OM SYSTEM OM-3 Mirrorless Camera with 12-45mm f/4 Lens Kit

Let's get real...the ONLY reason you'd carry a camera around for travel is to take pictures or video you simply can't get with your phone camera, and phone cameras these days can do some things VERY well. But if you've ever seen photos of incredible places that just knocked your socks off and wondered why YOUR photos don't come close to having that kind of impact (even with your flagship iPhone or Android) it's because there are many things we see in life that simply cannot be captured with even the best phone camera available. To stay relevant, REAL cameras had to evolve and become specialized in doing the amazing things that you can't do with that tiny phone camera lens. The OM System (f.k.a. Olympus) OM-3 is a camera designed for exactly that ONE goal, and it is as perfect in this role as it's film-era predecessors were back in the 1970's and '80s. Back in those days, the Olympus OM 35mm cameras (and their lenses) were the smallest and lightest ever made. They quickly became the 'Gold Standard' for globe-trotting photo journalists at AP, UPI and just about every news organization ever -- and selling by the millions to regular people who wanted better pictures than their Kodak Instamatics, but would not carry 30 lbs of Nikon or Minolta cameras, lenses, etc. Today, thanks to the (Micro) Four-Thirds standard originally developed by Kodak and Olympus, the OM-3 and it's LENSES are dramatically smaller, lighter and less expensive than any other interchangeable lens system from ANY camera brand. And don't forget, the OM-3 (and it's lenses) are also waterproof. The photo attached shows the OM-3 with it's fast, tiny, lightweight 'portrait' lens, and an old OM-2 film camera with an equivalent lens, small in it's day but now huge in comparison. A travel camera needs to do two things -- it must be capable of taking all the shots your phone camera can NOT, and it needs to do that in the smallest possible package INCLUDING the lenses! If taking truly spectacular travel photos (and video) are your goal and you need to fit everything in a small bag, the OM-3, combined with the 'open standard' MFT lens system is absolutely the best choice you will ever make.