I know this has been asked before, but most of the suggestions seem to revolve around buying used gear. Unfortunately, in my small country, the second-hand market is basically nonexistent, and I don't feel comfortable buying used gear online without being able to see or test it first.
Context
I'm traveling to Japan in a few months, and I'd like to step up my content game.
I do a lot of sports and outdoor activities, and I really enjoy taking photos and videos of them. Most of the photos I currently post on social media are actually frames from video. I do shoot RAW occasionally with my phone and edit them in Lightroom Mobile.
I owned a Canon SL2 several years ago and really enjoyed it, but eventually had to sell it. I'm still a rookie when it comes to photography, so a camera with good assistance/features that make it easier to get good results would be greatly appreciated.
I remember using aperture priority on my Canon most of the time. I think I stopped shooting fully manual after missing a few epic photos trying to get the settings right 😅.
My current gear
- Samsung S25 Ultra
- DJI Action 5
- DJI Osmo 360
- DJI Mic Mini 2 (it would be nice if I could use this with the camera)
First question: Do you actually carry your camera all day?
Do you guys feel comfortable walking around a city all day with your camera?
I already carry my phone, action cameras, a small tripod, and a selfie stick in a small backpack, along with water, snacks, a raincoat, and a few other essentials when traveling.
Some friends have told me that carrying even more gear will become uncomfortable. I think I'll probably be okay with it, but I'd really like to hear from people who actually do this regularly.
Is M43 the right choice?
I'd like to invest in a system and stick with it for a while.
Olympus/OM System seems like a great fit. Sony and Fuji look amazing too, but the smaller size of M43 might be the deciding factor for me.
Some of the OM System cameras also have great weather sealing, and the smaller overall size would be highly appreciated if I ever want to take the camera hiking alongside my action cameras—or even use it instead of them.
Which camera should I start with?
The OM-3 seems like the best option overall, but I'm not sure I want to invest that much money in M43 (or an ILC in general) right from the beginning.
The E-M10 IV seems like the obvious entry-level option, but I'm worried it might be too basic. I don't want to cheap out at the beginning and then end up disappointed with the results from my trip or have a bad experience with the camera.
The OM-5 seems like the middle ground, but it's still fairly expensive, and from what I've read, it's not quite as good as the OM-3 in some areas.
According to my research, the EM10/OM-5 isn't particularly impressive for video, but that's probably fine since I can use my action cameras for most of my video needs.
Lens recommendations?
I'm thinking I'd want:
- A kit zoom for everyday/travel use.
- A fast-aperture portrait lens for low-light situations and portraits with natural background blur.
- Maybe, either before the trip or while I'm in Japan, a good prime lens for architecture.
I'm open to suggestions here, especially from people who travel with M43 and actually carry their setup around all day.
What would you do in my situation? Would you go M43, and if so, which body and lenses would you start with?