Choosing the Right OM System Kit for Every Photography Trip

One of the questions I hear most often from OM System photographers is, “What gear do you take on your trips?”

The answer isn’t a simple packing list.

Over the past few years, I’ve photographed African safaris, South American wetlands, European cities, U.S. national parks, coastal landscapes, and dark sky destinations. Every trip presented different photographic opportunities—and different challenges. Some involved hiking miles with my camera gear. Others were spent photographing wildlife from a safari vehicle or boat. Some destinations were extremely dusty, while others included night photography or long international flights with strict airline baggage limits.

I’ve learned there isn’t a single OM System travel kit.

Instead, I start with a core group of lenses and cameras then customize the rest of my gear based on three simple questions:

• What am I most likely to photograph?
• How will I be photographing it—hiking, working from a vehicle or boat, or staying close to accessible locations?
• What travel limitations will I face getting there?

That decision process has simplified my packing, reduced the amount of gear I carry, and ultimately helped me enjoy my trips more. Here’s how I approach choosing the right OM System kit for different types of photography adventures.

My Core OM System Travel Kit

No matter where I’m traveling, most of my packing decisions begin with the same foundation.

• OM System OM-1 Mark II
• OM System OM-1 as a back up
• Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO
• Olymps M.Zuiko 8-25mm f/4 PRO

Using a similar camera as my backup lets me keep the same settings on both bodies and share batteries between them. It also makes switching cameras easier because the controls and menus are familiar.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know how much I appreciate the Olympus 12-100mm f/4. It has become my default travel lens because it solves more photographic problems than any other lens I own. Whether I’m photographing landscapes, waterfalls, city streets, wildlife habitats, or travel scenes, it rarely disappoints. The focal length range is incredibly practical, and the combination of lens stabilization with Sync IS lets me leave the tripod behind more often than I ever expected.

Interested in the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 PRO?

You can check the latest price on Amazon or browse KEH for inspected used copies that are often an excellent value.

The Olympus 8-25mm f/4 is a different story.

If someone watched me photograph for an entire trip, they might wonder why I packed it. It often stays in my bag for days at a time. Then I’ll walk around a corner, stand at the edge of a canyon, enter a cathedral, or find an interesting foreground composition where the 12-100mm simply isn’t wide enough.

Those few images keep me carrying it every time.  

Everything else depends on the destination.

Wildlife and Safari Photography

Wildlife trips require the biggest shift in my packing strategy.

For destinations like Kenya or Brazil’s Pantanal, photographing wildlife isn’t simply one of several opportunities—it’s the primary reason for the trip. Reach becomes far more important than minimizing weight.

That’s when the OM System 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO becomes the centerpiece of my kit.

My second camera body is usually paired with the Olympus 40-150mm f/4. Together, the two lenses cover a wide range of wildlife situations without requiring me to change lenses in the field.

That flexibility becomes especially valuable when photographing from a safari vehicle or boat. Animals don’t always stay far away. Some of my favorite encounters happened when elephants, giraffes, caiman, or birds moved much closer than expected. A lens that was ideal a moment earlier can suddenly become too long, especially with large animals.

Instead of changing lenses while the action unfolds, I can quickly switch to the second camera.

The 40-150mm f/4 is lightweight, extremely sharp, and covers the shorter focal lengths that complement the 150-400mm. That combination has become one of the most useful lessons I’ve learned from wildlife travel photography.

See how the lightweight Olympus 40-150mm f/4 PRO performs for wildlife, landscapes, and other nature photography.

For Kenya and Brazil, I used the Think Tank Airport Advantage rolling camera bag as my carry-on and a small backpack as my personal item. That combination helped me meet stricter luggage restrictions while protecting the larger lenses during the flights. 

Landscape Photography Trips

Landscape-focused trips call for a different packing strategy.

When photographing destinations like Monument Valley, the Scottish Highlands, Croatia, or the Oregon Coast, I spend much more time walking with my gear. That makes a smaller, lighter kit more practical.

The Olympus 12-100mm f/4 becomes my primary lens and often stays mounted for most of the trip. Its focal length range works well for wide landscapes, waterfalls, and tighter compositions without frequent lens changes.

The Olympus 40-150mm f/4 is also useful for isolating details and creating more compressed landscape compositions. It gives me additional reach while remaining light enough to carry on longer walks.

At Monument Valley, dust made lens changes even less appealing. I left the 12-100mm mounted most of the time rather than repeatedly exposing the camera sensor in windy conditions.

I still carry the Olympus 8-25mm f/4 for the occasional scene where 12mm isn’t wide enough, but it may only come out of the bag a few times during the trip.

For these trips, I usually transport my equipment in either the Think Tank Airport Advantage or Pelican 1535 Air Case and use the Bagsmart camera backpack in the field. This lets me carry only the equipment I need for that day’s photography rather than the entire travel kit.

Mixed Adventure Trips

Some photography trips offer too many different opportunities to fit into a single category. My Southern California trip combined bird photography at La Jolla with landscapes and infrared photography at Joshua Tree. My London and Scotland trip included street photography, cityscapes, landscapes, and opportunities to photograph new bird species.

One of the biggest decisions is usually whether to bring the 150-400mm or choose a lighter telephoto option for mixed trips involving birds and wildlife. On trips involving longer hikes or luggage restrictions, I may substitute the Olympus 300mm f/4 or the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 with the 2x teleconverter. Neither completely replaces the versatility of the 150-400mm, but both reduce the size and weight of the kit.

City and street photography require another adjustment. When walking around places like London or Zagreb, I leave most of the gear behind and carry a smaller kit in a messenger bag. This gives me quick access to the camera without carrying a full backpack throughout the city.

Specialty gear also needs to match the destination. I’ve brought my infrared-converted Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III to places like the California redwoods and Joshua Tree because those landscapes work especially well in infrared. It isn’t a camera I bring on every trip, but when the destination is right, it’s worth making room for it.

Night Photography Opportunities

Night photography can range from an occasional opportunity to a major part of the trip itinerary.

When there is just a chance I’ll photograph the night sky, I pack the small Laowa 7.5mm f/2. It takes up very little room and gives me a fast ultra-wide option without significantly changing the rest of my kit.

When night photography is a major part of the itinerary, I bring the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO along with the tripod and other equipment needed for the planned subjects. For my Moonlight on the Prairie trip, that also included the Dwarf Mini Smart Telescope and the 40-150mm f/2.8 with the 2x teleconverter for the lunar eclipse.

The key is deciding whether night photography is simply a possibility or an important part of the trip. That determines whether I add one small lens or pack a more specialized setup.

Travel Matters as Much as Photography

Packing isn’t only about the destination. The flights involved can influence my gear and bag choices just as much.

Large aircraft usually aren’t a concern, but regional jets often have limited overhead space and a greater possibility of gate-checking. Domestic flights in other countries may also have stricter carry-on size and weight limits, even when the aircraft itself is relatively large.

For smaller aircraft or short connections, I sometimes use the Pelican 1535 Air Case for additional protection in case it has to be gate-checked. However, it doesn’t have a laptop sleeve, and the 150-400mm won’t fit inside it.

That’s why I own several camera bags. The best choice is the one that fits the equipment while meeting the restrictions and transportation challenges of the trip.

What Years of Travel Have Taught Me

Looking back over these trips, a few lessons continue to shape how I pack.

Start with a consistent core kit. Packing becomes easier when I begin with the cameras and lenses that cover most of my photography, then add only what the destination requires.

Every piece of gear should have a purpose. A lens, camera, or accessory should match a specific photographic opportunity or travel need.

Think about how you’ll photograph, not just what you’ll photograph. Wildlife from a safari vehicle requires different gear than wildlife encountered while hiking. Landscape photography from an overlook requires different decisions than carrying gear several miles.

Weight still matters. A lens that seems easy to add at home may feel much less necessary after a long day in the field.

Two camera bodies provide more than backup. Keeping complementary lenses mounted lets me react faster and reduces lens changes in dusty or wet conditions.

The bag is part of the kit. It needs to protect the equipment during travel while remaining practical for the aircraft, vehicle, and amount of walking involved.

There is no perfect travel kit. Every trip involves tradeoffs. My goal is to carry a practical kit that gives me the best chance of making the photographs I planned for.

Final Thoughts

The size, weight, and broad lens selection of the OM System give me the flexibility to build a kit around each trip. I can pack for maximum reach on a wildlife trip, choose a lighter setup for hiking, or add specialty gear when the destination calls for it.

Before every trip, I consider what I expect to photograph, how I’ll be photographing it, and the travel limitations involved. That process helps me choose a practical kit without carrying more than I need.

Want to Learn More About OM System Gear?

• Why the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 Lens Rarely Leaves My Camera
• Nature Photography with the OM System 40-150mm f/4 PRO Lens: Field Test Results
• Exploring the OM System 150-400mm f/4.5: A Hands-On Field Experience