My kit seems to be getting bigger, but my “depth” of capabilities, on balance across two kits, is still elusive.
The main issue is forming the two fully functional kits, each on their own capable of shooting video and stills at pro or semi-pro levels. I know some (most) of my lenses even at kit level can take images that are good enough for most needs, but their specs leave something to be desired (f6.7!). I have to cover all my needs with range, speed and quality and I don’t think I can do this twice.
The best option for indoor sports is an Oly with the 45 or 75. The best options for foeld sports are the 300 or 75-300 , again on an Oly. The best and easiest to achieve video comes from the G9 with matched lenses, which means some shorter Oly lenses are less than ideal and the Panas do not play nicely with my many long Olympus lenses. Everything is a compromise if I try to do a “King Solomon” split.
With this reality hitting home, I have decided to stick with a single core kit for both jobs, but one that has specialist options available.
This is a mixed kit, but a consistent one, one that I will use day-in, day-out. I have noticed that even with lenses that turn in different directions and very different cameras, I can get used to specific dynamics quickly (story of my life at the moment*), maybe even more easily than changing totally from one to another on different days.
Mixing things together? What harm could it do?
Cameras.
As it stands at the moment, the kit gets a G9 for video and standard/wide angles. This is matched with the 12-60 Leica, 8-18 Leica and (coming instead of the Sigma, due to zero stock) the 15mm Leica prime (a 15 + 40 1.7 in 1080p). I am falling in love with this camera for stills and video and it is streets ahead of the EM1’s for hybrid use**.
I have managed to get the G9 very settled with stills, leaving the custom functons for various video options. These quite literally change the cameras’ personality from a fast, clever and capable stills camera to any one of several specialised video camera configurations.
The G9 is very sure footed for close work with dedicated Pana glass and its semi compact camera AF options are very reliable. Unlike the Olympus cameras, I feel more confident just letting the G9 do it’s thing in close and busy environments. This trio offer a full focal length range in video, (16-400mm in 1080p video-full frame equiv) and 16-120 for stills. Handling the G9 in these close quarters is just really intuitive. I also like the G9’s handling of tricky indoor lighting.
The second camera in the kit, but by no means the lesser one, is an EM1 mk2 for longer lens work. This is matched with a 45, 40-150 Pro and 1.4x tele converter. These are still the better MFT cameras for long lens work with tracking, especially with my all Oly lens options***.
I really prefer the tight accuracy they offer here rather than the overly busy G9 dynamic (the G9 offers custom configurations, but they are limited, where the EM1x is genuinely customised). For good light days or just to lighten the bag, I swap the big 40-150 out for the excellent 75-300 (honestly cannot see the difference in good light and the slower lens seems to handle higher contrast better).
Plenty sharp enough, decent AF and great at handling crazy bright light, the 75-300 is plenty.
These two mini kits, even though they are very different, form the core. At a push, either can to the other’s job, but horse to favoured courses.
The OSMO is also at hand for gimbal style shooting.
This outfit has Boya mic, Godox flash and Neewer LED kits.
This all (just) fits neatly in the f802 Domke with added pouches, although the OSMO, accessories and wide angle are only taken if genuinely needed.
I tote the extras including the sports kit below and my laptops in the Domke 217 roller.
The Specialists
Sports/Action
My EM1x and EM1.2 with grip back these up for sports, event, low light etc, with matched 75mm for indoor and 300mm for outdoor on the “X”with the core 40-150 and 45’s as backup on Mk2. This also allows me to set these into ready-to-go configurations.
For close indoor sports, the G9 and Pana lenses can also be used, the pending fast 15mm in particular probably going to be a real asset. For sports, I usually go with the Turnstyle 10L for a third camera and/or wide angle, extra bits etc and the cameras over the shoulder or in the f804 if I need to tote them somewhere.
Video
The second G9 is rigged exclusively for video with the 12-40 (true manual focus and that minor zooming issue), the ancient 25mm Pen lens for character and the modern 25 for Bokeh and low light. This camera is used in the more professional Manual Focus mode, so brand mixing is not a big deal and the two brands do work well together in many respects (colour, handling etc). I usually use the big Neewer backpack for the video kit.
The EM1x can also be rigged up for big video days and likes the 25mm.
Studio/event
I cannot go past my two “lucky” EM10’s for this type of work. Both have proven time and again, their happiness going “to the ball” and help me ignore fears of more expensive gear getting nicked when I am wandering a large hall or going inside to out. The 16mp sensors in these are plenty and their naturally warm reproduction suits flash work well. Every shot they take, extends the life of a more professional camera.
The lenses I use are the 17 and 45mm from my personal kit, which handle these environments perfectly, with the capable Lumix 12-60 kit for large groups (at 12mm f4 it is nearly identical to the Leica). All the lighting and stands etc go into a pair of long Neewer duffle bags, the flash kit and cameras into a small backpack..
Personal/Travel
For myself, I have the Pen F, Pen mini and a pair of old EM5’s with the lenses from the above event kit (the 17 and 45 and the 12-60 kit) plus the very capable little 14-42 and 40-150 kit lenses and the 75-300. These do travel, home snaps and personal stuff. So many bags here, basically all the ones that don’t get a run elsewhere.
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*The work cars are Korean automatics, very different to my manual, converted left hand drive VW and they issued me an IBM laptop, where I use a Macs They even gave me an iphone, but I have switched to an Android, so my older brain is getting a welcome dose of ambidextrous, adapt-itis.
**The Olympus cameras can be used effectively for video, but with the exception of the EM1x, there is little help provided, meaning if you set one up for stills, you then have to re-set a legion of settings quickly for video, then back again and the custom settings do not recognise video options. ironically, because I am not trying to run two kits, I can now set an EM1 up for video if needed, especially for hand held run and gun style (probably the EM1x).
***My foray into Pana-Oly sports shooting went better than expected, but was not a reassuring or overly pleasant experience. DfD lenses for DfD cameras is the way to go, although the Pana lenses on Oly cameras seem less weird. I can see a 50-200 Leica on the horizon, or maybe the 35-100, just to open this up a little and add a fast, smaller premium zoom for travel etc.