I've got a trip to DC coming up next month, really excited!

I'm planning on spending a full day at the National Mall area, then heading from there to a Nationals game. I want to get some great pictures of the sights and my friends, but I certainly don't want to haul around my Nikon dslr all day.

I'm looking for a recommendation for an inexpensive m4/3's (used ok), and a good, small zoom and/or 1-2 prime lenses. I want the whole deal to be "pocketable."

Thanks!

I'll add what I'll likely be taking pics of:

Outdoors of the monuments (hopefully in full sunlight!)
Indoors at the museums
Indoors shots of people at my friend's house
Night-time shots at the baseball game of the field and people sitting around me.

E-PM1 will be one of the smallest bodies you can get. If you're shooting for a budget, I'd say stick with the kit lens (14-42mm). It won't fit in a pant's pocket, but it'll be a pretty small and light kit.

For low light, and on a budget, I'd say either the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5, or the Olympus 17mm f/2.8. Both are small lenses, and might give you that "pocketable" camera. Also, you can have either of those lenses for ~$150 used.

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E-M5 -- E-PL1 -- PL-25 -- m.12-50 -- m.17 -- m.45 f/1.8 -- m.14-42 (non-MSC) -- m.40-150

Thanks silver!

I'd like to just have one of the pancake lenses, but I worry it may be limiting without some zoom. That may be my best option though....because I want it to be small enough to fit in a pocket so I don't have to worry with keeping up with a bag all day, or having it around my neck, etc.

I'm thinking maybe the EPL1 since it's so inexpensive.

For price, it's going to be tough to beat the E-PL1. You can pair it with a Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 lens for around $300. You'll have a small camera, but it's really more "jacket-pocket pocketable", and I doubt you're going to be wanting to wear a jacket in the summer in D.C. Even the E-PM1 with a pancake lens is not going to be something I would want to try to shove into a pants pocket.

You'll also be limited in what you can do with only the wide-angle prime lens. If you expect to capture anything on the field at the baseball game you'll need to have some something like the Olympus 40-150 or Panasonic 45-200 neither of which will be pocketable in any real sense.

In short, as much as it pains me to steer you away from (which I feel occupies a true "sweet spot" of size and performance), if you really can't be burdened with a bag or even a neck strap and want to shoot such a wide range of situations, you'll probably be happier with a point-and-shoot "compact travel zoom" (something like the Panasonic ZS20 or the Canon SX260. You'll sacrifice image quality and low-light performance with the P&S, but they're really the only option if you expect to have a long zoom in a pocketable form factor.

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"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." ~ Orson Welles
Sarcasm is my default tone, so please consider that before taking offense to the preceding message. Criticism (no matter how harsh) is welcomed of ANY and ALL images I post.

Thanks for the insight!

I don't necessarily mind having it out, holding it while walking around at the monuments, etc., but I would like to be able to put it in my pocket while on the train, and going into and out of the ballpark, etc.

If I had an epl1 or epl2 + the 14-42 kit lens, and took the lens off, would they fit seperately into pants pockets? There's an Olympus 14-42 for sale on C-list locally for $100.

EPM1 + 9-18, and carry it in your hand with a wrist strap.

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EM5; 9-18, PL25, 100-300 and some others.
(also, 6D + RX100)

I'd recommend testing the camera and lens in your pockets before buying. Friction can roll a body cap off. Lenses don't come off as easily.

Bill, that sounds like a great combo. Just got the 9-18; will try pairing it up with E-PM1. Thanks!

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Chuck

The Olympus 14-42 is collapsible and folds down to be only a little thicker than one of the primes, so it would be a good candidate for your use. $100 isn't an incredible deal on that lens, so I wouldn't let that "bargain" skew my decision. While it might fit your needs at the monuments and museums, I think you'll find that the zoom is a little short for trying to capture much on the field action at the ballgame (unless you happen to have very good seats).

As for removing the lens from the camera for transport, that seems to me like much more hassle than it's worth. I think if I was committed to a system and needed to "pocket" it, I'd probably opt to wear something with very large pockets (e.g. cargo shorts or pants) that could accommodate the camera and a pancake lens together. The idea of disassembling and reassembling my kit several times a day just doesn't sound appealing to me. Not to mention that you tempt the possibility of introducing dust/dirt to the interior of the camera and the sensor each time.

__________________
"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." ~ Orson Welles
Sarcasm is my default tone, so please consider that before taking offense to the preceding message. Criticism (no matter how harsh) is welcomed of ANY and ALL images I post.