After a short year of working in a professional environment with M43 gear, I feel like doing an “In the Bag” style recap of what has worked and what has not.

Personally I have always loved these, usually found in magazines, since I started this journey (in the ‘80’s) and find the little details are sometimes the one thing you the reader may want to know, or not.

Cameras

EM1 Mk2 (x2)

Love the AF (even original firmware). For someone who has shied away from completely trusting AF, Olympus/M43 first opened my eyes to the potential of amazing one-shot speed and accuracy. When I tentatively dipped my toe into the full AF tracking world, even with a lens only slightly better than a kit lens (see below) and an older firmware prime (75), I was not expecting such a high hit to miss ratio.

If you get yourself sorted, it gets the job done almost flawlessly. I now have a new body with 3.0 firmware, which seems to be more sure footed again and on a par with the EM1x that arrived this week. Combine these with the 40-150 and the new 300 F4 Pro and I am looking forward to an even more exciting year.

EM10 Mk2 (x2)

My “shutter savers”, picked up new on clearance for $700au total. Each time I push the button on one of these, used primarily for lower stress situations, it saves a wasted frame from a more powerful camera. They are fast, accurate and pleasant to use. If they take 100k shots between them, they have paid for themselves over and over.

I like to use them in classrooms or for social events, where the smaller form factor tends to relax people and the gentle shutter is quiet enough if the electronic one is not practical. I would love it if the electronic shutter was usable at higher than ISO 1000, but that is really all. Add a nice prime for a perfect combination.

My intention is to keep adding cheap 10, 5 series or mid-range Panasonic bodies as fillers over the next few years, again to save unwarranted use of 1 series bodies.

Pen F

This one is really kept for personal use, but it is wheeled out when I am doing a portrait specific job. There is something about this camera and a 45 or 75mm lenses. It’s just magic. I do believe it takes the sharpest files I can produce at lower ISO’s (EM1x not yet compared), but there is something more. It’s like this is the ultimate iteration of the original OMD’s sensor (probably down to having no phase detection on sensor).

EM5’s (2 ok, 2 a bit dodgy) and Pen Mini

It is truly a luxury when you can claim to have 5 older cameras lying around for personal projects, but that is the benefit of choosing to flog older cameras to death rather than off loading them earlier.

Effectively worthless now and all nursing one issue or another, they have earned their semi retirement. If we get to go to Japan again soonish, I will be tempted to use them one last time, but if not, the last five years of trips there with these little cameras can reach a logical and fitting end point.

It is amazing to me how often they still produce the goods. On a couple of recent jobs where the second body was not necessary or was in one case effectively a sacrificial option while climbing, they got a go and have actually taken the best files on the day. Truth be told, if they weren’t so old and twitchy I would use them even more.

Lenses

Primes (4 or 5 if you count my second 45)

The f1.8 primes covering 17, 25, 45 and 75 (35-150 equiv), are reserved for low light or shallow depth of field as necessary. The 45 and 75mm’s get the most use, but the 25 is starting to get more as I am reminded of it’s specialness each time I use it. To be honest, there are times when only these lenses will do the job. I am often restricted to silent shutter, no flash available light indoor work and these lenses used wide open (remember that is equal to f2.8 on a full frame), give me sharp, accurate and beautiful results.

The only one that does not get much use is ironically my favourite lens for personal use, the 17mm.

My only real failure this last year was a series of shots taken in a large school gym at an awards ceremony, where a combination of bad backlight light, an older EM5 and the 17mm created some files I would only show as decent black and whites, due to fringing, muddiness and poor colour.

The Pro Zooms (2)

The 12-40 and 40-150 are my work horse lenses. Where would I be without them? Probably not working as a successful photographer. The longer lens in particular, the one I procrastinated about buying back is just getting better and better for me the more I use it. I miss the 12-100 I sold at a low point, simply because it was a cracker simply because it was a good lens, but getting the 40-150 back has made all the difference.

I have only used it once, but the recently added 8-18 looks like a winner, giving me a wider range and a good standard back up to the 12-40.

The Other Zooms (3)

The 75-300 has done me (and Olympus) proud. That lens effectively carried the can for me for all outdoor sports, performing better than I thought it should. The EM1 mk2 with it (both early firmware) caught more than they missed, occasionally fighting failing light and poor weather. I have moved up in the world, but the little 75-300 will still be grabbed confidently on those occasions when the big bruisers are not needed.

The two kit lenses, good enough that I would happily do a paid job with them (in decent light), have paid for themselves many times over. Reserved for travel, gear dangerous jobs or for packing light, both can mix it with the best when used sensibly. I will use them until they break, which may be longer than I expect.

Bags (7, because no bag is perfect)

The Domke F802 is my main bag. It will take two lens mounted cameras (any combination without battery grips), several more lenses and any amount of accessories in the two huge pockets and optional pouches. On my review page, this bag shows how it not only swallows gear, but rides well also.

The Filson Field Camera Bag. I love this bag, but I use it sparingly. When full it tends to sag in the middle, making it difficult to extricate gear. It is often worn when only small kits are needed.

The Filson Field Bag. Not strictly a camera bag, this one is my “dressy” bag. The capacity is fine and it is practical enough (pockets are small but secure), that when working “gear out” it makes a comfortable and ignorable extras holder.

The Domke F2 Original. My wife hates this bag and I must admit, it is looking a little ratty, but I cannot deny, when nothing else works, I go to the F2. It is especially good for bulky rigs like a camera with flash and modifier fitted or camera with grip and long lens. Like the F802, it has generous pockets and seems to hold a serious amount of kit with a reinforced base (no sag).

The Domke F3x Rugged. This one has a dual role as my “hip hugging” low profile bag or best weather proof option. I have several bags that are weather proof, but I trust this greasy skinned one the most. I felt that it’s big SLR and lens holding design had lost relevance, but it has proven otherwise.

Think Tank Turnstyle 10. This is my sports bag. I arrive camera and lens in hand, with my second option and accessories in the TT, which is my most “invisible” bag. It can hold a small kit, I Pad and lots of bits, which still surprises me. I almost grabbed a TT 20L recently, but may hold off as the design seems to make the most sense smaller, other bags doing the bigger way better, but we will see.

Low Pro Pro Tactic 350 (original). I have a love-hate relationship with this one. This is my “getting there” bag especially useful for aircraft travel. The rigid body makes it a good head or foot rest, a useful lens support when lying down and it holds bigger lenses safely on or off camera (as well as pottery purchased while travelling).

I have never found it very comfortable (maybe it’s too small), but it is just barely more comfortable than other options so it has had a stay of execution a few times. This one is still up for review as I find it is a little small, especially with the new tele, so a bigger Neewer heavy duty back pack (a bargain at $80au) that gets great reviews is on order to replace it. I will keep the Pro Tactic for travel haulage. The Neewer came up in some comparison videos with Flipside 400 Lowepro’s and the like and did well as well as one review that pretty much proved it was the same as a 3x dearer Polarpro model.

Other Stuff

My various tripods have had no use. Who knew. I will investigate this though as I feel that separation from the camera while organising people is a good thing.

My extensive, but not expensive Yong Nuo based lighting kit is itching for a another go after the school ball and I intend to use it whenever I can. Batteries have been an issue, so I bit the bullet and ordered some Eneloop Pro cells (30) and charger.

The TTL Godex has proven useful and I do need to use it more often, but old habits….

If I get more call for heavy jobs I will invest in either Godex 60w, Neewer 960 LED wall/batt powered or Godox AD200 portable lights. Ed. turned into an 860 Godox and Neewer 660 LED.

Basic cards have done fine so far (the benefit of not shooting video).

My intention this year is to be far more organised.

Better card discipline, 2 16gb cards per day marked “Monday, Tuesday etc. which are only cleared the next week and stored in one of those 7 day pill organisers, which will fix my perilous daily scramble for a clean card. A set of older “spare” cards always carried and 4 high speed sports/video cards. I rarely need speed for most work, even sports as I try not to blaze away with massive bursts, relying more on timing, so basic 16gb U1 cards are fine and dirt cheap.

A charging station (done) has already fixed the multiple dead battery embarrassment I suffered once.

Finally, some work on my processing work flow. This includes introducing Capture 1 pro and expanding my Dropbox storage, both sorely needed and will likely be the most beneficial changes made this year.

The looming year of the Ox is unforgiving of the disorganised and unfocussed, so I will be more diligent than usual.

My Core Work Kit

On any given day, my likely kit will be;

EM1 Mk2 (no grip) and 2 batts for longer lenses (EM1x if low light),

EM10 Mk2 (hand grip) and 2 batts for shorter lenses,

1 card for each (see above), with a set of reserves,

12-40 or 8-18 depending on potential width needed,

40-150 Pro or 40-150 kit or 75-300 depending on light and reach needed,

75 and 45 or 25 portrait lenses always,

Godox 860 flash, 176 LED, Godox off camera controller, mini tripod, flash small reflector & flagging foam

All packed easily into my F802.

or

For sport;

EM1x and 300 F4 (outdoor) or 75 (indoor)

EM1 Mk2 with grip and 40-150 or 75-300 or other depending on subject.

12-40 or 8-18 as needed,

faster cards, lots of batts.

Carried in a Neewer Back pack or TT Turnstyle 10 with EM1x out if no travel is required.