Travel gear

When choosing a camera system, one must pay attention to the lens line-up. It is not wise to select a camera if most of the focal lengths you need are not in the line up. Without a doubt the micro 4/3 system has the largest lens line-up among any digital mirrorless system. It offers over 40 different AF lenses from Olympus and Panasonic with a few Sigma additions (I am not even counting the manual focus lenses available for the m4/3 mount for this ranking). Recently olympus added some highly professional lenses with the 4/40-150mm and the 4/300mm. Other highly regarded lenses from their build and performance include the Panasonic 1.2/42.5mm or the Olympus Zuiko 1.8/75mm.

However lots of m4/3 users chose the system for its diminutive size and weight. The light traveler is also going to pay a close look at small lenses for the systems. Most of these very light lenses bring about a lighter build and smaller maximum apertures . But what you lose in DOF control and build does not necessarily means you have to compromise too much on performance. Early on Olympus and Panasonic proved that they could offer useful lenses being very small and light while providing very good to excellent performance and at a very reasonable cost. I voluntarily excluded ANY m4/3 lenses which retail at $400 or more. the Olympus 1.8/45mm and the Panasonic 1.7/20mm were among the first to establish this trend in the m4/3 system years ago but we got more little gems over the last few years.
I would like to add that I own ( and have tested) ALL the lenses included in this article.
The Sigma 2.8/60mm DN (here in black and here in silver) is both a useful focal length of 120mm (in 35mm equivalent) and a lens getting great reviews. It is currently priced at $209 and $239 for the black and silver versions respectively and includes both a pouch and the hood which is really amazing at that price-point.Therefore probably deserves to be on this list but since I never tried it, I decided not to include it for the time being.
Now,without further ado, here is MY TOP 5 selection for small and lightweight m4/3lenses which offer great value for the price : [Read more…]

Travel & street photographers are not reputed for their smart dressing habits. Truth be told, there are probably several reasons for that but one of the most obvious is the need for practicality and comfort when photographing in the streets. There is also a need for blending into the crowds and not being too conspicuous. There are several ways of attracting unwanted attention in such instances by carrying too much equipment or looking too much like a pro photographer. I,for one never understood the fascination for photo vests which are often ugly,impractical (try walking fast with all of those pockets filled of heavy and/or heavy bulky items of equipment). But I guess for those photographers who are already carrying one (or more) heavy dslrs around their neck or on their shoulder it may not matter that much.

Using small cameras like I do and recommend on this site does not eliminate the need for many pockets. You might use the pockets to store the camera when not in use and you want to have immediate access to vital accessories like digital cards, extra batteries, lens hoods (or a place to store the hoods & rear caps) not to mention things you may want to have on you outside camera equipment ( cell phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses…)
Most light jackets that you can find in outdoor stores for instance do not feature enough pockets (especially inside pockets) for the traveling photographers. After extensive research I found one that really ticks all right boxes being comfortable, practical, light and easy to store in your photo bag when not in use. Yet, this jacket is way more discrete and elegant than your photo jacket so that you can wear it in more formal environments when not shooting.
The jacket is made by Ex-officio a reputable maker of outdoor clothing and is called the Rain logic jacket.

Inside pockets on the left side

This jacket features 4 zippered pockets on the outside and four more inside the jacket ( 3 zippered ones and one with a velcro-snap).The jacket has a built in cap which can be rolled inwards when not in use and can easily be worn over a cap or a very small helmet. Fortunately, this jacket also comes in XXL size, which is not always the case for this kind of outdoor clothing. This jacket did actually got a editor’s choice award by Fish Alaska magazine which is a good testimony of its high reliability in the elements. I have used the jacket extensively over the last 2 months (most notably during his very rainy north Scotland summer on skye) and I am very impressed with how it performs. The jacket is light (around 16oz), can stand heavy rains and does not exhibit the typical low breathability of many jackets on the market thanks to its highly breathable material and the two-way zip pits under the arms.The jacket can be rolled up into its own hood to be easily carried in a small bag.

The rain logic jacket is I believe a great choice (and at the currently discounted price a bargain not to be missed) for both photographers and smart travelers who want to travel light while still getting a great and light jacket for windy and rainy situations.

The jacket comes only in three colors. I normally do not get black clothing but I got the black which in real life looks more like a very very dark bluish gray. The moss color is under $90 here the black is currently around $125 here.
As always if you are interested in this product buying this product through the link will help support this site at NO extra cost to you.

My Top 5 “best bang for your buck” micro 4/3 lenses

A great light rain jacket for the traveling photographer (Bargain ahead !)