In an earlier post I told how I sold my Pentax K-7 DSLR and replaced it with a micro 4/3 camera … and now I have decided to expand my camera systems by getting another Pentax DSLR.  Before I tell you why, I think I had better first explain why I sold my K-7 in the first place.

A year ago I was having a lot of pain in my right knee, leg, and lower back and was only able to walk for short distances.  It got progressively worse and got to the point where I couldn’t carry my K-7 and often had to use a cane.  In fact it got to the point where I was wobbling and had trouble walking even a little.  After seeing various doctors and having an MRI of my back, etc.,  I learned that my second and third lumbar vertebrae were making bone on bone contact and crushing a nerve.  This resulted in my having a lumbar fusion … which was quite successful.  Immediately after the surgery all of my knee & leg pains and problems walking disappeared.  Then just as I was starting to think about getting back to adventure travel, I learned that I had prostate cancer.  This resulted in my having my prostate removed … and I’m happy to report that it appears that this was also quite successful and that the cancer was confined to the prostate.  Finally, I can now think about adventure travel again, even though I still have a torn meniscus and some arthritis in my right knee.

Over the years I have developed a photography philosophy that there is no such thing as the perfect camera, but I must admit that searching for it is still a lot of fun.  As a result, I have managed to acquire a number of cameras over the years and now have three basic systems.  I have a Canon S95 as my pocket camera to use when I don’t have one of the other cameras with me.  In addition, I have the micro 4/3 Olympus E-P1 & E-PL2 cameras with numerous lenses ( I used the E-P1 to take the above picture).  I use them when I don’t wish to carry a bigger camera, when I need a discreet, but capable system, and when I travel by airplane and need to travel light with only a carry-on bag.  For example I used micro 4/3 cameras in Tunisia and Ireland.  I also always take more than one camera with me when I travel and the above give me various options for a backup camera (I haven’t been on a trip yet where someone didn’t have a camera problem).  And now I have expanded my systems by adding a bigger DSLR.  I wanted a camera that was more rugged, more weather resistant, with longer zoom lenses that I could use for taking pictures of wildlife, that I could use for car trips, and that I could use while traveling in more adventurous areas like in the Amazon rain forest, etc.

I’ll be sharing some of my reasons for why I got this particular camera, how/when I will be using it, etc. in future postings after I have a chance to use it some … so stay tuned.