@@alistairlambert3275 I hope David's family check this account from time to time, and see that people who loved his work still comment here. December 2023!
1st Jan 2023, and going back to watch David Thorpe's wonderful videos. Very much missed, but so glad we have the channel here still as a great treasure trove.
I heard this review many years ago like all of David's videos. I couldn't afford it back then but I recently bought a used G9 and I'm here now listening to this video.
Dan Oh still deciding. Haven't figured out if I want to stick with micro four thirds or switch to the Fuji line. The X-T2 and the X-H1 have been really tempting me.
David Thank You. Not just for this review but for the many I have watched and rewatched. I really appreciate your well reasoned opinions and informed analysis. I’ve invested now in a MFT setup and following your ideas I just couldn’t be more pleased. The 8-18, 25, 42.5, 40-150, MC-1.4, and a G9 are so versatile and cover everything I want or need while traveling and on the go. Lighter and fewer lenses than my FF system. So again Thank You. Also your GH5 book has been a big help getting a grip on the GH5 and the G9
As always, this is the best and yet also most concise review I've seen for this camera. I really wish someone what could take up your style and efficacy in reviewing for the Fuji X series cameras and lenses...
Another informative & concise review. There is one thing that I find confusing in the video at 8.33 . You mentioned the agressive noise reduction on the jpeg in camera by default. So you said you set the noise reduction at the minimum but the caption in the video at the same moment reads : jpeg directly from RAW , so could you please let us know which is which . Is there way to turn down the noise resolution for the in-camera jpegs other than saving a new file jpeg file from the RAW ? Thank you for clarifying this point :)
Happy to do so - In the Rec menu, you'll find Photo Style. I leave it set to standard but there are many choices there. Each choice has a some sliders underneath that enable you to set the JPG output, colours, Saturation etc. how you want. One of them is NR, Noise Reduction. You can set it to your taste there. I switch it to -5 since I prefer to retain detail and a bit of noise doesn't upset me too much. That's purely a personal preference, of course but it is good to have the choice.
You're opening statement is exactly what I was thinking as well. It's a serious stills camera and currently a best seller in many areas. I briefly tried out the camera in my local New York camera store. Two things I noticed and the first is: the grip is very significant. Feels bigger than the Canon 5DMKII I used to have. Or maybe it's because I got rid of that camera 3 years ago and just decided to use my smaller and much funner to use APS-C Canon 50D and then only my GX8 for the last 18 months. So maybe it's just a familiarity issue. I did also notice that I could maneuver the camera easier. I didn't feel I was using my finger tips as much. That's a good thing. The next was sharpness. They had the G9 mated to a Nocticron. My gosh, I thought my GX8 and Nocticron was sharp! This is a whole other level! The lack of AA makes such a huge difference. My majors are fashion and portraiture with minors in events and street photography. So the speed of the camera is largely lost on me. But the ergonomics, pro functions, customization and accessories make the G9 the most exciting camera I've seen in a long time. Keep up the great work! Best G9 review I've seen!
Thanks Ricardo! Yes, your reasons for rating the G9 are the same as mine. I was really looking forward to getting it and once I had, I wasn't disappointed. The performance of Micro Four Thirds cameras has been plenty for me since the GX8 with big EVF and 20Mp sensor. The G9 takes a whole new step forward for Micro Four Thirdsin ergonomics and pleasure of use. Before, I'd often stated that my two favourite ever cameras for pleasure in use were the film Hasselblad 500c and the GH series Panasonics from the GH3 onwards. _For a stills shooter_, the G9 is even better to handle than the GH series. Enough said!
Agreed. I didn't take mirrorless seriously until the GX8. It was either that or the Nikon D810. Originally I just wanted a good street camera. But the GX8 turned out to be so much more. I hope Panasonic doesn't stop on a follow-up for the camera. Please, a GX8 Pro! I went back to the camera store today (couldn't help it) to handle the G9 again. The more I fiddle with it, the more I love it. The grip is actually feeling much more okay and of course the menus are very familiar. The shutter release does feel a bit sensitive/soft but similar to the Canon 5D MKII I used to have. I got used to it. April I hope!
As previously mentioned, I've also been waiting for your review of the G9. As an editorial photographer myself, it's your background that makes for a truly 'user review', knowing you'll be looking for the same functionality from a camera as me. So thank you for yet another excellent video.
Great review, thanks. I don't know why so many reviewers say that the shutter release is too sensitive, I find it perfect, smooth and responsive (and I am oldish and clumsy). You get used to it's responsiveness after the first few uses.
I'm used to it now but I'd still like it a little less sensitive, personally. Having said that, Panasonic researched the G9 Thoroughly so the test users must have approved. Glad you liked the review.
Great video. For the video capabilities I would say the G9 can be a superior option for some over both the GH5 and GH5s. If you intend to shoot 4K 50 and desire best AF in Panasonic camera and best image stabilisation then the G9 does it better. The GH5 has worse AF and slightly worse stabilisation. The GH5S is powerful but of course lacks any body stabilisation. The GH5 10bit internal is nice but that is for only lower frame rate in 4K. To those making videos mostly handheld and in 4K 50/60, the G9 takes the cake (as long as not intending to shoot more than 10 mins at a time, not a problem for me). Good video chap.
I just bought the GH5. Admittedly I'll never use the full video capabilities of the GH5. I do enjoy using it as a stills and I"m constantly amazed at its capabilities in stills and video. The question is will I see that big of a change to warrant selling and buying the G9? I'm having a hard time justifying it. What would the cost performance advantage be?
Great review, I was looking for an upgrade / additional camera for my GX80. Balancing between the G90 and the G9. Both have features which I do appreciate. One of your final statements in your G90 review made me go for the G9, the prices are close and the extras are worth the extra money. This week I pulled the trigger, a Dutch camerastore lowered the price because of Black Friday to €999,- and there’s a cashback from Panasonic worth €100,-. €899 or £770,- for the G9 and €879,- for the G90. No brainer so I’m now going through all the functions and features with your book on my iPad as a guide. Thanks for all the effort and information!
You're welcome, Mathijs! Yes, some real bargain prices on the G9 at the moment. Such a capable camera and even rivals the GH5 for video now, with the latest firmware upgrade.
These things are getting complex! I just stepped up from a GH3 as my workhorse camera and I'm blown away by how many things can be customized. When your review started adding up how many custom modes, function buttons, that lever and the custom menu, I knew I was in trouble. I had the advanced manual printed, and there are post-it notes sticking out everywhere, reminding me what my custom settings are... It has so many features that I've owned it for 3 weeks and I haven't yet tried the high-res mode. I expected more of a comparison between the G9's IBIS and the Olympus version. I guess once one camera does the impossible, all others are just expected to catch up.
The modern cameras are fantastic but they do take a lot of getting to grips with. I find it best to set the camera up for a basic working model, set that to a Custom mode and open the camera up with that. Then just tweak as necessary or the job at hand and gradually write to memory. I prefer the Save/Load menu myself since changes you make while working aren't lost when the camera goes to sleep as they are in Custom. The stabilization, it's just so good on both cameras now that any difference is academic more than practical. I have shaky hands but I can happily 150mm still at 1/30 and get most sharp. Beyond that is more of a circus trick, I think. Plus, for shooting at 1/2 or a full second and beyond, a tripod or at least a good solid rest really is best.
Hi David! Very interesting and informative review, always good to hear your voice. Will you be producing a guide for the G9? I already have several and find them incredibly useful. Thanks 🐻👍🏻
In french : "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" (Marc, from Paris) ;-) Thanks for sharing. I just bought a G9 to upgrade my GX8 and I really appreciate the accessibility to the several fonctions, the ergonomics and handling. The AF joystick combine with the Fn1 button is a must. And "Lumix" website gives a lot of information to set it up properly. It changes me from my Sony A7RIII who was a chinese puzzle-like.
The G9 is a highly complex camera and Panasonic have done a very good job in making its operation as straightforward as they have. For me, like you, the user friendliness of the camera is one of its great attractions. By the way, just because you're French doesn't mean you speak French better than me :-) However, I've consulted with the Academie Francaise and they tell me you are correct so I'll accept your correction - just this once, mind.
Terrific review, although I must say, I'm still on the fence between upgrading from my XPro1 to either the EM1ii and the G9, and now the Fuji XH1 has made the choice even more difficult. I'm mostly a stills shooter, but would like to dive into video making interviews. Suggestions?
thanks David, great review .... I have as a hobby birding and I use the Nikon D500 with the Sigma Sport 150-600mm and I get very good results, the question is: can the G9 with the 100-400mm give me similar results? thanks in advance for your response
Thanks, Alejandro! It depends on what your final output is intended to be. For prints up to about 2 feet across or screens up to 4,000 px across, no appreciable difference. I saw an interesting RUclips video where a London professional gives images from Micro Four Thirds and his FF Nikon to a printing lab and asks the printer afterwards to judge from the prints which was which. He couldn't tell at all. In low light, the APS-C sensor will be about 1 stop better, so it's really a balance between that one stop against the smaller, handier camera. The lower noise will make little difference up to 1600 or even 3200 ISO, however.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Hi David, I use the Fz1000 but looking to upgrade to the g9 w/ 100-400 for wildlife & airshows for more reach & low light performance. I've been successful with panning techniques & focusing modes except the their tracking feature. What more can I expect from the G9 compared to it's 1" brother? Also, do you think Panny will come out with faster & longer lenses for M43? I found it interesting that with their full frame line up they went with f4.
@@Shok1t The G9 will be more capable generally than the Fz!000, largely because it has (I believe) more computing power. The tracking works well on the G9 but I tend not to use it a lot simply because when it goes wrong it goes very wrong. Normal AFC picks up mis-focusing more quickly and controllably. In reality, the fact that you have been successful with panning and the focus modes on the Fz is more important than the step up in technology - skill enables technology to work better but it can't put right bad technique. Meaning, whatever you use, you'll be getting it to perform properly and thus you _will_ see benefits. I don't know if Panasonic have any plans for high speed long lenses. They already have the 200mm f/2.8 which is a fantastic lens but expensive, as is all high speed glass. I can't see them doing an f/2.8 300mm or 400mm given what the price would have to be. Olympus's 300mm f/4 will work nicely on the G9, though the Panasonic 200mm with the supplied 1.4x gives you a very similar reach with still excellent sharpness. All of lens design is juggling with immutable physical laws and costs! Panasonic is doing some FF f/2.8 zooms, I believe but any professional needing serious long lenses is still going to have to buy Nikon or Canon.
@@DavidThorpeMFTHopefully, Panny can come up with some new tech to deal with low light outside of fast glass. Thank you for your insight. Your channel is very informative & entertaining 👍
Thanks David for another excellent review. I currently have an em5 ii which I use mostly for bird and general nature photography and am looking to upgrade to either the em1 ii or the G9. Olympus’s menu ‘system’ drives me crazy but the em1 still seems to have the edge in c-af. I know nature photography is not your thing but which would you choose?
Thanks! The Olympus does have the edge in low light with erratically and fast moving subjects but the Panasonic has much better focus area control and a bigger brighter EVF which can be just as useful! I'd try to handle both and see which one you prefer.
I finally bought a G9 about 5 weeks ago and I absolutely love it! The more I keep learning about it's capabilities, the more it wows me. When I get my blog up and running, I'll do an in-depth review. For now, it's a 100% professional, stills camera for use in just about any, commercial genre. As you mentioned, it's probably not the best for sports and darker venues. It's going to be tough to top this. I agree with the backlit buttons being a nicety. Also, I would much rather trade that micro-USB connector for a USB-C one. So if these two things are included on the next model, what's next? A new sensor that improves the color depth, dynamic range and AF? I mean, that would be nice for sure. But for now, I see lots of great work and art being done with my G9!
Good to hear that, Ricardo. As you say, there are improvements that could be made but the G9 as it is remains one of the best, if not the best cameras I've ever used.
David Thorpe I love using it. Even when I go out for street photography, and I think about grabbing my smaller, lighter and more hipster GX8, I still pick up the G9. I'm sure some of that is the 'new toy' feeling of the G9. But I can't deny how fantastic the ergonomics and button placement are. It's important. Before moving to NY, I had to sell one of my cameras. I sold my superior Canon 5D MKII in favor of my Canon 50D. Just because I love using my 50D so much. And it shows in the pics....
@@ricardorgomez Panasonic really started to get camera design right with the GH3 and they've been wise enough not to alter it tom much since. Sometimes the best upgrade is simply not to spoil what you already have. :-)
David Thorpe I don't have as much history with Panasonic. But I agree. It's like Porsche. After 50 years, Porsche still looks and feels like a Porsche with the right updates.
Great Review David, thanks !! Now, thinking in stills, if you had to choose just one camera and the only options were the G9 and the M1-II, what would be your choice ?
Yes!!! You nailed it towards the end of the video about putting phase detection in their cameras. Panasonic is too stubborn and if Olympus would add phase detection in their next EM5, it could take away some of Panasonic's sales for still photography. You really made it easy for me and my upgrade decision for 2019 with the EM1.
I try to put the cameras I review in to some wider perspective than 'better' or 'worse' since there isn't a bad camera in the entire Micro Four Thirds lineup. There are cameras mores suited to some photographers than others, however and that's what I try to highlight. Nice to know that it has been useful to you.
I used to own a GH4 for years. The G9 is vastly improved for photography over the GH4. I can do 1 full second exposure with the 35-100 at 100mm with no problems thanks to Dual IS
Fantastic review! Informative and relevant. Great journalistic style. I have a question about the G9 which you didn't address in your review. Is there a flash you prefer and can recommend for use on this camera? Thanks!
Thanks very much, Adam! For the stuff I do, I rarely use flash and all I have is a Mecablitz 15 MS-1 - review ruclips.net/video/aUcqJ8hzUI0/видео.html . I've been a lifelong user of Mecablitz flashes and if I were buying one, I'd look at those first, probably the 52 AF-1 which does everything you might want in terms of master/ slave etc for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Another great review. A tough choice between this and the EM1 Mkii. Currently using a G80 and looking for something that will be a great alrounder for portraits, motorsport and football. Pros and cons with both systems. Mostly have Olympus glass but even that doesn’t swing the fulcrum as Panasonic also uses it well and currently a good few hundred pounds cheaper.
Glad you liked the review. It's almost a toss of the coin. I much prefer the ergonomics and menu system of the Panasonic but if I used a camera for sports a lot, I'd incline to the Olympus. It's not head and shoulders above the G9 but it does have the edge. As an all rounder, the Panasonic...what can I say, it is the first camera I pick up by instinct because, with time taken to set it up to your preferences, it is just so damned easy to use.
hi David, I noticed that in autofocus, and in manual mode when I pressed shutter half down a portion of the scenery or frame fills the entire viewfinder. I wonder what is the explanation for that. I think it is about the metering system and 18 percent gray. Please let me know what you think. thank you.
I have a G9 and the Olympus 12-40 f2.8 and the 40-150 f2.8. The answer is no. I have taken experimental exposures at 1 sec on both lenses hand held. All have been sharp so far. I use the electronic shutter most of the time though. The same for video. I am a casual video user. The performance is fine both at FHD and UHD Nice results with cinelike V. Have yet to try all of the settings. A lot more than the GX8. As David said , work through the settings a bit at a time to find the ones that suit your way of working. Its good idea to alter the default JPEG settings. I mainly use JPEG. I have turned off noise reduction and increased sharpening by + 1 , but that's to my liking . If you want the full 6.5 stops of claimed IBIS you will need the compatible Panasonic lenses which use the lenses AS as well. As I said, I have had no problems with Olympus lenses on any of my Panasonic bodies.
Thank you & I have the same Pro lenses and in my humble opinion, the Zukio Pro Lens build quality and appearance are a perfect match for the Oly EM1 Mk II--photo gear eye candy (made in Japan)...unlike the plain Jane looks and plastic feel of my Panasonic lenses (made in China?). Nice to know the Zukios will work on the G9.
Thanks, David, for the thorough and helpful review! Very informative, as usual! Did you get used to the sensitivity of the shutter button fairly quickly? It's kind of a big deal to me because I'm not really one to use back button focusing. Thanks a bunch!! 😀
Hi Linda, nice to hear from you. Like Mr Moses, I've got used to it fairly quickly but I'd still prefer a weightier action. It's more of a problem if you use several cameras with heavier actions and makes to too easy to fire off shots or bursts accidentally. It'd worry me a lot more if we were back in the days of film with its material costs! It's not a big deal and if the G9 was all you used it would feel normal quite quickly. It is nice in the respect that it makes a slow shutter speed release very smooth.
Hi Kenny - I won't be getting a GH5S simply because the video aspects of it are way beyond my level of expertise. I can talk with some semblance of authority on stills because that's how I have always earned my living. I wouldn't be comfortable about reviewing a camera where a high proportion of the viewers would know much more than I do. I do talk too much but I avoid pontificating ....or try to :-) Incidentally, I wouldn't think there would be a massive difference in IQ between a 10Mp shot and a 20Mp one sampled down to 10Mp.
How does the G9 focusing with the Olympus pro lenses (especially the 40-150 and the 300 also in combination with the teleconverter) compare to the em1 mkii for sports and wildlife photography? I really wish the olympus had some of the features of the g9 and think about getting one.
Once focus is locked on, there's little difference between the two bodies with the 40-150. I can't speak for the 300mm because I haven't tried it but I'd expect much the same result. What I did note was that the initial lock on was a bit quicker with the Olympus PDAF. That wouldn't be enough to persuade me to make a choice between the two bodies because the greater versatility of the Panasonic's focusing parameters can make a big difference to performance. For cyclists, for example, I use a custom array of 7 focus points 2/3s of the way up the centre of the viewfinder. That limits the amount of processing the camera has to do and lets it put more resources into the follow focus algorithm. Continuous autocross is notoriously difficult to evaluate, though, since no 2 sequences are exactly the same.
Hi David. Great review & channel, allways entertaining & informative. Can I ask why you prefer the G9 over the Olympus E-M1 Mkll (if you do of course)? I am considering purchasing my first camera, possibly G80 & hope you could offer lens recomemdations?. I am travelling overseas for 3 months next year and would like to take 2 or 3 lenses. My interests are landscape, architecture, cityscape (at night) & street. Thre are so many lenses to chhose from it's all very confusing! :)
Smaller than a DSLR? Against my old Pentax K3, height and width are about the same but the G9 grip is much deeper. It's 150g lighter though and that helps when shooting for a day with a long lens.
I tend to think of DSLR as 36x24mm sensor items. APS-C is a halfway house with the disadvantages of both systems - strictly my own opinion, that! I had a Pentax K3 - lovely camera, I really liked it. The problem was just the lens size and that was the only reason it went. It's the lens sizes that define Micro Four Thirds utility, really.
Hi David, I am currently enjoying Olympus stabilization with an EM-1 and 300mm f4 for bird photography. I am considering switching to the G9, how do you think the 300mm would perform on a G9, would it be wiser to stay with Olympus and the EM-1 mk 2 ?
Hi Olover - Ok, but what value does constant preview have if it can't (how could it?) preview what the flash will do? Say you set the camera to 1/250th @ f/11 in a dim room. The constant preview would simply show an all black image. Take the pic and it is nicely lit by flashlight. What have you previewed?
@@DavidThorpeMFT I had a funny instance when I went to a client site to shoot employee photos. Keep in mind I'm a designer by trade and not a pro photographer and I was merely doing the shoot as a favor. I had an off camera flash and was using my GX8 which had constant preview on. I did the whole shoot with a completely black viewfinder/monitor and was too stressed/rushed to just sit there and think logically about it. Photos turned out great and they were happy though.
Excellent review David. I noticed you used at least one Olympus lens on the G9 (the 40/150, which I don't think has lens stabilisation built in). Presumably you are happy with body only stabilisation, but did you feel the Panasonic 35/100 (which does have lens stabilisation) offered superior sharpness in conjunction with the IBIS to the 40/150?
Glad you liked the review. It was certainly a pleasure to do. To answer your question, no, not really. The sensor stabilization of the G9 is just as good as the Olympus E-M1 Mkll so no difference there. The in lens + in body dual stabilization must make a difference but once stabilization gets to 4 stops I find it enough and anything beyond that more a selling point than anything else. With the lens at 150mm, I can hand hold 100% reliably down to about 1/45th. I wouldn't want to drop below that anyway. But there will be photographers doing things that I don't do that find the extra bit from the lens invaluable, so better to have it than not. It wouldn't influence mu choice of lenses, though.
Nice video...and thanks for it.................I cant help but think about 'children of the sun" by Billy Thorpe.....back in the day.......1979 when I see your last name.....have a good day...
Your reviews are fantastic and your clarity too and I’d like to thank you for giving up your time to share. I’m looking now end 2019 to downsize My 5Dmk4 and 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, and 100-400 2.8 - all Mk2 canon , for an equivalent MFT system. My main photography is stills for landscape, wildlife and the occasional BIF and Astro (am aware of limitations here of MFT - at least from what I’ve read. My question is more around should I wait for a successor to the G9 in 2020 or bite the bullet and get one now. The driver behind this is the weight and portability of my canon equipment is becoming the issue,. Your views on this would be very much appreciated. Keep up the fantastic reviews.
Thanks for the kind words, MG. Unfortunately, I have no insight into what any of the Micro Four Thirds makers plan to do other than my own feelings. I've heard nothing about a successor to the G9 other than wild rumors about a 41Mp sensor which, I have to say, wouldn't be of any great interest to me, 20Mp being perfectly adequate for most purposes. You've obviously taken an informed view of Micro Four Thirds and the limitations of a smaller sensor balanced with the benefits of a smaller physical size, especially for lenses. As such, you won't get any surprises from Micro Four Thirds, though you may be surprised at how little advantage the extra size and weight of a larger sensor camera gives you in _real world photography_. That's just a preamble, though. In answer to our question, I'd buy a G9 now. There are various deals floating around, some of them making the G9 a very good buy and it's worth waiting for one of them. In the UK, I think any sub £1,000 body price or pro rata body/lens deal makes a G9 good value. If a G10 is introduced it will be a lot more expensive than the G9 and that extra money would be better spent on a G9 and quality lenses. Because of my books and reviews, I need to buy new bodies as they come out. Were that not the case, I would be unlikely to buy a G10 and wait until at least a G11 before considering a swap.
I love your camera reviews. could you please make a comparison between the em1 mk ii and the g9 (how does the af on the g9 with the olympus pro teles?)?
The AF on all Panasonic cameras works perfectly with the Olympus Pro lenses and in fact they are what I use a lot of the time. I'll keep in mind about a comparison but the overall comparison in terms of AF performance would be pretty much the same as my GH5/ Olympus E-M1 Mkll comparison.
Are you seeing the difference in the raw files coming from the G9 to the G85? I don't mean in terms of dynamic range or resolution. The difference I'm seeing between my G85 and GH5 is how plyable the raw images are. With the GH5 I can bring down highlights, but with the G85 raw highlights seem baked in like as if it's partly cooked.
I haven't directly compared the raw files but the GH5 does have a different and more recent sensor than the G85 so that's probably it. Sesnor development is on a plateau at the moment but the incremental changes made do add up. It's funny for anyone used to film cameras - I find any exposure within a couple of stops of "correct" can be turned up or down and give perfect results. Try that with Kodachrome 32 with about a half stop margin from perfect to unusable!
I own two of these camera’s I use them for wildlife photography it’s the best camera I’ve ever owned image quality is superb EVF is amazing the button placement is perfect
Two years on, apparently the shutter release pressure was recalibrated by Panasonic not long after the launch of the G9 to give more 'feel' (though I haven't actually tried one, mine is an early camera) and of course the latest firmware was a major update of features, especially video. Although the AF is no problem for me, I'm very much hoping Panasonic can bring to the G9, the clever AF algorithms developed for the S5, for visually improved continuous AF...
Yes, it's generally agreed that the one thing Panasonic cameras need is an improvement in the continuous AF. Mine was an early version and I really don't like the hairline trigger type of shutter button.
Thanks, Rashen! stabilization is excellent, as for stills. You also have E-Stabilization which works well for walking shots, for example, both with or without the normal stabilization. Plus I.S.Lock which is almost like putting the camera on a tripod . And if you are using non Micro Four Thirds native lenses, you can set the focal length manually for optimum results.
Good review as ever - I’ve just ordered one. One thing I would take issue with however is the high res mode comment. I’m not sure there’s any more call on the lens in terms of resolution, since each capture still only needs to resolve 20mp. Additional resolution is achieved via the combination of each sample. I think the fact it doesn’t resolve quite as much as you’d expect is a limitation of the processing and the inherent properties of the Bayer array, so that at each photosite you benefit from sampling true colour rather than R, G or B. In that way you’ll get more colour depth and dynamic range out of your subject (and less noise), but that won’t translate into genuinely four times the resolution in an absolute sense. I may be wrong, but I think it has little or nothing to do with limitations of the resolving power of the lens.
You could be right, I can only judge by results, not having any great technical knowledge. I do notice that in terms of detail, 80Mp is no different to 40Mp. Also, the camera makes 8 exposures, shifting by half a pixel width, I don't know if that would make any difference. Sony use sensor shift to improve sharpness but the image size remains the same.
David Thorpe I sort of think of it in the same way as the Foevon sensors - there’s three times sampling in terms of colour, but in spite of their claims it doesn’t equate to three times the baseline resolution. It will get you more colour depth though and more dynamic range. I think the Panasonic does a bit more than that because of the number of samples. I can’t for the life of me see how it’s lens limited though (even though DPReview makes a similar point with the pixel 3). Because each sample is making no more demand on the lens than normal - you pixel shift and you’re gathering extra light and extra detail by virtue of that rather than anything to do with the lens. Computational photography is the future for good or ill and I think it will eventually see the death of the single lens/sensor camera. For now while I was considering moving back to 35mm instead I’m going the speed booster route. Some big lenses plus adapters, but it does mean I get a lot of light/shallow DoF when I need it (at a not unreasonable price) and a compact system when I don’t. Sort of a best of both worlds accepting the compromises.
When I bought my first Micro Four Thirds camera, I thought how good it would be if the camera could use the contrast information as it quickly racks in and out and apply a blur factor (which you would choose) related to the distance from the point of focus. It's be perfectly easy to apply more to the forward area than the back area. That way you could shoot at, say, f/5.6 to get adequate depth of field while blurring the background to taste. I did contact Panasonic but got no reply (what's new?). It shouldn't be too hard to simulate accurate out of focus characteristics for a lens. I know a lot of photographers would object to this but that argument was lost for me when my chief photographer showed me how to move a football to a better position while printing the weekend sports output from 9 photographers. That was more than 50 years ago!
David Thorpe Yes there’s no halting algorithms that will do far more than a bit of noise reduction/sharpening/demosaicing - the sort of things we take for granted in digital imaging. We will come to a point when we can no longer be sure what level of detail is being captured against what is ‘manufactured’ by the camera. It does throw up a lot of questions. Perhaps there’ll be a separate category of forensic photography all about accurate representation. I suspect most people won’t care if they’re getting stunning imagery from their tiny smart devices. We’re old fogeys now, init?⌛️
What is particularly interesting is touched on when you say 'we can no longer be sure what level of detail is being captured against what is being manufactured by the camera'. It applies just as aptly if you substitute 'brain' for 'camera'. I went to a Gresham lecture a couple of years ago on the nature of perception. It seems about 5% of what we see is taken from the rather limited (though versatile) acuity of our eyes and the other 95% added in by the brain's acquired experience. Thus our final image is based on a shifting sand interpreted through more shifting sand. Again, as you say, who cares provided they are getting stunning imagery. Provided it's not medical photography, of course.
Getting my G9 tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it out! Getting a little fed up of Sony Alphas colour, so thought I'd try something different. Wish me luck :)
Well here's wishing you luck! I'm using my G9 right now for reviews shots. A very, very capable and versatile camera. If they'd put PDAF in it, it would be perfect. As it is, it is plenty capable of keeping up with any action I need to phtograph.
Hi, David! Ages ago, your review was a huge part of why I bought my GX85. Today, I bought a G9, as I've started to get more serious paid work and needed the extra insurance afforded by the dual memory card slots and weather sealing. I am really happy to see you coupled the G9 here with the Olympus 12-40 2.8. That's what I'll do, and I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on how they perform together (G9 and 12-40 2.8). Particularly, in terms of auto focus performance, and ergonomics. I'll get the camera in about two weeks, but any help in the meantime is appreciated. Thank you as always for your fantastic content.
You'll love the G9, I'm sure, Marcos. The auto focus with the Olympus lens is just as fast as any Panasonic lens and they make an ideal combination, suiting one another in weight and size. The Olympus 12-40 is such a good performer - I sold my Olympus 12mm f/2 after using the zoom for a bit as the zoom was sharper and, of course, so much more versatile. I like the manual focus collar, so easy just to pull back the focus ring and there's a depth of field scale too. Panasonic have, usefully, incorporated a control for the on lens Fn button, I use to for the default focus operation but there are plenty of other options. It does show that Panasonic don't just cater for their own brand, which I like. Especially, though, I like the quality build of both items. You get the feeling that you have got what you paid for.
@@DavidThorpeMFT thank you SO MUCH for the thorough reply! I did not know that the G9 was able to make use of the Fn button on the 12-40! Since it does work on my GX85, I wouldn't have tried it on the G9! Good to know that the auto focus performance is on par with Panny lenses. It all looks like it'll be a good pairing!
Hi David, great review as usual. Just to let you know (if you weren't aware) the new Peak Design anchors use thinner thread and fit very nicely through the Panasonic eyelets....nice.
Hi David, off topic question but I guess almost a month without an upload from yours make us miss you :) I always wondered whether you use any lens from the film days through adapters to MFT and, in case, whether you plan to make a video about these options. In my early MFT days I had a lot of fun using cheap adapters paired to cheap lenses. Sometimes simply for fun (e.g. Industar 28mm f/2.8 M39 mount), sometimes ending up with very soft but pleasant portraits (Jupiter 85mm f/2, M42 mount), sometimes with great results (Pentax-M SMC 50mm f/1.7 or even a medium format Rollei HFT Planar 80mm f/2.8). Today I still use the Pentax and the Rollei, along with a Tamron 28mm f/2.5, all adapted to EOS and then mounted on a cheap tilt-adapter EOS-MFT. It all might get convoluted and bulky but yes, I really enjoy it as you can understand. Any experience from you? :) Thanks!
Hi Giorgio - I've been working on my G9 book so that's taken a lot of my time. The whole adaptor thing is interesting and I'd love more chance to experiment. As it stands, I have a 300mm Nikkor IF ED f/4.5 which I use with adaptor. It has a bit of purple fringing but is easy to use and focus and plenty sharp enough. It cost me £120 which is a little better that the £2,000 odd of the Olympus!
Hehe, great to know and yes, those 120pounds sound very doable to experiment a bit... I look forward to hearing more when you'll get the chance, perhaps one day we'll see a video about it :) Thanks for the kind reply as usual!
hanks Att. True what you say but if you put a 17mm f/1.8 prime on it or the 12-32mm Panasonic zoom, you start to see the real value of Micro Four Thirds. Nonetheless, I agree, the Olympus E-M1 Mkll is that bit more convention a size. And, fo course, many people simply prefer a bigger camera body for use with long lenses and big zooms. Maybe Panasonic could sell a G8.5 :-)
I use Olympus or Panasonic lenses without thinking about it. The focusing is the same on both and though Panasonic's Depth from Defocus doesn't work with Olympus lenses, you'd never know under normal circumstances. The difference is that with an Olympus lens on Panasonic , in fast sequences initial lock-on is a little slower. Once locked on, little difference. Also, if you have an Olympus lens with stabilization built in it won't work with the G9. But the camera itself has around 5 stops so it hardly matters.
How's the tracking (more specific tracking focus) when G9 with Olympus lens? I have a m5 mark II wanting to move up and about start doing sports shooting for track and field. I was looking at m1 mark ii but I overall don't like the olympus menus and phone app. Also I already have both 14-40mm and 40-150mm pro lens from olympus and love the mf clutch and build of the lens. End story question am I losing out on much getting a G9 using Olympus glass or am I better off with the m1 mark ii. Thanks.
For track and field I don't think you'd want the 60fps top end shooting capabilities of the Olympus. On the Panasonic, the 20fps shooting with tracking is limited to 50 frames or 2.5 seconds, then you must wait a short time while the buffer empties. For me that means that the highest useful shooting speed for sports of the type you mention with the G9 is 9fps, unlimited (or very long) burst times, and AFC tracking. It's a personal choice but for myself I find 7fps plenty and it gives a manageable workflow too. Where the glass is concerned, I use the Olympus 40-150 Pro and once it locks on, little, if any different from the Olympus E-M1 Mkll. Several photographers have emailed me to say that they find the main difference is in the lock on. That's my experience, too. The Olympus lens will often give you a couple of frames off focus on Panasonic while it sorts itself out. Once sorted out, it follows focus as well as the Olympus. In practise, with football, say, you see the person with the ball and someone else coming in on them and you pick them up before the action occurs. Both the Olympus E-M1 Mkll and Panasonic G9 are much, much better at AFC than the E-M5 Mk2.
Thanks for the quick response! I'm not doing too bad atm with my setup but I know it could be a lot better with a newer body. Thanks for the detailed answer! Prefect! All these new camera that are pop out and making think about try out something else. Probably gonna rent out a G9 for weekend and then maybe the new Sony or Fuji. Thanks again!
Perfect information for me also. I don't shoot birds in flight or air shows. I do shoot track and road running races. I have a M5 Mark II and a M1 Mark I original, and have been thinking about the M1 Mark II, but was not happy with the UHS‑I only slot 2 and no 120fps slow mo. And have missed the joystick I used on a Canon 7D Mark II. The G9 looks capable enough and has image stabilization, a joystick, two UHS-II slots, and 180fps slow mo. Looks like what I have been wanting.
Thanks for the in-depth and practical review! I've been looking at the G9 for the longest time, ever since moving to M43 from a Canon 60D. The G9's pretty tempting - specially given the recent firmware 3 update of the G9. I have been walking around with a E-M1 mark 1 and a GX8 and Olympus PRO 7-14mm, 12-40mm and 40-150mm. Do you think I will I be better off getting a E-M1 mark 2 with phase detect and native Olympus support given these lenses? Or does the G9 still hold its ground, and able to give decent IBIS to these Olympus PRO lenses?
With its better EVF, top LCD and joystick, the G9 in the better all round jack of all trades camera - that why mine is my main workhorse camera for stills and video. The IBIS of the G9 is very much the same as the E-M2 II and personally I use my Panasonic and Olympus lenses on either make of body without a second thought. I'd go for the Olympus if I did mostly (or more) action/ sports. It's not that the Panasonic can't do it, just that the Olympus is that bit better., though you'd only see a noticeable difference under the most difficult of circumstances, dimly lit indoor sport, for example. For me, the sheer usability of the G9 because of the state of the art EVF make it the prime contender.
Another great review, David. The G9 looks great but unfortunately I can't afford it myself. So, instead I'm getting a second hand G80 instead as a backup camera body, which is great value for money. Still if I ever get the money together, the G9 would rank high on my to buy list.
Nice as always, David. Will you elaborate on the FW2.0 for the E-M1.2 in your future video? This is what almost nobody does. You proved that you can achieve great results with the E-M1.2's AF "out of box" already when some people are not safisfied with it. And new firmware should improve AF-C even more. According to Oly.
Thanks! From what I read, the new firmware doesn't change the AF-C performance, just makes the high speed modes available on some more lenses. The AFC of the E-M1 Mkll is already the best available in the Micro Four Thirds system!
Yes, I have upgraded the firmware. It seems to make the G9 as good a video camera as it is stills. I wonder where that leaves the GH5? My guess is that the G9 will (has?) become the all-rounder hybrid and the GH5 will be marketed in GH5s form, as a video camera with good but not state of the art stills capability.
Hey David, thanks for another great review! I noticed you still listed the gh5 as your main camera in your kit page and was wondering why someone like you who primarily takes stills wouldn’t trade the gh5 for the g9? Does the gh5 still offer benefits if not doing any high end video work?
Figures! The G9 seems to be shaping up as a great hybrid camera as well, albeit a lower model to the gh5... if only they gave us 120fps in 1080p as well! That would be a compelling buy along with the high resolution mode, even with the omission of 10 bit recording!
Would you recommend this for F1/wildlife photography, I'm thinking of getting this with the Panasonic Leica 100 - 400 lens, can you give me some advice please?
The 100-400 is quite specialist and lenses like the 50-200mm or Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 (with converter) are more versatile. But they don't have the reach of the 100-400, of course. Provided you are sure you need such a long lens, the choice would be ideal. Camera body, the only competition is the Olympus E-M1 Mark 2 which does have the advantage of the phase detection focusing but is balanced by the Panasonic's much better EVF. I personally prefer the G9 with the joystick for focus positioning and the top LCD for instant confirmation of settings.
Hey I have the G9 and I can't see how much recording time I have left on my sd cards it's not showing up on the screen, do you know what I should do? Love your videos btw!
I was at the NEC photo show yesterday. The lumix stand could have used your expertise. The prints they put out weren't too convincing. Fortunately as I mooched around the superb Sony prints next door was the gfx50 medium format ones....suddenly the Sony ones seem a bit weak. The g9 is quite a bit bigger than my gx8 but it sounds like it might be twice as much fun.
You flatter me, Simon - I love it 😊 Seriously, yes, you've illustrated one of the all time truths of photography. If you want seriously great quality, FF is dwarfed by medium format. It was ever so. You need to be making massive prints like the ones you mention to see it, though. The G9 is a beauty. I've said often that the two best handling cameras I've ever used were my Hasseblads and latterly the GH3/4/5 Panasonics. The G9 is actually better mainly for 4 things, the focus joystick, My Menu, the LCD panel and the on the go charging and external power from a standard mini USB cable. It has advantages over the GX8 in that respect but the GX8 is still a lovely handling camera and I do like that rangefinder type layout. Same IQ, of course and insofar as the CAF of the G9 is better, it's only incremental. The GX8 with the 100-400 Panasonic was startlingly good, actually.
That's Lumix Tether for use with lap and desktops. It's a free download from Panasonic's web site. You just need the serial number of your camera to download it.
Hi David, great video as always! Question: Did you notice many differences in color rendition with the G9 compared to the GH5? Other reviewers keep talking about the G9 having different colors but so far I haven't seen any side-to-side comparisons! I've been shooting stills with the GH5 and am quite pleased with it, but I'm thinking of adding the G9 to my bag since I'm doing less video work. I can live with the hair-trigger shutter button, but I'm more concerned with image quality and color science :-)
Same question for me. I bought the GH5 5 months ago, love it, but not sure I"ll ever use the video capabilities...not in favor of the grip and if the G9 is lighter that helps too. I'll have to eat the cost of selling used and buying new. I just don't know if I need to jump ship just yet... what say you?
Yeah, the more I research about the G9, the more I come away thinking it would be a neat upgrade, but perhaps not a *necessary* one if you already have a GH5. The sensor and most of the features are exactly the same, but the G9 has amazing ergonomics, EVF, improved stabilization, high-res mode, and allegedly (only in JPEGs I think?) color rendition. Honestly I'd be more inclined to buy a G9 body if the performance in terms of color and noise reduction were *significantly* better than the GH5, but so far I haven't seen a solid reason to do so just yet. I don't shoot landscape photography (so high-res would be wasted on me) and I don't do wildlife/sports (so the improved IS and burst speed would also be wasted on me). From time to time I'll do some social dance and portrait photography and the GH5 is amazing at it, so I'd probably be more inclined to invest in a new laptop to work on all those videos/photos, a gimbal, or lights :) I would say don't get rid of your GH5. Just because it has more video-centric features than the G9, it doesn't mean it's bad at still photography. The G9 is a bit better in terms of usability, but the results seem (so far, as I haven't seen concrete proof yet) about the same as a GH5.
Hi! Panasonic have a (free) Lumix Tether program for PC and Mac which uses a cable connection and allows you to view and control the camera from the PC. There's also an app which allows you to do the same thing via a WiFI/Bluetooth connection to an Android or iPhone. All very effective and easy to use and easily made connections, I'm glad to say.
Hi David, did you already had the chance to test omd e-m1 m3? If so, how does it compare to the g9 purely looking at raw image quality? I currently have the panasonic g85 and looking to upgrade. The g9 looks price quality wise an interesting buy, but it does feel a bit to large in my hands... On the other hand, I do like lots of images made by photographers using the g9...(James Popsys) I shoot landscape BTW...
I've just received my E-M1 Mark III so not had any chance to use it yet. I'd expect RAW image quality to be near enough the same as the G9 (and the E-M1 Mark II for that matter). Both makers monkey about with JPG output but it can't be better than the RAW files allow, so the Olympus and Panasonic differ only in the compromises they chose to make in camera. I like the size of the G9 but the Olympus is that bit smaller and more convenient.
Hi David, Tony Northrup has RUclips on "Micro Four-Thirds is DEAD" yesterday. As a G9 and GH5 owner and Wildlife enthusiast I understand his points from financial / business point of view. My thought is Organic sensor will "save" M43 format. Any thoughts?
I think the main attraction of the Micro Four Thirds system is as strong as ever, the size of the equipment. While I agree that the bulk of FF lenses will come down, it can never match the compactness and low weight of Micro Four Thirds. IQ factors to me are secondary, in that the Micro Four Thirds sensor yields perfectly acceptable quality already and, anyway, any improvements in Micro Four Thirds sensors will be applicable to FF too. However, photographers are heavily influenced by out and out IQ - ridiculously so, in my book - and the new mirrorless cameras will certainly prove popular. The superb Sony A7 series has never affected Micro Four Thirds sales much, though. But asking me is probably pointless - I'm the guy who thought the GM1 and GM5 would be big sellers :-(
i'm looking at the G9 right now, and i wanna know how it works with olympus pro lenses ? is it the same performance than with the olympus body ? if not, what we lost in this case ? Sorry for all these questions but i don't want to miss something before buying it...
No problem, Gregory. The Olympus Pro lenses work just as fast on the G9 as on an Olympus body. I get the impression a little faster in S-AF but marginal. The only loss is on follow focus, where without PDAF or DfD, the Panasonic picks up the initial focus a little more slowly. In day to day use, I use Olympus lenses on the G9 without even a second thought. Ditto Panasonic lenses on Olympus, though the Olympus PDAF does work in that, of course.
Thanks for that very fast reply 😉 i think i'll buy it, as it check all the box for my needs. Thanks again to take time to create this content that help us to make the good choice for our needs
I love my G9 and have taken some nice images with it (in my opinion anyway 😂). Thinking about getting either the 45-200mm ii or the 100-300mm ii for it. Would you happen to know which is the best optically please? Thanks
Great camera, no question. Overall, I'd say the 100-300mm was better but neither would disappoint. Both are at their weakest at the longest length, as are all zooms. At 200mm, thought, the 100-300 is better than the 45-200.
David since I became interested and got my G80 I take into account your analyzes. I bought two panasonic lenses as well. Always a pleasure to enjoy this voice. For the first time, I must confess, I think of selling my Nikon D7200. By 20 mp I am taking into account the Panasonic G9 as an excellent option for my work with stills. I have doubts regarding its performance in low light. What do you think. Please, sorry for the long text
The 20Mp sensor is nice in that you get the extra pixels without any extra noise. On the other hand, I'd expect image quality to be similar to your Nikon but not better. The big advantage would be in using the same lenses across both your cameras.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Yes, the use of lenses and the portability of the equipment. I think Panasonic is two steps up technologically. Thanks again for your attention on the answer.
How would you quantify the AF performance in video of the G9 after the 2.0 firmware update vs the AF of the G85 ? Can you do autoiso in video for the G9 just like in the GH5? Being able to use a fixed ND+autoiso vs variable ND and less hunting in videos are the two things I'm looking for in an upgrade. It's now the end of 2019, i.e. almost 2 years since the G9 went on sale. Is it a bad time to upgrade now? The body is going for USD1000 and USD1600 with the leica 12-60. Is that a good price for a two year old camera with these specs?
I'be been playing with the video AF for a bit and it seems to have all but eliminated the hunting effect. I think I'll be able to use my slider with the camera on auto focus now for product shots of cameras and lenses, where up to now I've stopped it down to keep things sharp as the slider moves along. Auto ISO has always been available in M mode on the G9, as on the GH5. My personal feeling is that the G9 has not been improved upon by anything else and this firmware upgrade brings it bang up to date. So yes and at current discounted prices it is a bit of a bargain.
I'm feeling the itch to trade up to the G9 from my trusty G80 , it's quite a step up from the G80, whether to sell my Vario 12-60mm , and buy the kit with the Leica 12-60mm kit
There are some very, very good deals on the G9 at the moment. Given the quality of the camera, I'd suggest that the 12-60mm Leica is a great match for it.
@@DavidThorpeMFT have seen comparisons between the G Vario and the elmerit versions of the 12-60 and the differences aren't as great as the price it will seem, but getting an elmerit 12-60 in a kit you'd be saving a bit, plus the money back on the sale of the G Vario version+sale of the G80
Even though I have a G9, I'm back to listen to David talk about it. RIP Mr. Thorpe.
He should have been the ambassador for all Micro Four Thirds. His love for photography and his humor really influenced me with MFT
@@thegirlwholeftthefridgeopenI really miss his reviews 😢
His legacy lives on. Everything he has said in my experience has turned out to be true.
@@alistairlambert3275 I hope David's family check this account from time to time, and see that people who loved his work still comment here. December 2023!
1st Jan 2023, and going back to watch David Thorpe's wonderful videos. Very much missed, but so glad we have the channel here still as a great treasure trove.
RIP, Mr. Thorpe. You were one of the best RUclips personalities. You will be missed but your videos will live forever.
I heard this review many years ago like all of David's videos. I couldn't afford it back then but I recently bought a used G9 and I'm here now listening to this video.
I bought my G9 recently. It truly is an incredible tool. David’s book on the menu has been a great help and worth every penny. Thank you David.
It's a great camera - and I'm glad you found the book helpful. Thanks!
This is the review I've been waiting for for this camera. This channel is my go-to for M43 info. Thank you!
So is mine :-)
and so is mine too
:-)
Will, did you decide to get or not to get G9?
Dan Oh still deciding. Haven't figured out if I want to stick with micro four thirds or switch to the Fuji line. The X-T2 and the X-H1 have been really tempting me.
David Thank You. Not just for this review but for the many I have watched and rewatched. I really appreciate your well reasoned opinions and informed analysis. I’ve invested now in a MFT setup and following your ideas I just couldn’t be more pleased. The 8-18, 25, 42.5, 40-150, MC-1.4, and a G9 are so versatile and cover everything I want or need while traveling and on the go. Lighter and fewer lenses than my FF system. So again Thank You. Also your GH5 book has been a big help getting a grip on the GH5 and the G9
As always, this is the best and yet also most concise review I've seen for this camera. I really wish someone what could take up your style and efficacy in reviewing for the Fuji X series cameras and lenses...
I'm too happy with my G8 to get a new camera anytime soon but I love these reviews for your soothing voice alone.
As usual, your review is more practical and articulate that almost any other on RUclips. Thank you.
Thanks - I'm very glad you think so!
Got mine a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it.
I'm with you there, Scott.
I've done the same. Don't forget to get the 300 cash back from Panasonic!
The amount of information squeezed into each sentence had me rwd and rwd... Great review! This equals 10 reviews from other Utube channels
Nice of you to say so, Jose, thank you.
Another informative & concise review. There is one thing that I find confusing in the video at 8.33 . You mentioned the agressive noise reduction on the jpeg in camera by default. So you said you set the noise reduction at the minimum but the caption in the video at the same moment reads : jpeg directly from RAW , so could you please let us know which is which . Is there way to turn down the noise resolution for the in-camera jpegs other than saving a new file jpeg file from the RAW ? Thank you for clarifying this point :)
Happy to do so - In the Rec menu, you'll find Photo Style. I leave it set to standard but there are many choices there. Each choice has a some sliders underneath that enable you to set the JPG output, colours, Saturation etc. how you want. One of them is NR, Noise Reduction. You can set it to your taste there. I switch it to -5 since I prefer to retain detail and a bit of noise doesn't upset me too much. That's purely a personal preference, of course but it is good to have the choice.
You're opening statement is exactly what I was thinking as well. It's a serious stills camera and currently a best seller in many areas.
I briefly tried out the camera in my local New York camera store. Two things I noticed and the first is: the grip is very significant. Feels bigger than the Canon 5DMKII I used to have. Or maybe it's because I got rid of that camera 3 years ago and just decided to use my smaller and much funner to use APS-C Canon 50D and then only my GX8 for the last 18 months. So maybe it's just a familiarity issue. I did also notice that I could maneuver the camera easier. I didn't feel I was using my finger tips as much. That's a good thing.
The next was sharpness. They had the G9 mated to a Nocticron. My gosh, I thought my GX8 and Nocticron was sharp! This is a whole other level! The lack of AA makes such a huge difference.
My majors are fashion and portraiture with minors in events and street photography. So the speed of the camera is largely lost on me. But the ergonomics, pro functions, customization and accessories make the G9 the most exciting camera I've seen in a long time.
Keep up the great work! Best G9 review I've seen!
Thanks Ricardo! Yes, your reasons for rating the G9 are the same as mine. I was really looking forward to getting it and once I had, I wasn't disappointed. The performance of Micro Four Thirds cameras has been plenty for me since the GX8 with big EVF and 20Mp sensor. The G9 takes a whole new step forward for Micro Four Thirdsin ergonomics and pleasure of use. Before, I'd often stated that my two favourite ever cameras for pleasure in use were the film Hasselblad 500c and the GH series Panasonics from the GH3 onwards. _For a stills shooter_, the G9 is even better to handle than the GH series. Enough said!
Agreed. I didn't take mirrorless seriously until the GX8. It was either that or the Nikon D810. Originally I just wanted a good street camera. But the GX8 turned out to be so much more. I hope Panasonic doesn't stop on a follow-up for the camera. Please, a GX8 Pro!
I went back to the camera store today (couldn't help it) to handle the G9 again. The more I fiddle with it, the more I love it. The grip is actually feeling much more okay and of course the menus are very familiar. The shutter release does feel a bit sensitive/soft but similar to the Canon 5D MKII I used to have. I got used to it.
April I hope!
The only one I know is coming is the 20Mp GX80 replacement. But I don't get any insider information.
Ricardo Gomez n
David, I bought your book “The Panasonic Menu System Simplified” on Amazon and it is extremely helpful. Thanks for that whole series of books.
As previously mentioned, I've also been waiting for your review of the G9. As an editorial photographer myself, it's your background that makes for a truly 'user review', knowing you'll be looking for the same functionality from a camera as me. So thank you for yet another excellent video.
Thanks Andrew - yes we'd be looking for the same attributes in a camera. Overall usability comes high on my list, ultra high speed 60fps less so.
Great review, thanks. I don't know why so many reviewers say that the shutter release is too sensitive, I find it perfect, smooth and responsive (and I am oldish and clumsy). You get used to it's responsiveness after the first few uses.
I'm used to it now but I'd still like it a little less sensitive, personally. Having said that, Panasonic researched the G9 Thoroughly so the test users must have approved. Glad you liked the review.
Great video. For the video capabilities I would say the G9 can be a superior option for some over both the GH5 and GH5s. If you intend to shoot 4K 50 and desire best AF in Panasonic camera and best image stabilisation then the G9 does it better. The GH5 has worse AF and slightly worse stabilisation. The GH5S is powerful but of course lacks any body stabilisation. The GH5 10bit internal is nice but that is for only lower frame rate in 4K. To those making videos mostly handheld and in 4K 50/60, the G9 takes the cake (as long as not intending to shoot more than 10 mins at a time, not a problem for me). Good video chap.
Always enjoying to see your videos. For me this is the main competitor for Oly EM1 mk ii
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us David. RIP.
Thanks again David, enjoyed this review along with all the others. Best M4/3 info on the web.
Glad to hear that, thanks!
awesome review! : ) Always good to upgrade
Thanks, Rebecca!
Superb, thoughtful, articulate review. Jack
Glad you liked it, Jack. Thanks.
I just bought the GH5. Admittedly I'll never use the full video capabilities of the GH5. I do enjoy using it as a stills and I"m constantly amazed at its capabilities in stills and video. The question is will I see that big of a change to warrant selling and buying the G9? I'm having a hard time justifying it. What would the cost performance advantage be?
Great review, I was looking for an upgrade / additional camera for my GX80. Balancing between the G90 and the G9. Both have features which I do appreciate. One of your final statements in your G90 review made me go for the G9, the prices are close and the extras are worth the extra money. This week I pulled the trigger, a Dutch camerastore lowered the price because of Black Friday to €999,- and there’s a cashback from Panasonic worth €100,-. €899 or £770,- for the G9 and €879,- for the G90. No brainer so I’m now going through all the functions and features with your book on my iPad as a guide. Thanks for all the effort and information!
You're welcome, Mathijs! Yes, some real bargain prices on the G9 at the moment. Such a capable camera and even rivals the GH5 for video now, with the latest firmware upgrade.
I have both GH5 and G9 with my key lens of 100-400 for birding. Is it worth changing all Pana to Oly EM1 Mark2 based upon Phase detection?
Have you kept the GH5?
These things are getting complex! I just stepped up from a GH3 as my workhorse camera and I'm blown away by how many things can be customized. When your review started adding up how many custom modes, function buttons, that lever and the custom menu, I knew I was in trouble. I had the advanced manual printed, and there are post-it notes sticking out everywhere, reminding me what my custom settings are... It has so many features that I've owned it for 3 weeks and I haven't yet tried the high-res mode. I expected more of a comparison between the G9's IBIS and the Olympus version. I guess once one camera does the impossible, all others are just expected to catch up.
The modern cameras are fantastic but they do take a lot of getting to grips with. I find it best to set the camera up for a basic working model, set that to a Custom mode and open the camera up with that. Then just tweak as necessary or the job at hand and gradually write to memory. I prefer the Save/Load menu myself since changes you make while working aren't lost when the camera goes to sleep as they are in Custom.
The stabilization, it's just so good on both cameras now that any difference is academic more than practical. I have shaky hands but I can happily 150mm still at 1/30 and get most sharp. Beyond that is more of a circus trick, I think. Plus, for shooting at 1/2 or a full second and beyond, a tripod or at least a good solid rest really is best.
Hi David! Very interesting and informative review, always good to hear your voice. Will you be producing a guide for the G9? I already have several and find them incredibly useful. Thanks 🐻👍🏻
Mr. Thorpe you are truly the man. Excellent reviews sir.
Great to hear that - thank you!
Great review i purchased the G9 and i couldn't be happier.
justyjust
In french : "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" (Marc, from Paris) ;-) Thanks for sharing. I just bought a G9 to upgrade my GX8 and I really appreciate the accessibility to the several fonctions, the ergonomics and handling. The AF joystick combine with the Fn1 button is a must. And "Lumix" website gives a lot of information to set it up properly. It changes me from my Sony A7RIII who was a chinese puzzle-like.
The G9 is a highly complex camera and Panasonic have done a very good job in making its operation as straightforward as they have. For me, like you, the user friendliness of the camera is one of its great attractions. By the way, just because you're French doesn't mean you speak French better than me :-) However, I've consulted with the Academie Francaise and they tell me you are correct so I'll accept your correction - just this once, mind.
Just went to B&H Sunday and the GX9 was on backorder. So I pre-ordered it and it's expected to be on the shelves by March 23rd.
Interesting! Must be selling well. It's worth the wait.
Terrific review, although I must say, I'm still on the fence between upgrading from my XPro1 to either the EM1ii and the G9, and now the Fuji XH1 has made the choice even more difficult. I'm mostly a stills shooter, but would like to dive into video making interviews. Suggestions?
thanks David, great review .... I have as a hobby birding and I use the Nikon D500 with the Sigma Sport 150-600mm and I get very good results, the question is: can the G9 with the 100-400mm give me similar results? thanks in advance for your response
Thanks, Alejandro! It depends on what your final output is intended to be. For prints up to about 2 feet across or screens up to 4,000 px across, no appreciable difference. I saw an interesting RUclips video where a London professional gives images from Micro Four Thirds and his FF Nikon to a printing lab and asks the printer afterwards to judge from the prints which was which. He couldn't tell at all.
In low light, the APS-C sensor will be about 1 stop better, so it's really a balance between that one stop against the smaller, handier camera. The lower noise will make little difference up to 1600 or even 3200 ISO, however.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Hi David, I use the Fz1000 but looking to upgrade to the g9 w/ 100-400 for wildlife & airshows for more reach & low light performance. I've been successful with panning techniques & focusing modes except the their tracking feature. What more can I expect from the G9 compared to it's 1" brother? Also, do you think Panny will come out with faster & longer lenses for M43? I found it interesting that with their full frame line up they went with f4.
@@Shok1t The G9 will be more capable generally than the Fz!000, largely because it has (I believe) more computing power. The tracking works well on the G9 but I tend not to use it a lot simply because when it goes wrong it goes very wrong. Normal AFC picks up mis-focusing more quickly and controllably. In reality, the fact that you have been successful with panning and the focus modes on the Fz is more important than the step up in technology - skill enables technology to work better but it can't put right bad technique. Meaning, whatever you use, you'll be getting it to perform properly and thus you _will_ see benefits. I don't know if Panasonic have any plans for high speed long lenses. They already have the 200mm f/2.8 which is a fantastic lens but expensive, as is all high speed glass. I can't see them doing an f/2.8 300mm or 400mm given what the price would have to be. Olympus's 300mm f/4 will work nicely on the G9, though the Panasonic 200mm with the supplied 1.4x gives you a very similar reach with still excellent sharpness. All of lens design is juggling with immutable physical laws and costs! Panasonic is doing some FF f/2.8 zooms, I believe but any professional needing serious long lenses is still going to have to buy Nikon or Canon.
@@DavidThorpeMFTHopefully, Panny can come up with some new tech to deal with low light outside of fast glass.
Thank you for your insight. Your channel is very informative & entertaining 👍
which is better as an allrounder for an enthusiast. Omd em1 ii seems underrated by many.
Thanks David for another excellent review. I currently have an em5 ii which I use mostly for bird and general nature photography and am looking to upgrade to either the em1 ii or the G9. Olympus’s menu ‘system’ drives me crazy but the em1 still seems to have the edge in c-af. I know nature photography is not your thing but which would you choose?
Thanks! The Olympus does have the edge in low light with erratically and fast moving subjects but the Panasonic has much better focus area control and a bigger brighter EVF which can be just as useful! I'd try to handle both and see which one you prefer.
I finally bought a G9 about 5 weeks ago and I absolutely love it! The more I keep learning about it's capabilities, the more it wows me. When I get my blog up and running, I'll do an in-depth review. For now, it's a 100% professional, stills camera for use in just about any, commercial genre. As you mentioned, it's probably not the best for sports and darker venues.
It's going to be tough to top this. I agree with the backlit buttons being a nicety. Also, I would much rather trade that micro-USB connector for a USB-C one.
So if these two things are included on the next model, what's next? A new sensor that improves the color depth, dynamic range and AF? I mean, that would be nice for sure. But for now, I see lots of great work and art being done with my G9!
Good to hear that, Ricardo. As you say, there are improvements that could be made but the G9 as it is remains one of the best, if not the best cameras I've ever used.
David Thorpe I love using it. Even when I go out for street photography, and I think about grabbing my smaller, lighter and more hipster GX8, I still pick up the G9. I'm sure some of that is the 'new toy' feeling of the G9. But I can't deny how fantastic the ergonomics and button placement are. It's important. Before moving to NY, I had to sell one of my cameras. I sold my superior Canon 5D MKII in favor of my Canon 50D. Just because I love using my 50D so much. And it shows in the pics....
@@ricardorgomez Panasonic really started to get camera design right with the GH3 and they've been wise enough not to alter it tom much since. Sometimes the best upgrade is simply not to spoil what you already have. :-)
David Thorpe I don't have as much history with Panasonic. But I agree. It's like Porsche. After 50 years, Porsche still looks and feels like a Porsche with the right updates.
Impressive camera and very well presented review, but that zoom lens @ 9:27 must be a beast to carry around! ;)
Great Review David, thanks !!
Now, thinking in stills, if you had to choose just one camera and the only options were the G9 and the M1-II, what would be your choice ?
Yes!!! You nailed it towards the end of the video about putting phase detection in their cameras. Panasonic is too stubborn and if Olympus would add phase detection in their next EM5, it could take away some of Panasonic's sales for still photography. You really made it easy for me and my upgrade decision for 2019 with the EM1.
I try to put the cameras I review in to some wider perspective than 'better' or 'worse' since there isn't a bad camera in the entire Micro Four Thirds lineup. There are cameras mores suited to some photographers than others, however and that's what I try to highlight. Nice to know that it has been useful to you.
I used to own a GH4 for years. The G9 is vastly improved for photography over the GH4. I can do 1 full second exposure with the 35-100 at 100mm with no problems thanks to Dual IS
It's remarkable, isn't it? Mind you, you need a good steady hand as well for exposures like 1 second.
The trick is to lean on a wall or something and you will almost never need a tripod ;-)
Fantastic review! Informative and relevant. Great journalistic style. I have a question about the G9 which you didn't address in your review. Is there a flash you prefer and can recommend for use on this camera? Thanks!
Thanks very much, Adam! For the stuff I do, I rarely use flash and all I have is a Mecablitz 15 MS-1 - review ruclips.net/video/aUcqJ8hzUI0/видео.html . I've been a lifelong user of Mecablitz flashes and if I were buying one, I'd look at those first, probably the 52 AF-1 which does everything you might want in terms of master/ slave etc for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Another great review.
A tough choice between this and the EM1 Mkii. Currently using a G80 and looking for something that will be a great alrounder for portraits, motorsport and football. Pros and cons with both systems. Mostly have Olympus glass but even that doesn’t swing the fulcrum as Panasonic also uses it well and currently a good few hundred pounds cheaper.
Glad you liked the review. It's almost a toss of the coin. I much prefer the ergonomics and menu system of the Panasonic but if I used a camera for sports a lot, I'd incline to the Olympus. It's not head and shoulders above the G9 but it does have the edge. As an all rounder, the Panasonic...what can I say, it is the first camera I pick up by instinct because, with time taken to set it up to your preferences, it is just so damned easy to use.
Excellent review as always, David. :) One question I had is what do you do to get your 100% crop images for those high res shots?
Thanks for the kind words! I find the easiest way is in Photoshop, make a fixed size 1920x1080 selection, move it where I want and then Image →Crop.
hi David, I noticed that in autofocus, and in manual mode when I pressed shutter half down a portion of the scenery or frame fills the entire viewfinder. I wonder what is the explanation for that. I think it is about the metering system and 18 percent gray. Please let me know what you think. thank you.
It will be a focusing aid. You can change things on Page 3 of the custom Menu, MF Assist and Display.
Aloha David...another great review--thank you! Will the Olympus M.ZUIKO Pro lenses degrade the G9's IBIS, Still, Video performance? Cheers
I have a G9 and the Olympus 12-40 f2.8 and the 40-150 f2.8. The answer is no. I have taken experimental exposures at 1 sec on both lenses hand held. All have been sharp so far. I use the electronic shutter most of the time though. The same for video. I am a casual video user. The performance is fine both at FHD and UHD Nice results with cinelike V. Have yet to try all of the settings. A lot more than the GX8. As David said , work through the settings a bit at a time to find the ones that suit your way of working. Its good idea to alter the default JPEG settings. I mainly use JPEG. I have turned off noise reduction and increased sharpening by + 1 , but that's to my liking .
If you want the full 6.5 stops of claimed IBIS you will need the compatible Panasonic lenses which use the lenses AS as well. As I said, I have had no problems with Olympus lenses on any of my Panasonic bodies.
Thank you & I have the same Pro lenses and in my humble opinion, the Zukio Pro Lens build quality and appearance are a perfect match for the Oly EM1 Mk II--photo gear eye candy (made in Japan)...unlike the plain Jane looks and plastic feel of my Panasonic lenses (made in China?). Nice to know the Zukios will work on the G9.
Swing Away Bear in mind though that you won't get Dual IS or the benefit of DfD. That may or may not matter depending on your discipline.
Thank you
How do you connect the camera to laptop to use as a monitor as you did at 05:00 ? Do you need a particular type of lead for that?
Great review, David! Thanks for keeping up the awesome work.
Thanks, Richard!
Thanks, David, for the thorough and helpful review! Very informative, as usual! Did you get used to the sensitivity of the shutter button fairly quickly? It's kind of a big deal to me because I'm not really one to use back button focusing.
Thanks a bunch!! 😀
Hi Linda, nice to hear from you. Like Mr Moses, I've got used to it fairly quickly but I'd still prefer a weightier action. It's more of a problem if you use several cameras with heavier actions and makes to too easy to fire off shots or bursts accidentally. It'd worry me a lot more if we were back in the days of film with its material costs!
It's not a big deal and if the G9 was all you used it would feel normal quite quickly. It is nice in the respect that it makes a slow shutter speed release very smooth.
I`ve been waiting for your review David! ;) Thank you for picking G9 first before the GH5S ;)
Hi Kenny - I won't be getting a GH5S simply because the video aspects of it are way beyond my level of expertise. I can talk with some semblance of authority on stills because that's how I have always earned my living. I wouldn't be comfortable about reviewing a camera where a high proportion of the viewers would know much more than I do. I do talk too much but I avoid pontificating ....or try to :-)
Incidentally, I wouldn't think there would be a massive difference in IQ between a 10Mp shot and a 20Mp one sampled down to 10Mp.
How does the G9 focusing with the Olympus pro lenses (especially the 40-150 and the 300 also in combination with the teleconverter) compare to the em1 mkii for sports and wildlife photography? I really wish the olympus had some of the features of the g9 and think about getting one.
Once focus is locked on, there's little difference between the two bodies with the 40-150. I can't speak for the 300mm because I haven't tried it but I'd expect much the same result. What I did note was that the initial lock on was a bit quicker with the Olympus PDAF. That wouldn't be enough to persuade me to make a choice between the two bodies because the greater versatility of the Panasonic's focusing parameters can make a big difference to performance. For cyclists, for example, I use a custom array of 7 focus points 2/3s of the way up the centre of the viewfinder. That limits the amount of processing the camera has to do and lets it put more resources into the follow focus algorithm. Continuous autocross is notoriously difficult to evaluate, though, since no 2 sequences are exactly the same.
Thank you very much for the answer.
Hi David. Great review & channel, allways entertaining & informative. Can I ask why you prefer the G9 over the Olympus E-M1 Mkll (if you do of course)? I am considering purchasing my first camera, possibly G80 & hope you could offer lens recomemdations?. I am travelling overseas for 3 months next year and would like to take 2 or 3 lenses. My interests are landscape, architecture, cityscape (at night) & street. Thre are so many lenses to chhose from it's all very confusing! :)
What are the reasons why one of the two shutter types, mechanical or electric, would be preferable to the other?
Smaller than a DSLR? Against my old Pentax K3, height and width are about the same but the G9 grip is much deeper. It's 150g lighter though and that helps when shooting for a day with a long lens.
I tend to think of DSLR as 36x24mm sensor items. APS-C is a halfway house with the disadvantages of both systems - strictly my own opinion, that! I had a Pentax K3 - lovely camera, I really liked it. The problem was just the lens size and that was the only reason it went. It's the lens sizes that define Micro Four Thirds utility, really.
Hi David, I am currently enjoying Olympus stabilization with an EM-1 and 300mm f4 for bird photography. I am considering switching to the G9, how do you think the 300mm would perform on a G9, would it be wiser to stay with Olympus and the EM-1 mk 2 ?
Thanks, Still a problem to solve : No reason to loose the "constant preview" in Manual mode at the moment you use a flash...
Hi Olover - Ok, but what value does constant preview have if it can't (how could it?) preview what the flash will do? Say you set the camera to 1/250th @ f/11 in a dim room. The constant preview would simply show an all black image. Take the pic and it is nicely lit by flashlight. What have you previewed?
@@DavidThorpeMFT I had a funny instance when I went to a client site to shoot employee photos. Keep in mind I'm a designer by trade and not a pro photographer and I was merely doing the shoot as a favor. I had an off camera flash and was using my GX8 which had constant preview on. I did the whole shoot with a completely black viewfinder/monitor and was too stressed/rushed to just sit there and think logically about it. Photos turned out great and they were happy though.
@@alang253 What a horrible moment! Mind you, much worse if the pix had been black too!
Excellent review David. I noticed you used at least one Olympus lens on the G9 (the 40/150, which I don't think has lens stabilisation built in). Presumably you are happy with body only stabilisation, but did you feel the Panasonic 35/100 (which does have lens stabilisation) offered superior sharpness in conjunction with the IBIS to the 40/150?
Glad you liked the review. It was certainly a pleasure to do. To answer your question, no, not really. The sensor stabilization of the G9 is just as good as the Olympus E-M1 Mkll so no difference there. The in lens + in body dual stabilization must make a difference but once stabilization gets to 4 stops I find it enough and anything beyond that more a selling point than anything else. With the lens at 150mm, I can hand hold 100% reliably down to about 1/45th. I wouldn't want to drop below that anyway. But there will be photographers doing things that I don't do that find the extra bit from the lens invaluable, so better to have it than not. It wouldn't influence mu choice of lenses, though.
Top quality review has always on m43
Thank you, Ray.
Nice video...and thanks for it.................I cant help but think about 'children of the sun" by Billy Thorpe.....back in the day.......1979 when I see your last name.....have a good day...
Thanks, Kennynva. He's not a relative, though given the name we are both probably descendants of a great Viking warrior :-)
Your reviews are fantastic and your clarity too and I’d like to thank you for giving up your time to share. I’m looking now end 2019 to downsize
My 5Dmk4 and 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, and 100-400 2.8 - all Mk2 canon , for an equivalent MFT system. My main photography is stills for landscape, wildlife and the occasional BIF and Astro (am aware of limitations here of MFT - at least from what I’ve read. My question is more around should I wait for a successor to the G9 in 2020 or bite the bullet and get one now. The driver behind this is the weight and portability of my canon equipment is becoming the issue,.
Your views on this would be very much appreciated. Keep up the fantastic reviews.
Thanks for the kind words, MG. Unfortunately, I have no insight into what any of the Micro Four Thirds makers plan to do other than my own feelings. I've heard nothing about a successor to the G9 other than wild rumors about a 41Mp sensor which, I have to say, wouldn't be of any great interest to me, 20Mp being perfectly adequate for most purposes. You've obviously taken an informed view of Micro Four Thirds and the limitations of a smaller sensor balanced with the benefits of a smaller physical size, especially for lenses. As such, you won't get any surprises from Micro Four Thirds, though you may be surprised at how little advantage the extra size and weight of a larger sensor camera gives you in _real world photography_.
That's just a preamble, though. In answer to our question, I'd buy a G9 now. There are various deals floating around, some of them making the G9 a very good buy and it's worth waiting for one of them. In the UK, I think any sub £1,000 body price or pro rata body/lens deal makes a G9 good value. If a G10 is introduced it will be a lot more expensive than the G9 and that extra money would be better spent on a G9 and quality lenses. Because of my books and reviews, I need to buy new bodies as they come out. Were that not the case, I would be unlikely to buy a G10 and wait until at least a G11 before considering a swap.
David Thorpe Thanks David - that’s helped me big time - order placed !
I love your camera reviews. could you please make a comparison between the em1 mk ii and the g9 (how does the af on the g9 with the olympus pro teles?)?
The AF on all Panasonic cameras works perfectly with the Olympus Pro lenses and in fact they are what I use a lot of the time. I'll keep in mind about a comparison but the overall comparison in terms of AF performance would be pretty much the same as my GH5/ Olympus E-M1 Mkll comparison.
Are you seeing the difference in the raw files coming from the G9 to the G85? I don't mean in terms of dynamic range or resolution. The difference I'm seeing between my G85 and GH5 is how plyable the raw images are. With the GH5 I can bring down highlights, but with the G85 raw highlights seem baked in like as if it's partly cooked.
I haven't directly compared the raw files but the GH5 does have a different and more recent sensor than the G85 so that's probably it. Sesnor development is on a plateau at the moment but the incremental changes made do add up. It's funny for anyone used to film cameras - I find any exposure within a couple of stops of "correct" can be turned up or down and give perfect results. Try that with Kodachrome 32 with about a half stop margin from perfect to unusable!
I own two of these camera’s I use them for wildlife photography it’s the best camera I’ve ever owned image quality is superb EVF is amazing the button placement is perfect
One of the very best cameras ever, I think.
A very nice camera with amazing EVF. But a little too chunky. Hopefully they'll put the same features in a smaller body.
Two years on, apparently the shutter release pressure was recalibrated by Panasonic not long after the launch of the G9 to give more 'feel' (though I haven't actually tried one, mine is an early camera) and of course the latest firmware was a major update of features, especially video. Although the AF is no problem for me, I'm very much hoping Panasonic can bring to the G9, the clever AF algorithms developed for the S5, for visually improved continuous AF...
Yes, it's generally agreed that the one thing Panasonic cameras need is an improvement in the continuous AF. Mine was an early version and I really don't like the hairline trigger type of shutter button.
Great review bro😍 how is the stabilization for a cinematic type video on this camera🤔
Thanks, Rashen! stabilization is excellent, as for stills. You also have E-Stabilization which works well for walking shots, for example, both with or without the normal stabilization. Plus I.S.Lock which is almost like putting the camera on a tripod . And if you are using non Micro Four Thirds native lenses, you can set the focal length manually for optimum results.
@@DavidThorpeMFT thank you for the response 😊
Good review as ever - I’ve just ordered one. One thing I would take issue with however is the high res mode comment. I’m not sure there’s any more call on the lens in terms of resolution, since each capture still only needs to resolve 20mp. Additional resolution is achieved via the combination of each sample. I think the fact it doesn’t resolve quite as much as you’d expect is a limitation of the processing and the inherent properties of the Bayer array, so that at each photosite you benefit from sampling true colour rather than R, G or B. In that way you’ll get more colour depth and dynamic range out of your subject (and less noise), but that won’t translate into genuinely four times the resolution in an absolute sense. I may be wrong, but I think it has little or nothing to do with limitations of the resolving power of the lens.
You could be right, I can only judge by results, not having any great technical knowledge. I do notice that in terms of detail, 80Mp is no different to 40Mp. Also, the camera makes 8 exposures, shifting by half a pixel width, I don't know if that would make any difference. Sony use sensor shift to improve sharpness but the image size remains the same.
David Thorpe
I sort of think of it in the same way as the Foevon sensors - there’s three times sampling in terms of colour, but in spite of their claims it doesn’t equate to three times the baseline resolution. It will get you more colour depth though and more dynamic range. I think the Panasonic does a bit more than that because of the number of samples. I can’t for the life of me see how it’s lens limited though (even though DPReview makes a similar point with the pixel 3). Because each sample is making no more demand on the lens than normal - you pixel shift and you’re gathering extra light and extra detail by virtue of that rather than anything to do with the lens.
Computational photography is the future for good or ill and I think it will eventually see the death of the single lens/sensor camera.
For now while I was considering moving back to 35mm instead I’m going the speed booster route. Some big lenses plus adapters, but it does mean I get a lot of light/shallow DoF when I need it (at a not unreasonable price) and a compact system when I don’t.
Sort of a best of both worlds accepting the compromises.
When I bought my first Micro Four Thirds camera, I thought how good it would be if the camera could use the contrast information as it quickly racks in and out and apply a blur factor (which you would choose) related to the distance from the point of focus. It's be perfectly easy to apply more to the forward area than the back area. That way you could shoot at, say, f/5.6 to get adequate depth of field while blurring the background to taste. I did contact Panasonic but got no reply (what's new?). It shouldn't be too hard to simulate accurate out of focus characteristics for a lens. I know a lot of photographers would object to this but that argument was lost for me when my chief photographer showed me how to move a football to a better position while printing the weekend sports output from 9 photographers. That was more than 50 years ago!
David Thorpe
Yes there’s no halting algorithms that will do far more than a bit of noise reduction/sharpening/demosaicing - the sort of things we take for granted in digital imaging. We will come to a point when we can no longer be sure what level of detail is being captured against what is ‘manufactured’ by the camera. It does throw up a lot of questions. Perhaps there’ll be a separate category of forensic photography all about accurate representation. I suspect most people won’t care if they’re getting stunning imagery from their tiny smart devices. We’re old fogeys now, init?⌛️
What is particularly interesting is touched on when you say 'we can no longer be sure what level of detail is being captured against what is being manufactured by the camera'. It applies just as aptly if you substitute 'brain' for 'camera'. I went to a Gresham lecture a couple of years ago on the nature of perception. It seems about 5% of what we see is taken from the rather limited (though versatile) acuity of our eyes and the other 95% added in by the brain's acquired experience. Thus our final image is based on a shifting sand interpreted through more shifting sand. Again, as you say, who cares provided they are getting stunning imagery. Provided it's not medical photography, of course.
Does the High Rez mode produce file with greater DR and better noise?
Not greater dynamic range but since they need to be shot on a tripod you can always use 200 ISSO for least noise.
Getting my G9 tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it out! Getting a little fed up of Sony Alphas colour, so thought I'd try something different. Wish me luck :)
Well here's wishing you luck! I'm using my G9 right now for reviews shots. A very, very capable and versatile camera. If they'd put PDAF in it, it would be perfect. As it is, it is plenty capable of keeping up with any action I need to phtograph.
Hi, David! Ages ago, your review was a huge part of why I bought my GX85. Today, I bought a G9, as I've started to get more serious paid work and needed the extra insurance afforded by the dual memory card slots and weather sealing.
I am really happy to see you coupled the G9 here with the Olympus 12-40 2.8. That's what I'll do, and I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on how they perform together (G9 and 12-40 2.8).
Particularly, in terms of auto focus performance, and ergonomics.
I'll get the camera in about two weeks, but any help in the meantime is appreciated.
Thank you as always for your fantastic content.
You'll love the G9, I'm sure, Marcos. The auto focus with the Olympus lens is just as fast as any Panasonic lens and they make an ideal combination, suiting one another in weight and size. The Olympus 12-40 is such a good performer - I sold my Olympus 12mm f/2 after using the zoom for a bit as the zoom was sharper and, of course, so much more versatile.
I like the manual focus collar, so easy just to pull back the focus ring and there's a depth of field scale too. Panasonic have, usefully, incorporated a control for the on lens Fn button, I use to for the default focus operation but there are plenty of other options. It does show that Panasonic don't just cater for their own brand, which I like. Especially, though, I like the quality build of both items. You get the feeling that you have got what you paid for.
@@DavidThorpeMFT thank you SO MUCH for the thorough reply! I did not know that the G9 was able to make use of the Fn button on the 12-40! Since it does work on my GX85, I wouldn't have tried it on the G9!
Good to know that the auto focus performance is on par with Panny lenses.
It all looks like it'll be a good pairing!
David Thorpe hi David, which is the best in your opinion with the G9? 12-40 or 12-35? Why? Thank you
Hi David, great review as usual.
Just to let you know (if you weren't aware) the new Peak Design anchors use thinner thread and fit very nicely through the Panasonic eyelets....nice.
I didn't know that - thanks, it'll save a lot of trouble. In the case of the G9, I actually gace up trying to get them through they lugs.
Hi David, off topic question but I guess almost a month without an upload from yours make us miss you :) I always wondered whether you use any lens from the film days through adapters to MFT and, in case, whether you plan to make a video about these options. In my early MFT days I had a lot of fun using cheap adapters paired to cheap lenses. Sometimes simply for fun (e.g. Industar 28mm f/2.8 M39 mount), sometimes ending up with very soft but pleasant portraits (Jupiter 85mm f/2, M42 mount), sometimes with great results (Pentax-M SMC 50mm f/1.7 or even a medium format Rollei HFT Planar 80mm f/2.8). Today I still use the Pentax and the Rollei, along with a Tamron 28mm f/2.5, all adapted to EOS and then mounted on a cheap tilt-adapter EOS-MFT. It all might get convoluted and bulky but yes, I really enjoy it as you can understand. Any experience from you? :) Thanks!
Hi Giorgio - I've been working on my G9 book so that's taken a lot of my time. The whole adaptor thing is interesting and I'd love more chance to experiment. As it stands, I have a 300mm Nikkor IF ED f/4.5 which I use with adaptor. It has a bit of purple fringing but is easy to use and focus and plenty sharp enough. It cost me £120 which is a little better that the £2,000 odd of the Olympus!
Hehe, great to know and yes, those 120pounds sound very doable to experiment a bit... I look forward to hearing more when you'll get the chance, perhaps one day we'll see a video about it :) Thanks for the kind reply as usual!
Nicely done David, I wish it was a bit lighter, like em1ii range. A 658g body is getting closer to DSLR territory
hanks Att. True what you say but if you put a 17mm f/1.8 prime on it or the 12-32mm Panasonic zoom, you start to see the real value of Micro Four Thirds. Nonetheless, I agree, the Olympus E-M1 Mkll is that bit more convention a size. And, fo course, many people simply prefer a bigger camera body for use with long lenses and big zooms. Maybe Panasonic could sell a G8.5 :-)
How was it using Olympus lenses on the G9? I am tempted to buy the EM1 Mk2 because I already have Olympus lenses.
I use Olympus or Panasonic lenses without thinking about it. The focusing is the same on both and though Panasonic's Depth from Defocus doesn't work with Olympus lenses, you'd never know under normal circumstances. The difference is that with an Olympus lens on Panasonic , in fast sequences initial lock-on is a little slower. Once locked on, little difference. Also, if you have an Olympus lens with stabilization built in it won't work with the G9. But the camera itself has around 5 stops so it hardly matters.
Thank you for another well done, informative, and entertaining video.
Thanks, Morrie!
How's the tracking (more specific tracking focus) when G9 with Olympus lens?
I have a m5 mark II wanting to move up and about start doing sports shooting for track and field. I was looking at m1 mark ii but I overall don't like the olympus menus and phone app. Also I already have both 14-40mm and 40-150mm pro lens from olympus and love the mf clutch and build of the lens.
End story question am I losing out on much getting a G9 using Olympus glass or am I better off with the m1 mark ii. Thanks.
For track and field I don't think you'd want the 60fps top end shooting capabilities of the Olympus. On the Panasonic, the 20fps shooting with tracking is limited to 50 frames or 2.5 seconds, then you must wait a short time while the buffer empties. For me that means that the highest useful shooting speed for sports of the type you mention with the G9 is 9fps, unlimited (or very long) burst times, and AFC tracking. It's a personal choice but for myself I find 7fps plenty and it gives a manageable workflow too.
Where the glass is concerned, I use the Olympus 40-150 Pro and once it locks on, little, if any different from the Olympus E-M1 Mkll. Several photographers have emailed me to say that they find the main difference is in the lock on. That's my experience, too. The Olympus lens will often give you a couple of frames off focus on Panasonic while it sorts itself out. Once sorted out, it follows focus as well as the Olympus. In practise, with football, say, you see the person with the ball and someone else coming in on them and you pick them up before the action occurs. Both the Olympus E-M1 Mkll and Panasonic G9 are much, much better at AFC than the E-M5 Mk2.
Thanks for the quick response! I'm not doing too bad atm with my setup but I know it could be a lot better with a newer body. Thanks for the detailed answer! Prefect!
All these new camera that are pop out and making think about try out something else. Probably gonna rent out a G9 for weekend and then maybe the new Sony or Fuji.
Thanks again!
Perfect information for me also. I don't shoot birds in flight or air shows. I do shoot track and road running races. I have a M5 Mark II and a M1 Mark I original, and have been thinking about the M1 Mark II, but was not happy with the UHS‑I only slot 2 and no 120fps slow mo. And have missed the joystick I used on a Canon 7D Mark II. The G9 looks capable enough and has image stabilization, a joystick, two UHS-II slots, and 180fps slow mo. Looks like what I have been wanting.
Thanks for the in-depth and practical review! I've been looking at the G9 for the longest time, ever since moving to M43 from a Canon 60D. The G9's pretty tempting - specially given the recent firmware 3 update of the G9.
I have been walking around with a E-M1 mark 1 and a GX8 and Olympus PRO 7-14mm, 12-40mm and 40-150mm.
Do you think I will I be better off getting a E-M1 mark 2 with phase detect and native Olympus support given these lenses? Or does the G9 still hold its ground, and able to give decent IBIS to these Olympus PRO lenses?
With its better EVF, top LCD and joystick, the G9 in the better all round jack of all trades camera - that why mine is my main workhorse camera for stills and video. The IBIS of the G9 is very much the same as the E-M2 II and personally I use my Panasonic and Olympus lenses on either make of body without a second thought. I'd go for the Olympus if I did mostly (or more) action/ sports. It's not that the Panasonic can't do it, just that the Olympus is that bit better., though you'd only see a noticeable difference under the most difficult of circumstances, dimly lit indoor sport, for example. For me, the sheer usability of the G9 because of the state of the art EVF make it the prime contender.
Another great review, David. The G9 looks great but unfortunately I can't afford it myself. So, instead I'm getting a second hand G80 instead as a backup camera body, which is great value for money. Still if I ever get the money together, the G9 would rank high on my to buy list.
G80 is incredible
Best bang got the buck mid-range hybrid easily
Nice as always, David. Will you elaborate on the FW2.0 for the E-M1.2 in your future video? This is what almost nobody does. You proved that you can achieve great results with the E-M1.2's AF "out of box" already when some people are not safisfied with it. And new firmware should improve AF-C even more. According to Oly.
Thanks! From what I read, the new firmware doesn't change the AF-C performance, just makes the high speed modes available on some more lenses. The AFC of the E-M1 Mkll is already the best available in the Micro Four Thirds system!
Have you tried the latest firmware for Lumix G9 that added more video capabilities?
Yes, I have upgraded the firmware. It seems to make the G9 as good a video camera as it is stills. I wonder where that leaves the GH5? My guess is that the G9 will (has?) become the all-rounder hybrid and the GH5 will be marketed in GH5s form, as a video camera with good but not state of the art stills capability.
Hey David, thanks for another great review! I noticed you still listed the gh5 as your main camera in your kit page and was wondering why someone like you who primarily takes stills wouldn’t trade the gh5 for the g9? Does the gh5 still offer benefits if not doing any high end video work?
Hi Kim - actually, I have to update the kit page. I'm using the G9 as standard now. Just so easy to use, very enjoyable and very versatile.
Figures! The G9 seems to be shaping up as a great hybrid camera as well, albeit a lower model to the gh5... if only they gave us 120fps in 1080p as well! That would be a compelling buy along with the high resolution mode, even with the omission of 10 bit recording!
Really enjoy your chill commentary!
Thanks!
Would you recommend this for F1/wildlife photography, I'm thinking of getting this with the Panasonic Leica 100 - 400 lens, can you give me some advice please?
The 100-400 is quite specialist and lenses like the 50-200mm or Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 (with converter) are more versatile. But they don't have the reach of the 100-400, of course. Provided you are sure you need such a long lens, the choice would be ideal. Camera body, the only competition is the Olympus E-M1 Mark 2 which does have the advantage of the phase detection focusing but is balanced by the Panasonic's much better EVF. I personally prefer the G9 with the joystick for focus positioning and the top LCD for instant confirmation of settings.
Hey I have the G9 and I can't see how much recording time I have left on my sd cards it's not showing up on the screen, do you know what I should do? Love your videos btw!
This is what I've been waiting for
I was at the NEC photo show yesterday. The lumix stand could have used your expertise. The prints they put out weren't too convincing. Fortunately as I mooched around the superb Sony prints next door was the gfx50 medium format ones....suddenly the Sony ones seem a bit weak. The g9 is quite a bit bigger than my gx8 but it sounds like it might be twice as much fun.
You flatter me, Simon - I love it 😊 Seriously, yes, you've illustrated one of the all time truths of photography. If you want seriously great quality, FF is dwarfed by medium format. It was ever so. You need to be making massive prints like the ones you mention to see it, though. The G9 is a beauty. I've said often that the two best handling cameras I've ever used were my Hasseblads and latterly the GH3/4/5 Panasonics. The G9 is actually better mainly for 4 things, the focus joystick, My Menu, the LCD panel and the on the go charging and external power from a standard mini USB cable. It has advantages over the GX8 in that respect but the GX8 is still a lovely handling camera and I do like that rangefinder type layout. Same IQ, of course and insofar as the CAF of the G9 is better, it's only incremental. The GX8 with the 100-400 Panasonic was startlingly good, actually.
Thank you for this great review. What Software is used at 5:00?
That's Lumix Tether for use with lap and desktops. It's a free download from Panasonic's web site. You just need the serial number of your camera to download it.
Hi David, great video as always! Question: Did you notice many differences in color rendition with the G9 compared to the GH5? Other reviewers keep talking about the G9 having different colors but so far I haven't seen any side-to-side comparisons! I've been shooting stills with the GH5 and am quite pleased with it, but I'm thinking of adding the G9 to my bag since I'm doing less video work. I can live with the hair-trigger shutter button, but I'm more concerned with image quality and color science :-)
Same question for me. I bought the GH5 5 months ago, love it, but not sure I"ll ever use the video capabilities...not in favor of the grip and if the G9 is lighter that helps too. I'll have to eat the cost of selling used and buying new. I just don't know if I need to jump ship just yet... what say you?
Yeah, the more I research about the G9, the more I come away thinking it would be a neat upgrade, but perhaps not a *necessary* one if you already have a GH5. The sensor and most of the features are exactly the same, but the G9 has amazing ergonomics, EVF, improved stabilization, high-res mode, and allegedly (only in JPEGs I think?) color rendition.
Honestly I'd be more inclined to buy a G9 body if the performance in terms of color and noise reduction were *significantly* better than the GH5, but so far I haven't seen a solid reason to do so just yet. I don't shoot landscape photography (so high-res would be wasted on me) and I don't do wildlife/sports (so the improved IS and burst speed would also be wasted on me). From time to time I'll do some social dance and portrait photography and the GH5 is amazing at it, so I'd probably be more inclined to invest in a new laptop to work on all those videos/photos, a gimbal, or lights :)
I would say don't get rid of your GH5. Just because it has more video-centric features than the G9, it doesn't mean it's bad at still photography. The G9 is a bit better in terms of usability, but the results seem (so far, as I haven't seen concrete proof yet) about the same as a GH5.
@@armacanqui here is is 9 months later and I'm still doing this..hahaha. What have you done? G9 GH5?
@@SlothHunter2 hmm? I still have just my GH5 (working amazingly) but I may actually get a GH5s soon :)
Hi David, how do you do the PC connection? Is that the camera screen or a PC program?
Hi! Panasonic have a (free) Lumix Tether program for PC and Mac which uses a cable connection and allows you to view and control the camera from the PC. There's also an app which allows you to do the same thing via a WiFI/Bluetooth connection to an Android or iPhone. All very effective and easy to use and easily made connections, I'm glad to say.
Hi David, did you already had the chance to test omd e-m1 m3? If so, how does it compare to the g9 purely looking at raw image quality? I currently have the panasonic g85 and looking to upgrade. The g9 looks price quality wise an interesting buy, but it does feel a bit to large in my hands... On the other hand, I do like lots of images made by photographers using the g9...(James Popsys)
I shoot landscape BTW...
I've just received my E-M1 Mark III so not had any chance to use it yet. I'd expect RAW image quality to be near enough the same as the G9 (and the E-M1 Mark II for that matter). Both makers monkey about with JPG output but it can't be better than the RAW files allow, so the Olympus and Panasonic differ only in the compromises they chose to make in camera. I like the size of the G9 but the Olympus is that bit smaller and more convenient.
@@DavidThorpeMFT looking forward to your official review about it!
so calm and nice
Glad you liked it!
Terrific review, David. Thank you!
Glad you liked it, Daryl, thanks.
From a Panasonic, Fender and Brompton fan (even maybe Rush, or French), I couldn't be happier here
Nice to hear from a man with such refined and sophisticated tastes, Jose :-)
Another good review David.
Thank you for another excellent review.
Hi David, Tony Northrup has RUclips on "Micro Four-Thirds is DEAD" yesterday. As a G9 and GH5 owner and Wildlife enthusiast I understand his points from financial / business point of view. My thought is Organic sensor will "save" M43 format. Any thoughts?
I think the main attraction of the Micro Four Thirds system is as strong as ever, the size of the equipment. While I agree that the bulk of FF lenses will come down, it can never match the compactness and low weight of Micro Four Thirds. IQ factors to me are secondary, in that the Micro Four Thirds sensor yields perfectly acceptable quality already and, anyway, any improvements in Micro Four Thirds sensors will be applicable to FF too. However, photographers are heavily influenced by out and out IQ - ridiculously so, in my book - and the new mirrorless cameras will certainly prove popular. The superb Sony A7 series has never affected Micro Four Thirds sales much, though. But asking me is probably pointless - I'm the guy who thought the GM1 and GM5 would be big sellers :-(
i'm looking at the G9 right now, and i wanna know how it works with olympus pro lenses ? is it the same performance than with the olympus body ? if not, what we lost in this case ?
Sorry for all these questions but i don't want to miss something before buying it...
No problem, Gregory. The Olympus Pro lenses work just as fast on the G9 as on an Olympus body. I get the impression a little faster in S-AF but marginal. The only loss is on follow focus, where without PDAF or DfD, the Panasonic picks up the initial focus a little more slowly. In day to day use, I use Olympus lenses on the G9 without even a second thought. Ditto Panasonic lenses on Olympus, though the Olympus PDAF does work in that, of course.
Thanks for that very fast reply 😉 i think i'll buy it, as it check all the box for my needs. Thanks again to take time to create this content that help us to make the good choice for our needs
I love my G9 and have taken some nice images with it (in my opinion anyway 😂). Thinking about getting either the 45-200mm ii or the 100-300mm ii for it. Would you happen to know which is the best optically please? Thanks
Great camera, no question. Overall, I'd say the 100-300mm was better but neither would disappoint. Both are at their weakest at the longest length, as are all zooms. At 200mm, thought, the 100-300 is better than the 45-200.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Thanks David.
David since I became interested and got my G80 I take into account your analyzes. I bought two panasonic lenses as well. Always a pleasure to enjoy this voice. For the first time, I must confess, I think of selling my Nikon D7200. By 20 mp I am taking into account the Panasonic G9 as an excellent option for my work with stills. I have doubts regarding its performance in low light. What do you think. Please, sorry for the long text
The 20Mp sensor is nice in that you get the extra pixels without any extra noise. On the other hand, I'd expect image quality to be similar to your Nikon but not better. The big advantage would be in using the same lenses across both your cameras.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Yes, the use of lenses and the portability of the equipment. I think Panasonic is two steps up technologically. Thanks again for your attention on the answer.
How would you quantify the AF performance in video of the G9 after the 2.0 firmware update vs the AF of the G85 ? Can you do autoiso in video for the G9 just like in the GH5? Being able to use a fixed ND+autoiso vs variable ND and less hunting in videos are the two things I'm looking for in an upgrade. It's now the end of 2019, i.e. almost 2 years since the G9 went on sale. Is it a bad time to upgrade now? The body is going for USD1000 and USD1600 with the leica 12-60. Is that a good price for a two year old camera with these specs?
I'be been playing with the video AF for a bit and it seems to have all but eliminated the hunting effect. I think I'll be able to use my slider with the camera on auto focus now for product shots of cameras and lenses, where up to now I've stopped it down to keep things sharp as the slider moves along. Auto ISO has always been available in M mode on the G9, as on the GH5. My personal feeling is that the G9 has not been improved upon by anything else and this firmware upgrade brings it bang up to date. So yes and at current discounted prices it is a bit of a bargain.
I'm feeling the itch to trade up to the G9 from my trusty G80 , it's quite a step up from the G80, whether to sell my Vario 12-60mm , and buy the kit with the Leica 12-60mm kit
There are some very, very good deals on the G9 at the moment. Given the quality of the camera, I'd suggest that the 12-60mm Leica is a great match for it.
@@DavidThorpeMFT have seen comparisons between the G Vario and the elmerit versions of the 12-60 and the differences aren't as great as the price it will seem, but getting an elmerit 12-60 in a kit you'd be saving a bit, plus the money back on the sale of the G Vario version+sale of the G80
@@lfcmarkeb7124 true.