walk around with three bodies?

My normal gear setup when I go out shooting wildlife is

1. EM1 w/ grip + ZD 150mm f2.0
2. EM1 + 300mm f4.0
3. EM5 + Bower 7.5mm fisheye
4. ZD 14-55mm

All of that along with the other stuff like tripod/skimmer pod, first aid kit, ground cloth, camo cloth for makeshift hide, 3 liter water bladder etc., can get to weigh a bit on the heavy side, especially when covering 7-10 miles on foot. It's easy when I take the kayak but on foot it can be a bit much, but I couldn't take 3 bodies and equivalent focal lengths in lenses if I still shot full frame.

 

Oh.........that i have no idea about and lens choice is personal...........you also asked if anyone else went around with three bodies and that is what I was replying to.

 

12-100 is Stellar.

 

Depends what you're shooting. For me, the 12-100, Panasonic 7-14, Samyang FE and a fast prime (usually the 17) is a perfect landscape kit along with the E-M1ii. I rarely carry two cameras at once since I don't want the weight.

 

3 bodies is probably going to be annoying.

When I shoot with 2, it is usually

Zooms
Body 1: P12-32/3.5-5.6 or P12-35/2.8 (this is the wide to medium area)
Body 2: O75-300/4.8-6.7 or P35-100/2.8

Primes
Body 1: O17/1.8
Body 2: Sigma 60/2.8
I might bring along a fast 25mm, but that is not on another body, but in the bag. I have also been known to bring along a longer adapted lens like a Nikon 105, 135, 200 - but that is also just in the bag, no third body.

 

You’re talking about for family outings? Times when photography is not your main reason for being there? Recording memories of your family? If that is the case I like to go much lighter most of the time. I usually put the P14-140 on the camera and carry a fast prime for low light indoor photographs. I feel like that gives me lots of flexibility. Unless I know there will be a reason I want more primes (like it’s a night event), then I take three or four primes. But I don’t even take two cameras. While I enjoy documenting the family outing, I want to travel light and be a part of the festivities as well.

Now, if you’re talking outings where photography is the main reason you are there...then I might do something different, such as take a bigger bag to fit more lenses.

 

From your post it seems you like to spend a lot of money on really top quality gear.
With that in mind I suggest you buy an E-M10MkII (not MkIII) and the Panasonic Lumix collapsible 12-32mm lens.
(Pen-F would be fine too.)
Also : you appear not to own the Olympus 45mm, buy one now.

 

I agree with what some others said. For a family outing where photography is secondary, the most I would take is one body (you choose) with two lenses, the 12-40 and the 75 or 7-14 (if you think you're going to get wide shots). You could take two bodies with two lenses of your choice, and leave it at that especially if changing lenses would be a pain. Go lighter and go easy.

Walk around with three bodies? No way. You're negating the light and compact M43 advantage by taking too much stuff.  

The 12-100 would be nice as a single walkaround lens, with only an additional fast prime for low light or shallow DOF portraits.

For a recent photographic outing where we went to shoot some whales and flowers, I used an EM1.2 w/ZD 50-200 SWD+EC-14, a PL5 w/12-32, and the 60 macro. I used all of those and didn't feel like I needed anything else. Plus a compact binoculars which I didn't use. All fit in an F-Stop Brooklyn Sling bag.

 

I shrunk it down to 2 cameras and 2 pro zooms. It works for me. 3 would also work for me if I only carried no additional lenses. Do you have a bag to fit 3 cameras?

 

I sometimes carry my G6 + P45-150 and GM5 + P12-32, with the difference in size and weight of the bodies I find that working well, G6 across my body and the GM5 i leg pocket.
Adding another body + lens in a sling on the other side would probably work, but then the weight goes up.
Carrying 3 bodies of the larger kind seems like it would be uncomfortable and heavy.

 

3 bodies, and all different cameras, would be super annoying to me  
Different menus, different buttons, different settings... nah, i'd rather have 1 body and change lenses.

 

The major drawback to the 12-100 (besides price) is the size and weight -
it is large and heavy.
Size-wise, it would match the E-M1.II quite well, but it would be a hefty combo.

For a one-lens solution during the day, you can't beat the Oly 14-150.II (WP) or the Panny version (not WP).
It gets knocked by pixel peepers and sharpness obsessives, but I get gorgeous photos with it -
and I own most of the top-end lenses to compare it with.
Yes, I can see the 75 is sharper - but it doesn't take better photographs.

My obsession is with composition and framing and the 14-150 is a perfect tool.
And it is so easy to carry a couple of small and light primes,
either on a separate smaller body or individually for situations where you need more light.

I have carried three cameras with various lenses when I was doing night street shooting,
but it was a pain in the ass and I kept knocking the cameras against each other - not good.
I limit it to two now, with either the 12-35 2.8 on one and the 35-100 2.8 on the other
or in darker situations, two fast primes, one wide (12, 14, 17, 20) and one longer (42.5 or 75).

I'm a GAS junky (17 cameras and counting, many, many lenses) -
love to buy new toys to play with, hate the bother of selling for one thing,
but also hold on to old tech because it is so cool
(the GX7 and the E-P5 for two examples - really neat cameras).

I have cast a desiring eye on the 12-100 at times because of the convenience factor,
but then realize I often choose not to go out with my 40-150 2.8 because of the size and weight,
despite the sterling IQ it gives.

Your mileage may vary . . .  

 

I have carried 3 bodies and it's not too big of a deal. It weighs more than just carrying the lenses, but I also don't have the change hassles. This was 2 E-M10's with O 25 1.8 and O 9-18, and an E-M1 II with the 40-150 2.8. Photo was taken with 4th camera, iPhone 6.


IMG_4490 by Harvey Richards, on Flickr

 

3 just sounds excessive... are you going to spend time with your family or take pictures?

I grab 1 camera (em1 or epm2) and one lens and go have fun. The restriction forces me to be more creative, and keeps me interacting with my wife and daughter.

On the rare occasion, say a birthday or Christmas, I'll bring both cameras with the 40-150/2.8 on the em1 and a wide (usually 15/1.7) on the epm2.

If on vacation I'll bring more lenses, but will still often leave some gear at the condo/hotel.

 

if this is real GAS, the real answer is both. 12-100 on pen-f.

Seriously: I find the 3 bodies solution completely mad, for family pics just grab one lens and go have some fun. Lenses I use in this scenario:
- 14-150 if I want tele
- 14-42EZ for compactness
- 12-40f2.8
- primes ( 20mm or 25mm f1.7) if I will be shooting indoor

I can definitely see 12-100 replacing one (or two) of this options.

 

On my cross-country trip I brought a bag with 3 "bodies" (all very small, E-PL7, E-PM2 and an Air) with the O17 1.8 (Air), O75-400 (E-PL7) and P12-32 and P42.5 1.7 (E-PM2) - but taking all 3 out when walking was a bit much for me. It was usually just one - with potentially the Air as 2nd body at night.

Usually when I go out, 1 camera and maybe the Air with something on a belt strap as a backup / 2nd body/lens option. But, if you enjoy 3 bodies more than changing lens - that's good too...

 

Ok, the 12-100 f4 weighs less than the 2 Panasonic 2.8 zooms, so I would disagree, that it is “Too Heavy”. Plus you don’t need to worry about changing lenses, which may make you miss the shot of a life time. I think the 12-100 is an amazing invention.

 

Now we know how you get so damn many photographs of everything under the sun! . . .