Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

Good to know. I agree with you on neck straps. Mine has saved me many times. Thanks again.

Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

We're definitely talking digital.

Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

Thanks. Another possibility!

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

The only issue with the OMD series will be finding one in your price. You might find an original em5 (used) in the $300 range, but then you'll have another challenge of a weather sealed lens. The 12-50 is so-so and that leaves the 14-150, 12-40, or 12-35 which even used will put you over budget. Now if you don't want a weather sealed lens, you'll be within budget with a used 14-42, 12-32, 40-150, 20, 17, or 45.

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

Hi Jeff. I encountered your exact position in January. My granddaughter had just completed her first semester in college and was signing up for her second semester. She plans on majoring in journalism. For one of her classes, the instructor wanted them to have either a camera or tablet. Not a cell phone. The purpose was taking photos of people they interviewed or vegetables or fruit in a super market if they are doing a related story, etc.
I took her my Nikon P7100 and she loves it. Not quite pocket size but almost. Will fit in cargo shorts for instance. Has viewfinder and screen. 7X zoom. (200mm equivalent.) Can shoot aperture, manual, or shutter priority. Scene mode has close up feature that is excellent. Plus or minus 3 adjustment. Built in neutral density filter. Not in production anymore, but I saw one used at KEH a
couple of days ago rated excellent + for $182. Dakota loves hers. Just a thought. patrick
PS. There is an excellent book by David Busch also available that will explain everything about this camera.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I actually consider both you and I either lucky or that we happen to have the cameras that have held up better than a few. I have had my camera out in Great Sand Dunes National Park in a wind storm that took the hair off my legs and sanded my skin raw (used my cheap polarizer to protect my front lense element). You should have seem the sand I needed to empty from my pockets. I have had to wash the salt spray (or coating) off my camera under the slow running water of my hotel room's sink. I spent over an hour in the pouring rain in Mykonos with absolutely no protection for the camera. I have fallen on my camera in Crete such that it required extreme force with improvised tools to get the filter off. I have abused my camera and it is still in perfect working shape (the lense hood has a lot of scrapes).

Unfortunately, some of my friends under the same circumstances have had their amateur or pro sealed cameras fail even while trying to protect the cameras from the very same elements. This is why cameras like the TG-4 exist. I would "fear" the elements even less if I was using such a camera.

Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

Thanks for your insights, Clint.

Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

Thanks Patrick. I'll check it out.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Now don't get me wrong...I love my OMD...and they have them refurbished right now for $719...but that's really going to stretch your budget once you add a lens.
http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/outlet/reconditioned-cameras.html

Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

Perhaps you are indeed lucky, or perhaps live right. I can't otherwise imagine how your camera survived those conditions. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Jeff Smith 1 Loc: Pocono Mountains, PA

Yes, a bit out of the range, but thanks for the thoughts anyway.