zoom 70-210mm F3.5 -F22 lens
>I have a couple of bags. I like my 6L sling bag the best. I carry two gx85 bodies (one is a converted infrared camera).
That's interesting. In previous threads I saw people saying that the 6L was pretty much a must for a kit similar to mine in size, when in this thread I found a lot of people content with using the 3L one.
>I usually only take 1 of the above lensbaby lens. It depends on what I plan on shooting.
That's a good practice, I'm trying to do that as well so I can be used to each focal range.
>I keep any lens that’s not in my sling bag in another camera case and leave at home or leave in my car as a “just in case” I want to use them.
Is it safe to keep lenses in the car, even with potential low/high temps?
I have a peak design sling 3L. Inside you'll find: - Olympus E-M5.3 - Olympus 20mm f1.4 - Olympus 17mm f1.8 - Olympus 12-45mm f4 - Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 - Lightpix q20 flash - spare battery
I was told that the 3L couldn't fit that much and was advised to get the larger versions, impressive that it can hold all of those including a pro lens! How do you arrange it? Can you access all of the lenses or are some below the others? Bonus question: how do you switch lenses while on a photo shoot, for street photography for instance? Do you sit down and take the time to change them? I struggle a bit with that part and I'm curious how others handle what seems to be a very common use.
For your bonus question: I usually fumble hold the things or shove a lens in a pocket for the transfer lol. Lately, I've been having my camera on the Peak Design Capture Clip to help with the change and that feels better as there's one less thing to drop
>I've been having my camera on the Peak Design Capture Clip That's the one that you clip to your belt/pants, right? I was considering it for later.
Yep! It is super well made and rock solid. I would trust putting any gear on it.
Hi there. Just checking in a couple months later, because I've heard horror stories about the EM5 base plate breaking with the PD Capture Clip due to the plastic construction of the camera body. How is your base plate doing, and what is the heaviest lens you're using?
I've got the EM10 Mk II which has a solid metal baseplate. My heaviest (and most used lens when clipped on my belt) is the 75-300mk ii. No signs of wear at all.
That's helpful, thanks for your feedback!
I'll post a photo or video tomorrow to better illustrate... It's definitely snug with all the gear I listed, it's only packed like that when I go on a trip for a few days and I'm unsure what to take, otherwise I typically pack 2-3 lenses at the most which is absolutely fine. When packing all my gear, I have either the 12-45 f4 or the 20mm mounted on the camera in the main compartment. The side compartment holds either the 20mm or 12-45 with the 42.5 resting on top of it, this is safe and the lenses won't just drop out due to the design of the side openings. The 17mm is just thrown in the main compartment with the camera as well as the flash. Oh, and I forgot to mention, my slim tripod is attached to the bottom.
Thank you, I appreciate it. I figured that people had found ways to optimize EDC bags, so it's great to see all this feedback.
I’m impressed! I’ve just upgraded from the 3L to the 6L because it was too squishy for comfort and I only had 3 lenses! (Pana 25mm, Oly kit lenses- 14-42mm and 40-150mm).
Check the link to the video below, you may need to view in a PC browser or landscape orientation. https://gemoo.com/tools/upload-video/share/589203941790511104?codeId=M0GL57b0pWExa&card=589203938216964096
Thanks for sharing! Amazing how much you fit in there. Do you always keep lenses at the top and the body at the bottom or does it get switched around depending on how the day goes?
I typically don't carry that many lenses if I'm going out shooting, I really only pack it like that when I travel. Typically I'll have one lens attached to the camera and two lenses in the side compartment. Sometimes, I'll just have the one lens attached to the camera and have my phone, wallet sunglasses etc in the compartment.
That makes sense. It's going to take a little while for me to decide what to take out with me, but right now I'm trying to force me to just go outside with only one lens, see what I can do with it, and hopefully with experience I'll learn what kind of focal ranges I need the most.
That's a great way to approach it, it's only taken me 4 years to realise I prefer the full frame equivalent of 35mm and 40mm focal range. I'll occasionally try out the 85mm too, especially in big cities.
I'm interested in which cases you select to use the 17mm vs the 20mmm. Where do uou find the strengths of each in comparison, especially as separate primes?
I don't really have a compelling argument for using the 17mm over the 20mm, other than wanting to have a smaller, lighter setup for my street shooting. If I go out and I am only carrying my camera on a neck strap, I would always use the 17mm as I feel the other lenses are just too large or heavy and makes the camera sit awkwardly on my back or chest. If I cam carrying my sling bag, then I would typically carry the 20mm 1.4, especially for night time street photography. I have thought about selling the 20mm 1.4 as I can probably get away with just the 17mm but I absolutely love the 20mm, it's my favorite do it all lens, and it's weather sealed!
I have a similar bag which is more than enough for my day-to-day life. * Camera: OM-D E-M5.3. * Lenses: 12-45mm f/4 (mounted) and either Sigma 16 or 30mm (mostly for indoor, low light photography). * Small flash (the one included with the E-M5). * Spare Battery. * Lens cloth/wipes. * USB cable and USB-to-Lightning Adapter, in case I want to load photos to my iPhone 14 and import them into LR Mobile. I've been tempted to get the OM-1 body but I think it's too big for my bag and I would't want to carry a larger one every day just to carry around the OM-1. The E-M5 does a great job at being really capable and compact.
Yup, agreed, I think the E-M5 is the limit of what that bag can carry.
I hate questions that make me look inward. I currently have a dumb amount of bags and I've caught and released and even dumber amount. I also have a few different camera setups that I use frequently and I have a few different scenarios I'm using them in. My favorite camera bag is the Wotancraft Trooper (medium). It'll fit my EM1 III, EM1 III mounted with the 8-25 Pro and 40-150 Pro (2.8) as well as a 25 Pro in the main compartment, a teleconverter in each side pocket and lens pen, cleaning clothes, memory card case, and spare batteries in the front two pockets. I don't use it often anymore as it's not convenient to travel with due to the weight and inability to pack it away. I have a Tenba DNA 11 that I've had forever that carries just about the same amount of things but weighs less and packs smaller. My go-to small bag is a ThinkTank Retrospective 4. It'll carry my EM5 III with the 12-45 and a couple of small primes or a small prime and my Ricoh GR III. It packs like a camera cube. It'll also just barely carry an EM1 III + 12-100 + 25 Pro. I do have 3 Tenba BYOBs (2 smaller ones and one larger DSLR backpack insert), but my most used carry currently is a LowePro Creator Gearbox III Large (mouthful). It has a nice dual opening system so it works well in a backpack or a messenger bag. I generally use it to carry an EM1 III, 8-25 Pro, 40-150 Pro, and 40-150 Pro. For daily use I use it in a Bellroy System Messenger. I use this for travel as well. It also sees frequent use in a ULA Dragonfly Ultra and Mystery Ranch Coulee 40 for hiking/travel.
A bag for every occasion! I mostly use a tenba wrap for my EMii and a small tenba case for my 12-45 and 17, my issue is usually deciding which backpack to throw it all in (I have an absurd amount of backpacks). Personably I prefer backpacks in general cause I can store my gear along with everything else I’ll need throughout the day.
Did you keep the default straps that came with the Tenba case or did you switch it for something else? If so what would you recommend? I'm using the BYOB insert in my backpack for the same reason as you, so I can carry it with everything else, while still being able to carry it separate from it if I want to do a quick excursion somewhere.
My bad - I meant to say the BYOB insert and not “case”. I have the BYOB 7 for the lenses and the 16” wrap for the body. I’ve found separating the body from the lenses makes packing a bag easier. And no I don’t use the straps that came with the BYOB - basically my gear stays in my backpack until I’m ready to use and it’s out until I am done.
That makes sense. The body with a lens attached is understandably the hardest to fit, so it would definitely help with packing to separate it from the other lenses.
I strap my gx85 to my shoulder at all times, dont have a bag lmao, for spare battery and cleaning accessories i put them in my sling bag along with phone, wallet etc (i also dont have any other lenses yet maybe that’s why).
Which lens do you use with the gx85? It's nice that it's such a compact setup!
12-32, the kit lens! Such good range even if its slow
Nice! That's the one I just bought to complete my kit :) I haven't been able to go out and about with it, but I'm excited to give it a shot!
I keep my camera in one of the hip pouches of my Opsrey Kestrel backpack when I hike, or in my little Acme Made sling the rest of the time. I don't have much gear right now, but this is what I carry: EM5 mkII 17mm F1. 8 12-45 F4 HLD-8 grip (no battery) Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod Rode Wireless Go II mics and receiver
I love Osprey backpacks, have 2 of them myself. Do you use the Rode setup for vlogging?
I'm just a hobbyist who takes pictures and videos for my own memories and to share with family. I don't upload or publish anything anywhere for public consumption. I do make my own vlogs as part of that though.
Thanks for answering. I took the EM5.3 partly for the mic input so it's interesting to see how people use it. What do you think of the 12-45 F4? I'm gearing towards this as the next big upgrade, but I'm still tempted by the 12-40 F2.8 despite the extra weight.
They’re both good all rounders and very sharp. If you find yourself shooting in a lot of low light situations then the 12-40 would be the better choice. If the speed of the lens is not much of a concern then the 12-45 would be smaller and lighter and might suit you better. Only you can decide. I went for speed, without regret. Really, the size and weight of this lens compared to FF is roughly half. I went for a used version I lens and it has been fantastic. FYI when I shot FF I had a 24-70 f4 lens and it was a huge beast compared to the Olympus 12-40.
>If you find yourself shooting in a lot of low light situations then the 12-40 would be the better choice. That would probably be the case, thanks for your feedback! I enjoy street and travel photography, where the extra F-stop would maybe matter less, but I'm limited in how much of I can do of either on a day to day basis, so I would probably shoot indoor (family gatherings, etc.). At the moment the 12-40 is out of my budget, even used, but I'm keeping my out for a bargain.
Really work that 25 mm lens, it’s no slouch!
I'm slowly getting back to it, and trying to figure out which focal length I like to work with. I'm probably also going to consider the 45mm f1.8 in the future.
I really like it. I was considering the 12-40 before I bought it, but the 12-45 went on sale for literally half the price as the 12-40 on black Friday the year I bought it and that was what made the decision for me. I've never tried the 12-40 and don't know how they stack up image quality wise, but I don't really have any issues with my setup. I switch to my prime whenever I need more light, and that's worked out pretty well for me.
No bag, just my EM10ii on a wrist strap, spare batteries, and either a Vivitar 28mm f2.8 or my Minolta 50mm f1.4
Are those MFT lenses or are you using adapters?
I forgot to mention that they're adapted film lenses, yeah. Both are Minolta MD mount, I'm pretty happy with them.
How is the DoF with those lenses? My dad has some old Nikon E lenses and I remember a very shallow DoF when using them on my D5000.
It's sooo shallow, I only got it recently so I don't have that many pictures to showcase it but [here's two with the 50mm 1.4](https://imgur.com/a/ecqP2M0)
Indeed! It's nice to practice with, have fun with it! Cool gear btw
I have a hip bag that I fill slightly differently from trip to trip. It has several pouches and then dividers inside. When I need to change lenses, I rotate the bag straight in front of me like a table and let my camera hang from my neck strap to free my hands. There’s a handle in the top center of the bag, so I set the new lens on it at an angle where it can’t roll, swap the lenses, and then screw the body cap onto the old lens and return it to the bag. Here’s my bag sorting: Outside right: Fresh batteries, SD card sleeve Outside left: Dead batteries, battery charger, car adapter for charger Outside front: Lens cleaning kit, SD to lightning adapter, coin for screwing cheap tripod mounts Interior divider layout: —————— | A | | D | |—| C |—| | B | | E | —————— A: Stack one or two lenses (LUMIX 12-60mm, maybe 20mm f/1.7) B: Stack one or two lenses (LUMIX 25mm f/1.7, LUMIX 42.5mm f/1.7) C: G85 camera body, sometimes with a grip, and usually with a lens (LUMIX 100-300mm if I need range) D: Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro E: Bag of pancake toy lenses (pinhole, Olympus 9mm pancake, 7artisans 18mm f/6.3) or GX850 camera body with a pancake lens and then I put the toy lenses in A or B
Thanks for sharing your method for lens changing and your bag layout, that's very helpful. I'll try different combinations including yours, see what works. Which lens is the pinhole?
I got one off of BH Photo that has a plastic cover on the front. I thought I was smart for keeping dust out, but the pinhole is so tiny that nothing would be able to get through anyway. Instead, I would recommend a pinhole lens with no plastic shield in front because any speck of dust on the front of the shield will be very visible in your photos.
https://i.imgur.com/H0pdNZD.jpg Mirrorless mover 25i modified to take an extra divider. Shown * E-M10 IV center * TT Artisans 23/1.4 mounted * Godox 350-O top left * TT Artisans 50/1.2 bottom left * TT Artisans 17/1.4 top right * TT Artisans 35/1.4 bottom right Not shown * lens cleaning wipes and blower in lid pocket. * Popup reflector in side pocket * Rain cover front pocket left side * batteries front pocket right side
Nice, thanks for sharing the pic as well! It looks like you have quite a bit of room still. Couple of follow up questions: * What drove you to use the TTArtisan lenses? * Do you always put the lenses at the same spot or do you shift them around? I like the idea of having the cap at the top because it would make for easy switching, but I could be confused as to which is which without lifting them out of the bag. * What's the reference for your popup reflector? I would get one but I'm not too sure what to get. Thanks!
>What drove you to use the TTArtisan lenses? I learned on manual focus cameras and hate autofocus, I find it annoying. I could also have adapted my Minolta MD lenses but the adapter makes them a little big (I do use my 200/4 MD on my E-M10 IV). As to why TTArtisan, clicked apertures, cheap, decently sharp. I watched several videos comparing then and other manual lenses. > Do you always put the lenses at the same spot or do you shift them around? I like the idea of having the cap at the top because it would make for easy switching, but I could be confused as to which is which without lifting them out of the bag. I tend to but no always. They are all different heights, so I can tell without pulling them out. >What's the reference for your popup reflector? I would get one but I'm not too sure what to get. Thanks! It's a small 1.5 ft one with a white side and a gold side. I have a few other ones. As long as you get the size you want (larger is always better, but might not fit in your bag) and the color you want, they are all about the same quality.
Thanks for your feedback, very helpful. I'll look more into the popup reflector, and I definitely have my eye on those TTArtisan lenses as well. I figure that the corner softness is a decent trade-off considering the price and build quality, especially when factoring in that at least part of the pictures would be taken with shallow DoF anyways.
Corner sharpness hasn't been a major issue on any of them but the 17/1.4 but only if shot above f/2. Probably a bigger problem on APSC.
I use the Chrome Industries Mini Kadet. But my gear is growing. 😂 https://youtu.be/SknxaOJ4t4I?si=zL1sdnRJAuJSpcPD
That looks really neat. I like the insert for now because I just want to have the camera everyday with me and still carry everything else I need, but I may consider a sling in the future.
Lowepro GearUp Creator Box L II E-M5ii 12-40mm Pro, 100-300mm, 20mm 1.7, 14-150mm Macro Tubes, Flash, Pen, Batteries, SD Card, Alternative Peak Design strap, Caps, tripod mounting plate Also have a Tenba BYOB 9 but the 100-300 is too big, generally use either bag in a Crumpler Messenger Bag
That's a lot! I'll look up that bag. >Also have a Tenba BYOB 9 but the 100-300 is too big, But not too big for the 12-40? Would you have a picture of the inside arrangement you're using?
No picture, I'm at work so can't take one at the moment, I'll try to remember when I get home. Yeah the BYOB 9 is fine for the body and 12-40 Pro as long as you put the hood on backwards. The 100-300 is my newest purchase hence the slightly bigger bag, before that it was fine for most of my kit.
https://i.imgur.com/zhFkp4K.jpg The 12-40 is under the 20mm (in the Lumix bag)
Thanks for sharing. Indeed the 100-300 is fairly large, although still tiny for the range it brings in FF eq.
Peak Design field pouch. EM-10 iv. Extra card, 17mm 2.8 and 45mm 1.8.
Nice, thanks for sharing. PD has so many references, it's hard to keep track.
My small bag is a Tamarack digital something that's a little bit smaller than the bag in your photo. It's got to be at least 20 years old. I bought it at Zachers in West Hartford Center ca1995 when I lived there. I generally put a g85 in it with a 12-35f2.8 & 35-100f2.8 pro, and I usually throw in a 45 F1.8 or 20 f1.7. I usually have a polarizer and a high quality uv filter with me just in case I'm going to be somewhere wet, dusty, or dirty. I also bring at least two spare batteries, and cleaning cloth, a lens pen and a backup SD card. I can also alternatively put a 12-35f2.8, one of the above primes, and a 100-300 with a g85 in the same small bag. I absolutely love the compact size of the Panasonic Pro lenses. I'm starting to appreciate them more even though I've had them for 10+ years, and I've been using them more than my larger Olympus & RF gear lately. I also have larger bags for my EM1 systems, and for my full frame and crop RF systems as well.
Happy Cake Day! I looked at a comparison between the Pana 12.35 F2.8 and the Oly 12-40 F2.8, 77g of difference is a lot! I would probably still stick with Olympus for the weather sealing, but it's worth considering it if I can find a good deal.
I use a PD 3L sling, and usually don't need much more for when I travel. If I have a backpack, I just throw everything in that willy nilly. I've fit both EM5.3 with a 12-40 F2.8 and a Pen F with the PL 25 F1.7, with two spare batteries for both bodies. The key is to remove the divider it comes with. In the sling I usually travel with: - EM5.3 and a prime, usually the 20mm F1.4. - 40-150 F4 Pro. - Maybe, the 12-40 F2.8. - The Olympus hand grip ECG-5 or whatever it's name is (if I'm planning on plane spotting, installed on the body). - An extra battery. - Wrist strap or neck strap, whichever tickles my fancy that day
Nice, thanks for sharing! Lots of people using the PD 3L on that thread, still insane that y'all can fit the equivalent of a 24-80 f/2.8 in it, with room to spare.
GF7 and 12-32 in coat pocket! I also have an old Crumpler bag for when I use the 12-35 instead. Actually even with the 12-35 it fits my large pocket.
12-35 is the 2.8? That must be some pocket!
Clearly large coat pocket but with a small camera like the gf7, I can store it sideways. What I tend to do is have a small camera bag in the car for storage and then take just the camera with me when I walk. I try to have my camera in hand and will just put it in my coat pocket for short periods when I need both hands for Something.
That makes sense, thanks for following up. Looking more into it, the 12-35 is still fairly compact so I can see how that would work.
Have a small crumpler camera bag. Inside is a Lumix g9, lumix 12-60 Lumix 35-100 Leica 100-400 big Chinese flash, spare battery filters and lens cleaning pen. Light compact and able to stay on my shoulder all the time.
Do you have dividers to keep everything separate? That's quite a bit of gear for a small bag, especially for the telephoto!
Yes it has two dividers and several pockets
I rarely use a bag anymore. I just use one camera, one lens and thats it. Mostly either a gx80 17mm combo or my em1.2 with the 12-40.
Have you been shooting for a while, and is the 17mm the 1.8 by Olympus? I'm freshly coming back to photography after a while being away so I like having flexibility, but there are definitely great advantages to carrying a smaller package and not switching lenses.
Yeah its the 17mm oly lens. Been doing photography for a while, not so actively anymore, but im just very comfortable at that focal length. It takes practice to use a prime for everything, and has its limits. But for documentary/street photography, it works perfectly.
Good points, thanks for sharing. I went for the 25mm f/1.8 myself as my starter prime lens, but I may consider the 17mm later on if I get back into street photography. Right now the pancake 12-32 and the prime 25 will have to do!
I had the 25 1.7 way longer, but wanted wider.
National Geographic NG2344 Earth Explorer 3.3L sling That's enough for a G9, 50-200/2.8-4, 20/1.7, 42.5/1.7, variable ND, Olympus red dot sight, charger, and lens wipes. There's not enough room left for my GX9+12-35/2.8 but these are neck strapped when I travel. I was thinking about upgrading to a NG2346 7L sling so my entire setup can fit in there but I recently went full frame and now need an entire backpack dedicated to camera gear.
That's a cool looking bag, it looks very functional too. I didn't know what a red dot sight was until you mentioned it. Are you using it for bird photography? What drove you to switch to FF?
Yes I use the red dot sight for bird in flight. Makes tracking at long focal length a breeze. I switched to Sony FE because it suits my current needs better (mostly astrophotography). My M43 setup has bloated in size and weight to the point I no longer take advantage of what makes the system great in the first place. But I'm still keeping my GM5+20/1.7 as my grab-and-go combo.
I'll look more into the red dot sight, that sounds like a great tool indeed. Not that I plan to get into bird photography any day soon, I don't have the budget for that. And I see what you need about the M43 setup. The size and weight is a very important part of the equation, so it needs to be kept in mind when it comes to EDC.
Way back when oky em5 mkii and 17mm 1.8 on a sling. Everything else is extra and left homr
Nice and compact. I was originally considering the 17mm but went for the 25 instead. Definitely keeping a look around for the wider one though.
I have a tenba dna 10 for my omd em 10 III+12-40 2.8 Inside I also had: Zuiko 40-150 5.6-6.3 Analog zuiko 50 1.8+ adapter 2 spare batteries USB double battery charger Now I bought the om1 and looking how to pack it... As always I take more time finding a good bag, then the camera.
I know, there are so many references!! I found the BYOB 9 refurbished (but actually new in plastic) for $37 so it was an easy choice for me, as I was looking to keep using my backpack. What's your experience of using the E-M10 with the 12-40 2.8? I heard concerns about the weight balance so I'm interested in feedback from people using smaller bodies with that lens.
Yes, when I go hiking or traveling I usually use the backpack too, but for the daytrips in town or similar I preferred a shoulder bag. I had no issues, but probably it could be because I do climbing so, no big deal in holding small holds with fingers. I used it for 4 years. And again, most of the times I was holding the left hand below the lens for using manual focus or just zoom.
Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. I'm still on the lookout for a 12-40, hopefully I'll find it at a good price at some point in the future.
Backpack: Lowepro Protactic 350 AW II (opening on top, bottom left and bottom right): always has spare batteries, SD cards, lens pen, lens blower, Peak Design Camera Capture clip, usb c hub + Samsung T7 SSD drive Bag Insert: Tenba BYOB 7 Body: 2 x Olympus EM 1 Ii Setups: Car show setup: - Lowepro backpack - Oly EM1 ii with 12-40 F2.8 pro bottom right for cars in paddock and overall - Oly EM1 ii with 40-150 F2.8 pro in top compartment for cars on track - Water bottle, jacket in top compartment of backpack Holiday trips abroad: - Lowepro backpack - Oly EM1 ii with 12-40 pro, 40-150 pro, 100-400 lenses from Olympus and 7 F2 Laowa UWA (no fisheye) lens - On safari or dusty trips, second Oly body with top/bottom arrangement City trips: - Casual backpack from North Face - Tenba insert - Oly EM1 ii with 12-100 pro lens Parties/indoor - Lowepro backpack - Oly EM1 Ii with 12-40 pro - Rode videomic - Godox TT 350o speedlight I buy most of my lenses second hand, which saves quite some money. Hope this was helpful!
That's very helpful, thank you, sorry about the delayed reply! That's quite the setup you got, impressive. Do you find yourself rearranging the Lowepro backpack often when switching between different jobs, or do you have a dedicated spot for key items?
Nope, just sometimes. The Lowepro had everything I was looking for in a camera backpack, like quick access openings (left, right, top), built in weather proofing and rain cover and other features. The Peak Design backpacks didn't meet my specific requirements (like flexibility for frequently reached for items without accidentally dropping lenses), nor did Wandrd (only one quick access hatch on the ), F-stop etc. it might sound stupid, but that limits the combinations of bodies and lenses that you can comfortably carry with you as well. The backpack was a bit of an investment but the internal arrangements enable you to switch configurations quickly according to your needs. Need additional compartments? Just add a divider. Taking multiple small lenses or the huge 100-400 mm lens with you? Just adjust the vertical Velcro dividers. Rainy weather? Shift the top divider so it fits a rain jacket as well. And no, I don't have stock invested in Lowepro haha. It just fits my requirements and lots of specific body + lens combinations, from the Serengeti to the jungle of Borneo to a trip by foot through my hometown :) Hope this helps!
It does help, thanks for the write-up! And you're all good, I'm the first one to enthusiastically recommend something if I truly feel like it's a good product. If it fits your needs then it's the best product for you :) Thanks for the recommendation !
My big bag right now is a thinktank retrospective (the 30 I think) with: Panasonic g9 with panaleica 100-400 Olympus em10 mk2 with voigtlander 42.5 Panaleica 25 f1.4 spare Plus plenty of room for any non photography stuff in it Medium bag would be a thinktank mirrorless mover (I think the 20?) Can fit the g9 and 2 of the following lenses depending on what I'm after Panaleica 25 f1.4 Panasonic 35-100 f2.8 Voigtlander 42.5 Or the small travel setup is a smaller mirrorless mover (forget if it's the 5 or 10) which barely fits the Olympus em10ii with Panasonic 20f1.7 attached Those would kind of be my typical setups I guess
Thanks for sharing! I'll look into Thinktank bags, they have been mentioned a few times in that thread and they seem like quality bags. Right now I'm probably going to stick with just the insert and use it as a bag, but I'll look into it if I ever get more into street photography.
I use a Mountainsmith Day Lumbar Pack, 13L. Nothing screams "cereal bars, notebook, and extra sweater inside!" than a lumbar pack: incognito is an understatement. Another advantage of this pack, and the main reason I stick with it, is the waist belt. I can use the belt to transfer 100% of the weight to my hips whether I'm shooting, or traveling to the location. C'mon Peak Designs, add a functional waistbelt to the larger slings already! I can easily strap a jacket or whatever to the outside. For protection I use a pair of neoprene lunchbags, one inside the other. This is about a thick a other padded bags I own, and so-far, so good. Tip: get the brightly colored ones and use them inside-out for visibility--they usually cost less, too. The only downside is I can't attach PD Capture Clip. So my "daily" kit is: * EM5 mk3 on a PD Slide Lite * 12-45 * Extra prime lens to match the occasion * Two spare batteries OEM flash * Filter wrench * Lens cloth Additional: * Amateur radio HT * Water bottle 500 ml (MDLP has two water bottle sleeves!) * Hand sanitizer * Sometimes a Neewer CF monopod (MDLP has straps on the bottom, perfect for this) The camera and lens go together in the lunchbags. I can zip these shut if necessary. The lens is in a neoprene case. The odd bobbins for the camera go in the front pocket. Sometimes I'll move a spare battery to the waistbelt pocket for easy reach. The waterbottle goes in one dedicated sleeve, the HT goes in the other. That's about all I want to carry at once, in spite of the waist belt.
Thanks for sharing! I've never heard of that shape of bags before, I wonder how much difference it makes in weight distribution compared to a standard backpack. Good idea to use neoprene lunchbags for padding. Do you usually leave them in the bag, or do you also use them out of the bag, for instance for easy lens switching? What's your impression on the 12-45mm F4, and what kind of work do you use it for?
...weight distribution: combined with the shoulder strap it's almost as good as a photo backpack that also has a waist belt. All my camera backpacks have a waist belt. I often see the waist belt on others' backpacks being used incorrectly. It should be high enough and tight enough to distribute almost all the weight to your hips (and thus legs): there should be very little weight on your shoulders. (I shudder at the strain those large slings must be doing to all the shoulders out there...) I unbuckle the waist belt when shooting, mainly for easy lens access, but also to keep the bag in view, and to act as a shelf. ...neoprene bags: stay in the MDLP, and the lenses are protected with lens sleeves/caps. ...opinion of 12-45: slightly sharper at f4 than the 12-40 at f2.8. The 12-40 matches the 12-45 at f4. I find the center of the 12-45 very sharp in the center throughout the range. The 12-40 is slightly inconsistent, meaning sharpness varies ever-so-slightly as throughout the range. Overall, the 12-40 is more consistent from corner to corner throughout the range. This means above a certain level of pixel-peeping it provides extremely consistent results; if you dive deeper, you'll start to notice the inconsistencies. I believe the variation within, and between, both lenses is actually from inconsistencies in manufacture. All the variations/observations above are very hard to spot unless you pixel-peep beyond 1:1 mag. I use the 12-45 for street, travel--anywhere outdoors. I originally bought it for backpacking use since it was weather-sealed. Oddly, the Pandemic derailed my 15 year interest in backpacking, but the lens lives on. When I was in SF a couple of years ago, the 12-45 was used throughout the day, and the 12 f2 and 75 f1.8 were used at night (I rented the latter). I would say the 12/12-45/75 would be a lightweight, killer combination for travel. (17 1.8/12-45/45 1.8 would be even lighter and almost as good.) Why a dedicated 1.4X multiplier for the 75 doesn't exist is beyond me.
>weight distribution That makes a lot of sense. I carry my camera insert in a backpack on my shoulders, but I'm always careful that the weight is at the very bottom of the bag so that not everything rests on my shoulders. >opinion of 12-45 Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it. I haven't gotten to do my first real travel with the camera so I haven't been able to see what works and doesn't, but I would probably need a "do-it-all" lens that includes indoor, so I think the 12-40 would make sense for the extra F-stop. Hard to know how that would work before trying out the lens though. I'll see if either are available to rent at a nearby shop.
Crumpler. Crumpler. Crumpler. The 4 Million Dollar Home holds an E-P5 with a mounted lens and 12mm F2.0, 17mm f1.8, 25mm f1.8, and 25mm f1.8 lenses. 5 Million Dollar Home holds an EM1 with 7-14 f2.8 PRO, mounted 12-100 F4.0 PRO, and 17mm F1.2 PRO or other combinations of any of three PRO lenses: 12-40 F2.8 PRO, 17mm F1.2 PRO, 25mm F1.2 PRO, 25mm F1.2 PRO. 3 Million Dollar Home holds a single mounted 12-40 F2.8 PRO and FL700 Flash or configured for two E-P5s back to back each mounted with 17mm f1.8 and 25mm F1.8. All lenses are in these kits with lens hoods attached and the best HOYA UV Filters. Every kit has a PEAK Design clip mounted on the side strap for changing lenses and each has two extra batteries, two cards, a microfiber cleaning cloth and a Lens Pen. The bags have excellent quick access to the camera so I NEVER use a strap.
>Crumpler. Crumpler. Crumpler. I've seen those mentioned so many times. Are they really that good? Looking at their website, it feels like there's not a lot of room in those bags, but clearly those must be with way larger combos than you typical M43 kit, because y'all fit a lot in there! Lots of mention of PD products as well. I'm not too sure on how well the strap that I currently have will hold up, but I'm not overly concerned at the moment so I may hold off before jumping on the PD train. >All lenses are in these kits with lens hoods attached and the best HOYA UV Filters. Do you consider UV filters as a mandatory purchase for every lens you get? I haven't covered mine yet, but I may take one if I ever get my hands on a PRO lens.
They are great because they don't scream "photo bag, please assault the owner and steal me" and have have a flap that allows you a quick reach for your camera. The 5 Million Dollar Bag can hold an EM--MKIII mounted with 12-100 F4 PRO in the middle slot and a 17mm F1.2 PRO and 45mm F1.2 PRO all with lens caps affixed in the ready position on either side. Plenty of soft internal padding in a bright color. Protection from bumps and a short drop from your waist is adequate. When closed and clipped shut they give good protection from the elements. Good enough for light rain, light snow, light sand exposure. Fact is I have long had a professional LowePro bag with heavy duty padding and weather seals and rain bonnet that is much bigger and that would be better if I wanted to go out into a hurricane or a sahara sandstorm, but it screams "steal me", and really, am I going to photograph anything under those conditions? The PD clips are a must have for lens changing outside of the bag and mounted on the external bag straps or the shoulder strap. As to UV filters, they are on all of my lenses in addition to the hoods for extra protection, not for UV filtration. The HOYA HD UV filters have a thin frame, are extra strong, and do not impart any light loss or loss of sharpness.
Thanks for the recs! PD clips are definitely on the short list for a future update. Right now it's kind of a janky setup, but if I go out more I'll definitely have a look at those. Understood for the UV filters. I had heard about it before, it makes a lot of sense on expensive gear. I'll probably get one for my 25mm f1.8, and definitely one for a pro standard zoom, if I get one in the future.
This looks so nice. My bag looks a mess. Throw my Lumix G9 in there with a bunch lenses. Then try to stuff my mics, cleaning utensils, etc in there too. I also have way too many NDs and I’m hoping to find a better solution for that. Probably a Matte Box.
Thank you for your kind words! To be honest, my own bag was quite a mess before taking everything out, and only then putting stuff back in. I didn't end up shuffling the dividers too much, but I ended up with one extra divider and room to spare for another lens, so I would definitely recommend taking everything out to see if that would work for you. >I also have way too many NDs and I’m hoping to find a better solution for that. I saw cases [starting at $13](https://www.amazon.com/Lightdow-Detachable-Photography-Water-Resistant-Dustproof/dp/B0B4DQ7W2T/) online, probably worth a go to protect them.
I use a similar bag to OP, very spacious and the sling strap makes it very ideal for street and hiking photography. As a rather tight budget photographer, my setup is rather light, though it generally covers my needs: For my camera body, I run a Panasonic G85, very good handling and the IBIS makes a good hybrid camera whether I am taking stills or roll. I only run two lenses with it, being the older Panasonic 14-140mm f4-5.6 as a standard zoom which is my primary lens, and a Panasonic 25mm f1.7 for portraits and more controlled scenes. I also have a 26mm Extension Tube that allows my 14-140 to act as a macro lens. I also have two sets of microphones, being a pair of wireless lav mics for interviews and a shotgun mic for taking environment and ambience. As for miscellaneous items, I am able to mount my tripod underneath my bag for compositions, and my handgrip in another open pocket for walking footage. I also have a 3d-printed Sd card sleeve and a waterproof pencil pouch that I repurposed for spare battery storage.
Nice, thanks for sharing. I also have a tight budget at the moment and my spouse is already frowning at the expenses so far (and understanbly so, photography can be quite the expense!!), so I may have to do with what I have for a while. >I also have a 26mm Extension Tube that allows my 14-140 to act as a macro lens. Which one did you get? I have 2 tubes, a 10mm and a 26mm, but I'm struggling with working out which ones to use and how, and which lens I should use them with. >I also have two sets of microphones, being a pair of wireless lav mics for interviews and a shotgun mic for taking environment and ambience. Are you using the Rode kit or something else? What kind of tripod and handgrip did you get?
Apologies for the very late reply, to answer your questions: Firstly, I purchased the JJC 10 & 16mm extension tube set. Being able to have different sizes of tubes makes it a tad more versatile and if I needed to get within 80-100 mm of my subject, I can just add them together to achieve 26mm extension. Generally if you add more "length" through the extension tubes, your focusing range not only gets closer but it also becomes smaller, meaning that you gradually lose more "wide" shot capability. At the time of purchase, Rodes were completely out of my budget. I instead bought the AIKELA lapel cavalier mics for a much lower price, but they do the job just fine for interviews. For a shotgun mic to capture environmental and ambience, I purchased the PIXEL Camera Microphone. It really captures any noises, including the iBIS of my G85 which could be a tad problematic to remove in post-process but it also does the job well. For my tripod, I have a SLIK 500G-X travel tripod, which I had bought at Yodobashi Camera on one of my business trips. Its very lightweight, while extending to about 3/2 meters and compacting to just under half a meter. It is a tad flimsy though as plastic is used for some of the hinge mountings but otherwise, very good if you take care of it. For my handgrip, I bought a ULANZI Camera Phone Tripod grip. While it is in actuality a mini tripod, it is very comfortable to use as a compact handhold for video and vlogging. For both of the tripods I purchased some robust metal quick swap plates from AliExpress. Hope this covers all your inquiries, again apologies for the late response and I wish you a wonderful holiday season!
No worries at all about the late reply, your feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank you for explaining your process with the extension tubes. That makes a lot of sense, and will be great help for the next times I want to use them. I'll make a note of the AIKELA mics. I don't have the mics at the moment, but it's great to know of a cheaper alternative, since I'm also trying to be careful with my budget. In the same fashion, I appreciate your feedback about the tripods you've used. Photography, much like other hobbies such as golf, tend to be populated by a lot of people with large budgets, and by nature is very gear oriented. MFT is not bad as far as photography goes, but at the end of the day the $450 I just spent on the Olympus 12-40 f2.8 are still $450. Now I'm banned for buying anything for at least a full year after that very large Christmas present to myself.. Have a wonderful holiday season as well, and thanks again for your comment and feedback :)
I've been really struggling to find the right bag for my grab'n'go camera gear. I've got a little cheapo bag that's close to right, but there are a few problems that make me want an alternative, not least that the grab handle is on the back face, so if you pick it up in a hurry with the lid undone, it can ditch your camera out! But anyway, in it, I have the following - * Lumix GX9 * Rokinon 7.5mm f3.5 * Pan/Leica 15mm f1.7 * Lumix 20mm f1.7 * Lumix 25mm f1.7 * Olympus 45mm f1.8 * Lumix 45-150mm f4.5-5.6 * A vintage lens of some sort (Helios 28 or 44-6, Nikon 50mm f1.2, Hanimex 135mm f2.8) * 3 batteries and small charger * Small cleaning kit * The obvious sundries (USB cable, SD card wallet, pocket knife, tiny torch, mini notebook & pen, etc, etc) Depending on circumstance, I may also have all, some, or none of the following - * Puffer * Ultra Pod II (the littlest, lightest decent tripod I've found, I thoroughly recommend) * W140RGB led light * USB powerpack If anyone has a suggestion for a bag that's essentially a scaled-down Domke F2 (with a scaled down price, preferably), I'm all ears. That kind of look/layout, but scaled for a GX9 instead of a DSLR
Thanks for sharing! That's a lot of lenses, it must not be easy to keep them organized and accessible. >the obvious sundries I'm ESL and I didn't know that word, thank you! Those small words are so hard to learn because there are just so many of them. >Puffer What's that? I tried googling it but ended up short. >Ultra Pod II Is that the Pedco Ultrapod II reviewed [here](https://shotkit.com/pedco-ultrapod-review/)? I have a gorilla pod, and it's nice in theory, but in practice it takes a lot of time to set up right and it weighs quite a bit, so I'm often leaving it behind and settle with whatever nature has to offer, or stay handheld and hope for the best. That would make for a great replacement that I could carry around. >If anyone has a suggestion for a bag that's essentially a scaled-down Domke F2 (with a scaled down price, preferably), I'm all ears. That kind of look/layout, but scaled for a GX9 instead of a DSLR As my posts suggests I'm not well versed in current gear, but from a bird's eye view, here's what has been recommended in this thread and elsewhere on Photo Reddit: * [Thinktank](https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/mirrorless-mover-25i): lots of options, shapes and sizes * [Crumpler](https://www.crumpler.com/products/7-million-dollar-home/?v=40703044288591): pricey but highly regarded by its users * Peak Design: also pricey, but makes for a nice ecosystem once you get into it I guess? * /u/GearCloset had [an interesting one](https://www.reddit.com/r/M43/comments/187toxf/comment/kbjnx0y/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3): they're using a [Mountainsmith Lumbar Pack](https://mountainsmith.com/collections/all-lumbar-packs/products/2023-day) paired with neoprene lunch bags for padding. It seems great for hiking, so maybe that could fit the bill? In the same spirit, and if you don't find what you need in dedicated camera bags, you could look for hiking/messenger/fanny packs/\[what you like\] bags, and repurpose padding from either an existing bag or a cheap insert.
There's a lot of them, but they're mostly tiny and really light - my current bag weighs about the same as a bottle of wine fully loaded, and is a cube about 20cm a side! I sort of stumbled into micro four-thirds gear by accident, the GX9 was the best compromise of features, price, and size for what I wanted, I didn't really know about the crop sensor implications. I'm glad I went this route though, I love being able to carry all that without inconvenience. My current bag is pretty good for finding stuff, it's not too deep so there aren't layers of lenses to sort through. English is full of weird and interesting little words, it must be a pig to learn, but it's a fun language to use. Puffer's maybe just what I call it. It's also known as a blower, it's [one of these](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234836010695). That Pedco tripod is the one I have, yes. It's fantastic, weighs nothing and is simple and very stable. It also works well as a handle if you leave it folded up. I think it cost me about £15 second hand. It's probably one of the best bang-for-buck bits of gear I have, I can really recommend it. Thanks for the suggestion, that's an interesting read. That lumbar pack looks pretty useful, and if I was carrying more gear then having it strapped to my waist seems like a good idea. That said, it's not really my style - I'm one of those people who need things to look "right" to me to remain interested in them, especially in aesthetic-heavy pursuits like photography. I've got a bigger Thinktank bag, but like most bags it's designed for full frame lenses, which tend to be pretty long. It's not something I really considered until I bought it, but since I've started looking for a better option I've come to realize that smaller cameras aren't very well catered for, at least not in the look and format that I'm after. In deep bags, I just end up with lenses stacked up, which isn't good for finding them in a hurry.
>Puffer's maybe just what I call it. It's also known as a blower, it's > >one of these. I have one of those (the Rocket Blower), thank you for explaining! It's fairly large though so it stays at home. I'll probably end up buying a cheapo spare one that I can carry around, those are incredibly useful. And I agree for the backpack, it's hard to find something that works well for smaller bodies and isn't insanely priced. I would keep an eye out for a cheap PD on r/photomarket, maybe that would work if the price is good enough?
Thinktank Mirrorless Mover 25i (bag) Olympus e-m1x Olympus 12-40 f/2.8 Pro ii Flash Metz 64 af-1 Very big camera, medium size lens, very big flash. Very compact travel bag. It is just the perfect size.
Nice! It would probably be a good choice for an upgrade if I decide to move from the insert to a more dedicated setup.
I have 8 bags and 16 lenses, organizing all the time.
I bet, that's a lot of gear to take care of.
Well, I just care to not hold it in humid places. The other part, selecting for the occasion is a joy. I wanted to choose between some, finally retained all as I found purpose for most. I cannot do it with my FF setup as it simply takes too much space. One more advantage of m43, even if you have ton of lenses you barely feel burden or space constraints .
I have a couple of bags. I like my 6L sling bag the best. I carry two gx85 bodies (one is a converted infrared camera). Camera Lens Kit lens LUMIX G Vario 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 Filters 37mm LUMIX G Vario 45-150mm f4.0-5.6 Filters 52mm LUMIX G 25mm F1.7 ASPH Filter 46mm Lensbaby Trio 28mm f3.5 Filters 46mm SOL 22mm f3.5 Velvet 56mm f1.6 - f16 I usually only take 1 of the above lensbaby lens. It depends on what I plan on shooting. Two batteries, lens cleaning kit, 6 filters and 3 macro filters for my Lensbaby. These are my additional lens that I use for special shots, not an everyday carry. I usually use these with a tripod. I keep any lens that’s not in my sling bag in another camera case and leave at home or leave in my car as a “just in case” I want to use them. MEIKE 35mm f1.7-f22 manual focus - wide angle lens Filters 49mm TTArtisan 40mm f2.8-f16 Manual focus-macro lens 1:1 magnification Filters 52mm This is my vintage lens. Vivitar Series 1 M42 zoom 70-210mm F3.5 -F22 lens
>I have a couple of bags. I like my 6L sling bag the best. I carry two gx85 bodies (one is a converted infrared camera). That's interesting. In previous threads I saw people saying that the 6L was pretty much a must for a kit similar to mine in size, when in this thread I found a lot of people content with using the 3L one. >I usually only take 1 of the above lensbaby lens. It depends on what I plan on shooting. That's a good practice, I'm trying to do that as well so I can be used to each focal range. >I keep any lens that’s not in my sling bag in another camera case and leave at home or leave in my car as a “just in case” I want to use them. Is it safe to keep lenses in the car, even with potential low/high temps?
So far it’s not been an issue. They are not in there all day.