Kit #9: Pocket Size

Total cost: £883

Camera: Panasonic Lumix GX880 (£349)

Camera makers have been known to use the phrase ‘pocket-sized’ a bit liberally, but the Panasonic Lumix GX880 really is just that. This mirrorless model is tiny, weighing just 270g. You have to be comfortable without a viewfinder, but otherwise, there are surprisingly few major trade-offs.

Given its small size, the GX880 is especially handy for street photography. The snappy autofocus system includes both Face and Eye detection, allowing you to lock onto people quickly and efficiently. Then there are also the 4K Photo modes, which allow you to extract stills from 4K footage, and do clever next-gen things like set the focus point of an image after you capture it (the ‘Post Focus’ mode).

We’ve picked a trio of tiny lenses to accompany this camera – and one of them is already bundled into its more-than-reasonable asking price. With zooms and primes to suit every situation and options for when the light gets low, this is a comprehensive travel photography system.

Lens: Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS (bundled with camera)

You’ll likely get this capable standard zoom lens as part of your Lumix GX880 kit if you buy new. Covering an equivalent focal range of 24-64mm, it delivers solid sharpness throughout the range, and having optical image stabilisation (OIS) on board is a fantastic plus point. There’s no focus ring, but let’s be fair, there wasn’t really room for one.

Lens: Lumix G 35-100mm F4-5.6 OIS (£265)

Panasonic has an impressive line in budget lenses, and this sub-£300 short tele zoom is one of its best. It packs down well when you’re not using it and the equivalent focal length of 70-200mm is an all-purpose workhorse range beloved by pro photographers.

Lens: Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II (£269)

Finally, we have a wide prime that lets in just a little extra light, with a maximum aperture of f/1.7. It’s a pancake prime that Panasonic has kept in rotation for a fair few years now, and why wouldn’t they? A good 40mm equivalent never goes out of fashion. The seven-blade aperture also gives great bokeh, allowing you to make the most of that aperture.