I'm going on vacation – and this is the $660 weather-sealed camera I'm packing in my bag

It's vacation season in the northern hemisphere and, like many photographers right now, I've been agonizing over what camera kit to pack in my bag.

Of course, I'm concerned about things getting lost and damaged in transit. So rather than picking one of the current best travel cameras, I've settled on a slightly older body that costs just $660 / £559 second-hand but gives me every bit of firepower I need – including weather sealing for the sand and sea.

Because this is one of the smallest and lightest cameras on the market, I can squeeze it into a tiny camera sling bag with four similarly compact lenses – one of which is also weather-sealed, for a completely protected system.

Watch this video to see exactly what's in my bag (and yes, I'm still rocking the iPhone 13 Mini due to its size – perfect for a small setup!):

My vacation camera kit

I'm building my vacation setup around the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – a fantastically travel-friendly Micro Four Thirds camera that packs weather sealing, 6.5 stops of in-body image stabilization, phase detect autofocus, 30fps burst shooting, 4K 30p video, in-camera focus stacking and Pro Capture.

(There's currently a great $300 saving on the OM System OM-5, which is similar but newer, if you've got a little bit more cash to spare.)

At its heart is a 20.4MP MFT sensor that hits the sweet spot for resolution on the road. When I'm traveling, stuck with patchy WiFi and 4G tethering, I don't want to wrestle with hulking 40MP or 60MP files when I want to upload something to social media.

So the 20MP range is perfect for updating my feed – and if I need more pixels for anything like an epic landscape, I can use the 80MP pixel shift High Res Shot mode.

When I'm on vacation, I know I'm going to shoot some specific things: portraits, reportage / street photography, landscapes and selfies. So I've packed my lenses accordingly.

For portraits, it's got to be the stellar Olympus M.Zuiko 75mm f/1.8. While the Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 is half the size, the 75mm is worth a little extra height and weight for the full-frame look and subject separation (thanks to its equivalent 150mm focal length).

When it comes to street and reportage, I'm taking the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 – an essential 35mm equivalent lens that's truly palm-sized and also boasts a manual focus clutch for quick zone focusing. (If you want a weather-sealed version, go for the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II – but bear in mind it loses the focus clutch.)

For landscapes and all-weather shooting, I've got the OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II – a standard trinity lens in a gloriously small package. It's the perfect partner for the E-M5 with its equivalent 24-80mm range, fast f/2.8 aperture, weather sealing and manual focus clutch.

However, a surprising lens that I'm also taking for landscapes, reportage and selfies is the Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8. With its ultra-wide 18mm equivalent angle of view, it's brilliant for all the above (provided you keep the horizon central!) – and better yet, it's well under 100 bucks and is literally the size of a body cap, so it takes up zero space.

I'm squeezing everything into a PeakDesign Everyday Sling 3L – suitably small for my compact kit, and it's also fully weather-sealed. I've also got the 5L (no longer made) and 6L Everyday Slings for my full frame cameras, but the 3L is perfect for a Micro Four Thirds or APS-C body with a few lenses, passport, phone and some cash.

Where to get it all

Because the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is a 2019 camera, you won't find it on sale new these days. However, it's currently available for around $660 at B&H and KEH in the US, and £559 at MPB or £575 at Wex in the UK:

USA:
🇺🇸 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – $660 at KEH
🇺🇸 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – $665 at B&H

UK:
🇬🇧 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – £559 at MPB
🇬🇧 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – £575 at Wex

If you want a brand-new body, the E-M5 has been superseded by both the OM System OM-5 and OM-5 Mark II. And the original OM-5 is a really fantastic price in the US right now – it's been slashed to just $899, making it $300 cheaper than the Mark II, even though the features are virtually the same:

OM System OM-5: was $1,199.99 now $899.99 at BHPhoto

SAVE $300 This camera replaces the E-M5 Mark III, pairing the same 20.4MP sensor with the new TruePic IX processor – which adds amazing new features like software-based ND filters, so you can leave your physical lens filters at home! It also offers up to 7.5 stops of stabilization, so it's a better camera – in fact, it's almost identical to the new OM-5 Mark II. At this price, for these features, you'd be crazy not to consider this if your budget allows.

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Another great idea for travel is to pack one of the best waterproof cameras – my pick is the OM System Tough TG-7 (review) but there are plenty of other options. Alternatively, check out the best compact cameras for portable power!