How lovely to hear from you! And that you are well!
The camera body dilemma may be one that can be resolved based on features.
I loved the size, weight and form factor of my Panny GX9 bodies. Eventually, I switched one back to Oly, like you, an
E-M1 II, for computational features and a better fit with the Oly 100-400 with 1.4x TE. As long as I had already lost
the size/weight/form factor battle, I got an OM1, and that has morphed into a pair of OM1 II bodies. With the ND and GND
filters, bird focus, Pro Capture, new menus, a customizable MyMenu within the menu system, dual full speed SD slots,
everything faster and probably something(s) else, they make the E-M1 II seem limited, almost primitive - to me. I think
the sensor is better, too. Also, something changed in batteries and/or power efficiency. The new batteries, BLX-1, are
slightly physically smaller, and slightly larger in stated capacity, 17Wh vs. 14.8 Wh, than the BLH-1, but in use seem
to last forever, by comparison, really remarkable.
In your situation, I would line up a comparison of specs of OM-1 II, OM-3, OM-5 II and the new OMS Pen, and get the
smallest one that meets your needs.
For lenses, my one body solution is the Oly 12-200. Yeah, I know, but, like the reviewers, I find its other assets
overcome the slight softness at the long end. I've been using it since mid 2022, so I must like it. I dropped it on the
steel deck of a ferry in Scotland and it pretty quickly stopped working. I simply lucked out that a traveling companion
was using a 14-150 and was going home after the Orkney's, while we soldiered on to Morocco, me using his lens.
I now have a pristine 12-100 and a repaired one. The new one is slightly, but noticeably, sharper at the long end,
raising the specter of sample variation. The old one now travels with me as well . . .
My two lens set-up is with two bodies. I recall you had trouble with neck pain
from camera weight? I do not, as yet.
When on the move, time spent changing lenses leads all to often to missed shots - things move, light changes, dust
blows. Same goes for 12-200 vs. two lenses to cover that range.
Lenses are 12-200 and 100-400 plus 1.4x telextender. The overlap is good, as the 12-200 starts so get a bit soft just
past the 140mm minimum of the long lens, and it gives this eclectic shooter a 24-1120 mm FF eq. focal range - Heaven. I
also now travel with the newish 8-25/4 Pro, in place of the Panny 7-14/4.
As context, we travel quite a bit. Other than COVID years, we tend to be away from home 20-25% of the year, often away
from places with camera stores, or at addresses where Amazon, etc. don't deliver, (or take days to do so, by which time
we are elsewhere.) So I take gear to do all I want and to provide back-up.
Jabber, jabber . . . Anyway, have a great trip and fun with your daughter,
whatever gear goes along!
Moose
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What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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