This trip to Japan will have a few differences to the usual.
I am going to use a Panasonic for the first time (G9 Mk1), with a Pen Mini as my casual street cam.
The G9 will be shot with the preview screen set to 16:9 ratio (or maybe even wider like 1.85 or 2:1), using the truly excellent preview feature (allows frame line colour and also darkening out off frame opacity selection set at different strengths). This is because I want to see the place “cinematically”.
Why?
For a change and to introduce a desired limitation. I feel that seeing as right now I am seeing things with a cinematographers eye, maybe I will slow down and compose on a deeper level, if I force that view.
I intend to shoot for maximum drama, maximum story telling intrigue and impact.
Of course the RAW files will be left intact, so it is simply an illusion of creative convenience, but one I will be using on capture, import and export.
The G9’s are probably my most liked cameras overall, but are not without their limitations, often relegating them to second camera/hybrid roles in my work kit.
I would not use one for sport if I have another (Olympus) option, especially without Pana glass, but they work well with wide angle lenses, human detect and the colour makes less than perfect light brighten and “pop”.
They are also great for video and they are feature packed if a bit menu fiddly.
Oly colours on a rare dry day on one of our early spring trips. The light this whole trip was hard, brassy and often dull thanks to cloud cover, Spring glare and city heaviness. What makes this one stand out is a lack of umbrellas.
In a lot of ways they are like EM1x’s-lite, but true hybrid cams.
Panasonic colours, tempered by mostly Olympus glass, a combination I really like**, will suit the early Autumn colours and it looks like humid and moody weather, so the weather sealing will be comforting*.
The little Pen at a pinch could be my only camera, so it is a decent backup, while it also serves as a good street cam worn cross body on a long strap (60” Gordy). Street shooting is not on my radar really any more, but street-adjacent urban landscapes are and people are a part of that, so the funny little red Mini will do it’s job discreetly, always at the ready, a known winner of a combination.
Nobody pays this camera any real attention.
Oly colours really sing in strong light, like the late afternoon city light seen here. The Pen Mini has proven itself in this light over and over.
Lenses will be the 12-60 Pana kit as my work horse in good light which is close to as sharp as the Leica version, weather sealed and light and the 9mm Pana/Leica. The rest are Olympus, the plastic fantastic 40-150 kit (a surprise packet), which weighs absolutely nothing, the tiny 17 and 45 primes, my absolute must take lenses for low light and Japan generally (the 17mm has taken probably half my favourite shots over the years).
So, 18-300mm (full frame equivalent), some fast, all versatile, the five in total weighing about the same as the G9 body alone.
All carried over in my love/hate Lower ProTactic 350 backpack (old model) and when there a little Crumpler shoulder bag (cannot remember the model, like a 5 million dollar home, but softer), which holds 1-2 cams and 2-3 lenses (the Mini and 17mm would likely be worn anyway). The PT350 is uncomfortable, always conspires to be too small and generally agravates, but it is semi-hard, so good to trust with gear in overheads, or just to put my feet on.
*Someone was horrified the other day when I spilt the remains of a coffee on my oldest G9 and 8-18 lens. Even more so when I used fresh water to wash it off and continued on un-phased.
**Mixing the brands makes a lot of sense. The organic and realistic Oly colours are lightened off with Pana lenses, while the sometimes overly light and bright looking Panas are bought slightly down to earth with Oly glass. Favourite combos are the EM1’s with the 15, the G9’s with the 75mm and 12-40 and the 12-60 Leica on the Pen F.