Jade Warrior Loc: Sydney, Australia

I am looking to buy a new camera to take traveling this coming October/November. (Shanghai and New York mainly - plus an East Coast bus trip up to Canada.)
I have had the Olympus E-PL5 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with M. Zuiko 14-42mm II and 40-150mm Lenses - recommended to me by a local camera store and would like to know if anyone on this forum would also recommend it as a suitable travel camera?
Have attached three Pictures done earlier this year with my Sony P&P for your amusement.

Just north of Sydney - on the Banks of Piles Creek which flows into the Hawkesbury River


The Blue Mountains (NSW) Australia


Very popular Spot in the Blue Mountains - Echo Point Katoomba

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I think the two lenses you have chosen should be great all around lenses for your trip. They should do well but not be too heavy to pack around. Have a great time.

Photog8 Loc: Morriston, FL

I would prefer not to have to carry extra lenses during travel. The Nikon p520 and Canon SX50 have had very respectable showings here. Their long zooms really do the job and are lightweight. IMHO. Sounds like a great trip coming up...have fun. Your shots are great, BTW.

Jade Warrior Loc: Sydney, Australia

Thanks for the advice and the compliment Photog8. Thanks too Dennis 2146, this is stuff I really want to know. I was thinking of investing in an SLR but I might hold off until next year!
It's late here in Sydney so I'll check back in the morning (Sydney Time!)

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

I got my Olympus E-PL5 two weeks ago with the 14-42mm II lens and I couldn't be happier. I also have a Sony Alpha 55 dSLR. I'd put the E-PL5 up against the any 16MP or even 20MP dSLR without hesitation. The only thing it doesn't have is bulk to make it look "professional."

Just this week I started using it with an Olympus wide angle adapter (to take the lens down to 11mm) for my real estate work, doing 7-frame 2EV interval bracketing to create "Fusion/HDR" photos of home interiors. It's the only camera on the market under $1500 that can do that without spending $2000+.

Olympus optics are excellent. The 4/3 sensor is excellent. You already have two lenses covering 14-150mm which is equivalent to 28-300mm in full-frame speak. Read all the text of the website of the 4/3 consortium. It explains how the Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 cameras achieve crop-sensor image quality with a slightly smaller sensor. If you don't have a need for 20MP, 24MP, or more, I think you're set with one of the best "travel" cameras around. The other option are the various bridge models with affixed monster super zoom lenses but their sensors are much smaller.

I'd recommend that you keep what you already have and just add a micro-4/3 M.Zuiko 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II ($499 from Olympus but you may be able to find a used or refurbished one much cheaper).

That's my 2 cents worth!

E-PL5 Fusion with no flash


E-PL5 Outdoors with little Olympus flash for fill

Photosmoke

I think you were doing quite well with your Sony

LDB415 Loc: Houston south suburb

Which specific Sony do you have? What specific things does it not do that you want to do and/or what does it not do as well as you would like it to do? Do you want to be changing lenses or have a single lens solution? How much added weight is acceptable?

Your current photos look great to me but that's viewing on a 13" computer screen at roughly 3x5 image size. I'm not expert enough to give you advice but have read enough to suspect that more info will get you better feedback and that the above questions may help narrow down the suspect list for you.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

Yes Canon sx50 travel camera has had great reports.

Jade Warrior Loc: Sydney, Australia

In response to marcomarks (I see what you mean - nice clear pictures By the way!) Photosmoke LD13414 and Doddy, Thank for the kind words and advice, I am taking everything on board.
I joined this forum because I want to become a better photographer.
I would love to be able to take at least one picture that I can hang on the wall.
This is my third Sony P&S and it is a very cheap DSC-W510. It is time to move up to something a bit better.
I'm working today so will check back later. Again, Thanks!