Well, after much deliberation, I've decided to stick with
for the foreseeable future - and not only that: I'll keep both the E-M5 III and the GX9; they complement each other and allow me to put together a supremely compact two-body system - much more so than even the very elegant Z 6/Z 50 tag team (let alone the Z 6/D750 combo). There's just a tiny caveat to this: Should Nikon (or maybe Fujifilm) come out with a small (Z 50- or X-S10-sized), weather-sealed, stabilised body, I might come back on this decision. But given the direction things are taking, this is highly unlikely; the Z 50 has its place in my Z system anyway, but for different reasons (reach being the main one to date - but also portability), and the X-S10, alluring though it is, doesn't add enough over the E-M5 III or the Z 50 to warrant a full shift anyway. Truth be told, it's the E-M5 III that's actually the most suitable camera for my "small camera" needs - but to keep it small, quite a few lenses don't fit the picture.
I'll still sell off quite a lot of the
lenses I own (or trade them - whichever opportunity arises first). However, since the smoke is clearing somewhat, I'm seriously considering adding one specific lens: the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II. Not only is it small, light, sealed and optically very good, it would also allow me to do any reportage with it on the GX9 (gripped, Dual I.S.) and the 12-40mm f/2.8 on the E-M5 III (probably gripped - depends on the case). The full weight of that system would still be less than any other combination I have access to - in fact, the D750 with the 70-200mm f/4G is as heavy as the two-camera setup, or close. Which, in turn, might mean the 70-200mm f/4G could become redundant after all - but that remains to be seen because even though the lens has its peculiarities, it's a strong performer, and very reliable. That said, it doesn't see a lot of use due to its size (the weight is okay), and frankly, the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E is so good it further deminishes my desire to reach for the 70-200mm - and that lens *is* smaller and lighter.
I'm not quite sure yet whether to go for the Panasonic lens, but the strategy I've sketched out here does have a lot going for it.
Oh, and for the record: I like the X-E3 enough to keep it as well. If at any point in time Panasonic decide to upgrade the GX9 with a better EVF and sealing, the X-E3 may lose its niche. For now, it's the best choice to serve as companion camera to the M bodies, just as initially intended, and I've made sure the whole setup stays portable as well (not as portable as
, but still ...). I have no desire to upgrade it (see above, though). But I'm keeping a foot in the door, so to speak. Not indefinitely, but certainly for the time being.
M.