I really like this no-nonsense first look at the G9. Excellent video. The camera too, it feels like something truly new rather than the usual ste by step updates.
Oh my goodness! Panasonic just seems to do almost everything right! Great ergonmics, fully articulating touch screen, no overheating in video, great IBIS, improved skin tones, full sized HDMI, dual card slots, WIFI, bluetooth, joystick for AF point selection, large EVF. Now they just need to get auto focus tracking working for video - it will be interesting to see if this G9 is improved over the GH5. I just have a huge wish, which is unlikely to be fulfilled - Panasonic, please make a reasonably priced full frame version of these wondercams!
@Gordon Laing - wow, thanks for your reply! Unfortunately, I think you're right. I've had a GH3 since January 2013, but when I take pictures I always reach for my Canon camera. I primarily do people photography, so skin tones and shallow depth of field are very high on my list of priorities. Full body isolation is one area where m4/3 is simply limited by its sensor size - low light performance being another. Thanks for your excellent videos and reviews - I've subscribed :-)
Too big ergonomics, E-M1 has best body ever made. Side articulating screen is terrible, even tilt up/down wins it but best is the Fuji X-T2. Olympus still has the best IBIS even without Sync-IS it beats Panasonic Dual-IS2. Joystick for AF is terrible, dual wheel design in E-M1 is superior to anything out there in fast situations in any weather or camera angle. Panasonic should as well fix their menu system, too complex and illogical, but then they make many other things great like amount of Fn buttons and now the switch! This G9 is great 4/3" format (not m4/3 or MFT format!) body but by many specs match the E-M1 II but lacks in many and wins in some. It is great time to be a m4/3 system owner compared to any other format I can tell. You get top notch IQ comparable to any other larger format up to ISO 6400 (even some cases 12800) and still have too shallow DOF to worry so you need to stop down in portraiture. If you want to do portraiture, the focal length is 90% of the key to get blurry background, the aperture ratio value is very small. Even on FF the best portrait lens is 200mm at f/3.2 and all 50mm or 85mm lenses even at f/1.4 are way way weaker than that one. Meaning, get a 150mm f/2.8 lens or even 75mm f/1.8 and you will produce better results.
The Panasonic menu system and use of the touchscreen is far superior to the messy Olympus menu system. I like the em-1 mkii but they need to redesign the use of the touchscreen and menu system, it still feel awfully similar to my old e-pl1. For stills the g85 ibis and dual is is very similar to the experience with the Olympus (Panasonic is smoother so seems less effective than the harsh shift of Olympus but in reality the results are really close) so I have no doubt the g9 will be equal. I've been switching from Olympus and Panasonic bodies on my mix of Olympus and Panasonic higher end glasses and can't really find any superiority in Olympus bodies over Panasonic for still when shooting raw. For jpg the Panasonic color tend on the neutral side and Olympus use more saturation but it's easy to fix, the l.monochrome in Panasonics is really nice. I took a series of shoots with the em-1 mkii and with the g85 last week and you would never differentiate them once converted in lightroom. For me the ergo of the g85 with the grip is better suited for my hands and the functions and menus system is quicker and less cumbersome to operate so to each their own. That g9 will be tempting for me even if right now my g85 is fantastic.
@ReMors - I don't agree with you on ergonomics, side articulating screen or joystick. So we'll just have to agree to disagree on those points and use whatever tools suits our individual needs the best. The good thing is there are a lot of different cameras to chose from. As far as I know there are no Four Thirds System (4/3) cameras in production anymore and while Micro Four Thirds System cameras may use a 4/3 sized sensor I think you're splitting hairs. MFT and m4/3 are both widely used abbreviations for the current mirrorless cameras made by Panasonic and Olympus. I agree that focal length is an important factor in blurring the background. However, using a longer focal length will also affect background compression and increase subject to camera distance if you want the same subject magnification. In order to blur the background sufficiently, I recently had to zoom all the way in, back up, yell and run back and forth to the models whenever any change of pose was needed, as the only lens I had with me at the time was a 70-200 f/4 IS on a camera body with an APS-C sized sensor. So, aside from low light performance, there definitely is a point in having full frame sensors and large aperture 50mm and 85mm lenses etc.
Nice video! I am enjoying my g9 as well. All the features in this little camera are really making me happy. This is indeed a good year as there are so many nice new cameras to choose.
Thanks Gordon. Good video. I'm just trying to decide whether to buy a G9 to augment my Olympus OMD EM 1 Mk II now that the prices on the G9 have come down. Seems like a very worthwhile purchase at current prices,
The camera seems to have a lot of desirable features. But I have an APS-C now and am constantly aware of the increased bokeh and low light capability of a full frame sensor. I'm aware that a micro 4:3 sensor can produce good photos, but there is no way I'd be taking a step down in sensor size. Those that currently work with a four-thirds will find this an exciting entry.
As ever a good and precise overview. I picked up a G7 and couple of years ago for very little money because of discounts, it was fun as an addition to my DSLRs. A year ago I upgraded that to a G80 and the price was considerably more, I see the trend has continued with this model ! Though to be fair, you are getting quite a lot for your money however there are two things that I never settled with on either I owned, the autofocus isn't that good and the lack of availability of fast lenses. I look forward to your full review on Camera Labs.
Thank you for a fantastic discussion and overview of the new Panasonic G9 photographers camera. I was totally unaware of this camera, but I'm super impressed with what you have presented today. Having purchased the GH5 and updated it with the 2.1 firmware I am still blown away with this camera. In your humble option Hugh, will it be easily justifiable to own the GH5 and the G9. I have an insatiable appetite for good photographic and video graphic equipment and I have a real passion for both photography and videography. Your last comment to me was "You like your glass, don't you" so guess what lens I will be buying next. Many thanks Hugh for another great presentation.
Thanks William, but I'm not Hugh, I'm Gordon! Did you mean to comment on Hugh Brownstone's video? He's a friend of mine though so I don't mind taking his complements!
I do apologizes Gordon. I am unclear how this has happened, but I did have a glitch of some sort while writing my comments to Hugh. I will have another go at getting my comments to Hugh. I have just looked at your video and I will now take the opportunity to thank you for your contribution. I would also like to ask you the same question I asked Hugh. "In your humble option Gordon, will it be easily justifiable to own both the GH5 and the G9? Many Thanks
No problem William, I'm glad you found and enjoyed my video! If you can exploit a dual camera setup, then there may be some justification in getting both the GH5 and G9, but I think with so many features in common, most people would buy one or the other based on how demanding they are for video or continuous shooting. But as I said, both cameras are still great all-rounders.
Yes, it'd be a great upgrade over that model. I'm still using my EM1 Mk 1 and this feels like a completely different beast, although coincidentally, this video was filmed with my EM1 Mk 1!
Glad I found you via the Camera store video and have subscribed. I was noticing your hands shake and wondered what that is? Always appreciate your knowledge and reviews. Great work.
Just wanted to clear up things to consider, especially for a GH4 user wanting to upgrade to the GH5, or the G9. First, the GH5 is a few hundred dollars more, but the G9 would appeal better only if the video functions are less important. The concept (marketing) of the G9 is to skimp on the video features, but leave the photo capabilities the same, except for a few things that most people probably would overlook. G9 compared to GH5 (- GH5 only or better/caveat feature on G9, + G9 only or better, ~ same or neutral/lacking feature). - 4,096 X 2,160 (True 4K) max video recording + 3,840 X 2,160 (UHD Pseudo 4K) max video recording - 10-bit video recording internal, external, supported ~ 20 MP ~ High ISO quality up to 10,000 (RAW in particular, JPEG 8,000 comparable) ~ No internal flash (bane to photography, especially in low-light for portraits) ~ No clip-on flash (bane to photography, especially in low-light for portraits) ~ Due to the above two factors, purchasing an external flash may be quite expensive; n/a to GH4 with internal pop-up flash - Extra feature: 40 and 80 Megapixels resolution for multiple image combination (lossy with artifacts, as in Sony's ClearZoom), which this looks better on paper than in real-world use, as any resolution above the effective megapixels uses digital zoom! + Few more fps photo shooting (good for sports in good lighting conditions) - Effectiveness of image stabilization and/or in-body + 20% less expensive (body only) per average MSRP (street price may fluctuate) + Smaller and lighter (depth; about the same for height and width from viewing front or back of camera) + Top of camera LCD display on right (borrowed from Canon G and Sony RX10 lines--considered P&S as lenses are permanent) That said, do I recommend the G9 over the GH5? If you want to spend $300 less and want the non-True 4K as found in new Sony cameras (because they algorithms and engineering may be related, perhaps somewhat changed with TowerJazz involvement, the Israeli company). If video and stills are of equal importance, the G9 won't fare that well. If you are serious about 40 and 80 MP resolution, you are not going to get decent results on a M43 sensor with digital zoom incorporated into optical zoom. It is no different from taking a 20 MP photo into Adobe Photoshop, going to Image Size, setting the enlargement to 200%, pressing enter, and saving the photo. Instead of taking a 40 or 80 MP still, consider purchasing a fractal-based program, and using that to enlarge the photo to the desired enlargement. Who would want to use 40 or 80 MP for billboard-size prints? Who even has a printer to do such size prints? If you are serious about extremely high-resolution photos, the new Fujifilm GFX-50s is quadruple the price of the G9, yet will yield results that someone coming from a Hasselblad, Mayima, or other Medium Format camera background would have the real-world need for. It makes no sense to put a M43 sensor in a Hasselblad, so the 40 and 80 MP option is a gimmick that obviously won't give great results, but it is just 'there' to make the budget-minded find appeal, which is probably alright, as you probably won't even print murals to cover the vast amount of wall space in your living room mansion.
Gordon Laing this will be my first "real" camera,but i have been watching all of your reviews😁!!! Thanks for the reply and i will consider all the options on a purchase this expensive,i have 3 kids so will be making videos for family and taking stills of nature and such,possible youtube too... thanks Sir
Thank you Panasonic for building a mirrorless camera that doesn't fake being compact like the sony line up, where we all know pro glass will make it bulky anyway.
Foto4Max I don't own any Panasonic equipment, I use Nikon currently. I just appreciate good ergonomics and hand feel in a camera. Sony's mirrorless bodies while having really good tech inside, they ruined them by making them "compact" when they know for a fact pro glass is physically impossible to be compact.
Sony 12-24 f4 (half size and weight of Canon and Nikon closer lenses, smaller and lighter than Pana 8-18 and Olympus 7-14), Sony 100-400 (smaller than Canikon, and even lighter than Fuji`s 100-400), 28mm f2 (small and light), 35mm f2.8 (pancake), 50mm f1.8 (DSLR size), Loxias (compact, light and optically perfect), 85mm f1.8 (superb sharpness, and same size and less weight than Panaleica 42,5 F1.2, the lens with the same depth of field equivalent).... And I could keep going....
Please test the G9's Continuous AF performance, this is where most believe DFD will fall short and the fact no one is showing off good results with it is very concerning.
I think they're probably all previews, using pre-production models like mine. If you wait a couple more weeks there'll be more production bodies available for us to test. I should have one I can test properly within a couple of weeks and that's when I'll do some proper AFC tests.
these cameras are quite large with decent grips, I wish they would integrate an arca swiss/l bracket trype groove in the base of the camera. I look forward to seeing how the high res mode compares to the oly.
Fuji offers a thin grip with an arca swiss base, but it doesn't curve into an L-bracket. I think in that event I'd sooner go for a third party bracket so I can mount in portrait or landscape orientation.
Ouch, that's a whole lot of dough. sure loads of features but that sensor just isn't good enough for a stills camera in that price range. Yes I know first a hand my girls Gx8 that has been traded in. She went Fuji too. Final Results on my 16mp X-E2 were always better. Nevermind our current 24mp models.
For the AF, are all those small boxes (at 02:20) always visible? I have the G7, and the boxes only show up when activated as a focus point(s), automatically or via touch. Or at least that's how it works with my set up, which I really like All those boxes all the time I might not as much.
I'll retest, but I'm pretty sure the USB port on the Fuji bodies (that support USB charging) is for charging only, not for supplying operational power. If you turn on the body, it'll ignore the USB power. But again I'll recheck to be certain. Can you confirm it works?
Hy Gordon, Do you know if G9 model got HDMI LIVE mode and keep sending video signal trough the HDMI out put during filming ? ( My DMC-FZ300 LUMIX shutdown the monitor and give me a nice black window !!! ) PS : Same limitation on GH7 !!
I presume it can also shoot 120fps in Full HD. Were you able to test the quality? I have a G80, which is a great camera and I have been really happy with it! But it is missing the higher fps 120/180 mode.
I know it can shoot at 180fps in 1080p, so I'm assuming you can do 120fps too. I wasn't allowed to test the quality for this preview, but I will soon for my final review.
Thanks for the info! A bit disappointing if there wont be a 120fps to 24fps mode. But understandable, if they have kept some of the modes only for the GH5.
Gordon Laing, do you know if this camera can do tethered /or wireless live-view onto Windows 7 and 10? #2 which wireless radio TTL battery operated strobe will be compatible with G9? #3 will Olympus software that has wireless live-view work on G9?
Thanks, do you know what is the cool down time between videos? As the g9 is limited to 10 min 4k60 and 30min 4k30 what happens after the camera stops the recording at that limit, can you start the recording right away or do you have to wait (how long)?
I didn't experience the need for a cool down in my tests. I could start recording straightaway and keep doing that until the battery ran out. I should also say I don't recall my particular sample being limited to 10 minute clips at 50p or 60p, but I'll reconfirm with a final production sample.
So the G9 has 6.5 stops of in body stabilisation while the Olympus omd 1 II only has 5.5? So the ibis on the G9 is better (when lens ibis not taken into account) ?
Good point, but at the high-end, it seems people just desire bigger cameras. That said, this is still way smaller and much lighter than, say, a Canon 7D.
Ergonomics has no remorse. If you want to have a 12 FN buttons and be operable with gloves in winter time at -20C, then you need to design the body to support that. Panasonic could very well do a GM7 that is like GM5 but with the features of this, but you would get just two Fn buttons and battery lifetime of 100min and single MicroSD card slot and tiny EVF that you can't use in sunlight as it is so small. Would you be happy for it? Olympus could put a E-M1 II to Air A02 model, but what would you do with it and 30min battery lifetime? Not much really.
@@cameralabs I agree, thank you so much, and I hope they will develop m4/3 technology. What are your the most favorite lenses for G9? particularly for landscape and portrait? thanks again.
Hi Gordon. As you tested a lot of cameras and i'm still looking for my next camera (actually nikon d90) maybe you could help me. I hesitate between g9, Sony a7II, a6500,...Fuji x-t 2/3...my budget IS around 1500€. I take pictures mainly of my daughter (portrait, mouvements,) but street or landscape too. I need good autofocus to not miss pictures of my princess, and do sharp pictures...wich cameras would you advice?
@@cameralabs hi well if possible yes...hère there is a sony a7II +28-70mm+50mm+bag+sd card in sale et 1089€. I like the G9 Gand grip. With a lense it IS 1499€. If not XT3 nude IS 1329€, with 18-55mm 1899€ X-t2 nude 1049€ For all this brand i don't know lenses prices... There is z50 +16-50 around 1150 too.
@@cameralabs well i would just to take sharpen portrait and in mouvement my daughter...family pictures, street or landscape maybe..i still have my d90 with 70-300/ with50mm1.8g and 18-55m
@@romualdb5968 I think staying with APSC is your best bet, and of the APSC systems, i think Fujifilm has the best overall bodies and lens selection. But if you don't need a vast array of lens options, also consider a Canon EOS M model or a Sony A6000 series. My guide here should help refine your choices: www.cameralabs.com/best-mirrorless/
@@cameralabs hi Gordon did you had this problem in background vidéo of g9? :(2min21 on this vidéo ruclips.net/video/W0lfXP5gISU/видео.html) I hesitate nos between om1 MK2/om5 mk3/xt3(1100€ body used) /a7iii1400€ body used)...what do you advice?...or maybe xt30...loo
I didn't scratch the bottom of this or any other camera I've filmed. But yes, a slider could still be good. That said, all I had was a set of stone steps outside an office to film this.
Can you use the hi res shot mode with the focus stacking at the same time? (To create an 80mp focus stacked macro shot) Also are there any limitations on aperture to use the hi res mode like Olympus have?
Good questions. The focus stacking on the Lumix bodies uses 4k and 6k Photo, so no it won't work with the High Res mode. As for apertures and ISOs, Panasonic hasn't mentioned any limitations yet but I expect there will be advisable limits similar to the Olympus. Maybe not actually preventing you from shooting, but you won't get the best from it.
I would say combination of not killing GH5 and according to interview with Panny rep it has something to do with heat dissipation. Now choose whatever you want from those possibilities.
Imrpoved stabilisation put together data from gyros and data from sensor. I would say it might be added in FW update. If Panny will be willing to do so - which is questionable.
Took my new GH5 to the real test vs my old Oly Epl 5.....that was very interesting....i do not see something really of quality difference when it come just down to a picture quality in Raw/Jpeg, possibly a fraction better to GH5. But the old Oly is still very good when it comes to night pictures,maby a bite better than the new Pany ;)
But why the older USB port instead of the newer/small type-C that everyone else is moving to, including some of pany’s previous cameras... there has to be a reason for that right?
Likely because G9 design might have started already 2014. Olympus top engineers has told that E-M1 development started 2009, they had two models in their tests a E-7 and E-M1. The E-7 was a DSLR with same internal parts as E-M1 but they weren't sure do they go fully to m4/3 mount or still deliver a 4/3 mount body. 2012 they released E-M5, that is few years after E-M1 being in test evaluation, as the E-M5 has been in development for few years and ready. At the E-M1 II launch event Olympus engineers told that it development started at end of 2011, that is many months before E-M5 was released. And couple years before E-M1 Mk1 was launched. There is typically a 3-5 year development period between new body development start and release. And they use the common latest tech at the time, so you get few years delay very easily.
Low light moving stills? Well that means a Dslr. Panasonic has great AF in low light. Best i have used (with a fair margin) But they also reliably fail when the subject starts moving. My current Fuji's track much much better in good light. But not under dim conditions. Then the on-sensor PDAF says screw you.
it wasn't harmed or marked in any way. Same for the A7r III in my previous video. These are tough tools you know, designed to handle this kind of thing!
Don't worry, I've been testing cameras for over 25 years now and have never damaged any of them. If I did, they wouldn't let me borrow them anymore for review.
My first impression when looking at this camera was: Man, it's huge! I mean, the main advantage of mirrorless cameras was the smaller size and less weight, compared to DSLR's. The G9 body is heavier than some Nikons and Canons! But hey, if you already put heavy metal in your photo bag why would you stick to Micro 4/3 quality instead of going full frame (or APS-C)? I can't see Panasonic following this path for too long.
The main advantage of mirrorless isn't just size, but electronic composition and playback through the viewfinder, which in turn allows them to do a lot more than a DSLR can. The G9 is fairly large for a mirrorless, but it's a lot lighter and less hefty than a comparably-featured DSLR - this is up against things like the Canon 7D II and Nikon D500.
For me Panasonic is becoming really confusing. Most of the stuff in this camera seem like a software update on gh5. So why one whole new line? And are those software features going to be available to the gh5 e.g. jpeg and high resolution mode?
I would not buy into any reason for not porting the added software features but I also would have liked to see the jpeg engine which is nothing but a software algorithm to be ported. This is very much against trusting in buying into products of a company (which I like very much).
The G85 is still a great camera, and the G9 is much more expensive. They're aimed at different budgets and photographers. Plus this was announced a month ago, so if you've just bought the G85, you'd have known about this.
At first glance maybe, but they claim to have improved DFD again and reckon it's better than many rivals with PDAF, so I'm holding out until I've tested this aspect fully.
Uh, $1700? You can get a GH5 for $1999. Why in the world would anyone get this instead? Before you go off on me - I am not doubting the camera, but the pricing. It makes no sense.
Oh no its got a Canon style 1980"s lcd top screen - don't let Tony ( Sony are soooo good) jpeg boy know .Then again it's not Canon so he'll probably give this fabulous new Pana a clear pass.
I know what you mean and I too wished they'd added it as it really works a treat on the Olympus. BUT Panasonic is very confident on its claims of how good this latest version of DFD is, so we'll just have to test it and see how it performs in practice. You never know, they might have nailed it.
I am yet to see a person who needs PDAF slightly better performance in critical moments who so screams for it. CDAF can deliver already critical moment shots and it is more up to person handling the camera.
not a fail if it works and does what they say it can do. I'll be testing it to see if it really can track as well. if it can, then who cares what tech it uses.
EVERY autofocus system is contrast based... Even when "PDAF" stands for "Phase Detection Auto Focus" it is 100% contrast based autofocus system. It detects the contrast phase difference and then calculates by triangulating the distance so it knows where to move. CDAF stands for "Contrast Detection Auto Focus" and it doesn't detect contrast phase, it detects the contrast directly and it only needs to move past the strongest contrast to find when to reverse. And even with this, CDAF is faster than PDAF. The difference is really not in CDAF or PDAF, but that AF processing is separated in DSLR that is measuring very few and large contrast sensors quickly on separate processor. While on mirrorless the processing is tied to sensor and the main sensor is used as well for the contrast detection. This is difference why example OM-D cameras offers 800 AF points for focusing, while even best DSLR are far far far from that. That is really huge benefit for example macro photographer as 800 AF points means you can select exactly correct AF point.
lots of cameras can be charged over USB, but you can't turn them on and have them powered by USB. SO far it's only Sony - and the phone companies - who can do that. Now Panasonic can too.
I know Samsung is a dead system but I also have a 4 yr old Galaxy NX camera and I can plug it in via USB to charge and still take photos or videos , it probably doesn't count as Samsung are out of the camera market don't know why you didn't believe me about the NX1
The NX1 was ahead of it's time in every single regard. My mouth dropped when i had a hands on at cologne when it was shown to the public. At the same time as the Canon 7d Mk2. yet i felt like it was from another universe. (wile still being more affordable.) Unfortunate that Samsung as a brand couldn't get traction. It wasn't their products fault. both the NX1 and NX500 were exceptional camera's. And they simply had better lenses then Sony has for their APSC system even today. (not better then Fuji though)
The G9 is a decent camera considering its sensor size, but nothing close to an APS-C or full frame camera wich can be had for less or the same price. This thing is ridiculously overpriced. Just for having some gimmicky features. For this horrendous price tag, they could at least have included unlimited 4k recording. But like this? Since the GH5 can be had for around 1700-1800€, why is there a need for a 1700€ G9 then?
Show the FF or APS-C that has the same capabilities? Only the E-M1 II and now G9 has the top features, with same IQ as any APS-C or FF up to ISO 6400 at 30" prints. (If you don't understand it, you can make 30" wide prints from photos taken at ISO 6400 at low light and have same IQ as best FF like A7rII)
Please, show me some close up images of those large prints then. Plus, how do about 13 stops of DR compare to about 15 (DxO)? Or 9.5 to 11.6 (Photonstophotos)? "Same IQ as any APS-C or FF"? Sorry, but I have multiple m4/3 and multiple FF cameras, and I would *never* in my life buy a m4/3 camera for stills image quality, because its shite in relation to its price (GH5/G9). Yep, m4/3 cameras have nice features and are stunning for low cost video work, but for stills only, I would never pay 1700€ for a tiny sensor.
Clearly you don't undestand anything at all. How are you going to come from there to the gallery where the prints are? Why I need to show anything at you, when you are the one who needs to be moving! And stop the DXO bullshit. DXO is unworthy what so ever. They can't even get the same T-stop value for SAME EXACT LENS between tests! T-stop is a cinema industry standard that needs to match, just like F-stop is for photography (DOF). They even get different sharpness and ISO values even when exactly same sensor and same processor is used and real prints show NO DIFFERENCE WHAT SO EVER! And then they get exact values when in real world there is a visible difference! DXO is for armchair photographers who never work with the real photography. And if you can't use camera with 13 stops, then you don't know how to handle the camera. Masters for photography decades ago already manage to handle all situations we have today with just 7-8 stops. They didn't even have HDR nor the capability pull shadows or recover highlights.. But go on, you clearly are what you say; You think the photographer skills are only about sensor size. I recommend you to start by at least buying the Gordon book "www.cameralabs.com/in-camera/" for some examples he has done WITHOUT EDITING. And if you dare to come to claim that you can see the difference between 4/3" and FF, you are then blind. I have made similar book few years ago but in A3 size (single page is A3 size) and there is NO DIFFERENCE at ISO 6400 when using any A7, E-M1, D800 or 5Dmk3 when using good glass and proper camera settings (full manual).
Before getting into a senseless keyboard warrior fight - wich I might have initiated, sorry - let me just sum up my opinion: M4/3 is a really great camera system, especially when weight is a concern. And most videographers will agree that the GH4 and GH5 are decent if not even good video cameras. But when it comes to pricing for stills use only, at least the G9 and GH5 are pretty hefty coming in at about 1700€. They have some gimmicks, wich may be nice, but will never reach the value, that any APS-C / FF camera in this price range has. Not because the images are bad, but because the sensor just has physical limitations leading to more noise, less DR and harder to achieve shallow DOF. Full stop. Just a tip: Lets not go full out on calling each other noobs, okay? I have my 10 years of experience in first semi-, now professional photography and you may have yours. No need to fight over gear and personal opinion this much ;)
Erhh.. What? You seem not to know that "Full Frame" specifically means a 135 format in the context when talking about Olympus PEN cameras that used only half (vertical) of the 135 film typical "Leica" (36x24mm) frame size and got to be called as "Half Frame cameras". So you had two formats using the same 135 film, a new PEN line "Half Frame" cameras (that others started to do as well) and then in that context "Full Frame" cameras. The 135 film has always been called as "klein format" meaning "small format" or more typically known as well "Lilliput Format" as the main format at the time were 4x5 field cameras before Oskar Barnack got idea to use 135 cinema film to make camera smaller to be able carry it with him for walks (as because illness he couldn't hike so well anymore, so carrying large camera was painful/impossible). The "Full Frame" has never meant anything else than clarification when talking between Half Frame cameras and typical 35mm cameras. Instead 24 or 36 frames, you got 48 or 72 frames with quality high enough for majority of the work. And there were later many smaller formats like 110 film that is today the 4/3" format. When Canon and Nikon made their first DSLR, they had smartphone size sensors and costed tens of thousands. Then finally technology got better and they revived failed APS film format as digital version, calling it "APS-C" and "APS-H" etc. The problem was that journalists and staff photographers bought new DSLR and used their SLR era lenses as new digital lenses didn't exist. And majority were confused because their 35mm or 50mm wasn't as wide as they had in their SLR cameras. So then when Canon came out with their first DSLR and 36x24mm sensor, they started marketing from the past "Full Frame" to tell that now 35mm and 50mm were offering field of view exactly like the SLR cameras by capturing "Full Frame". And guess why a APS "C" (Classic) had frame size of 25.1 × 16.7 mm? Half Frame (PEN) had 24 x 18mm so about same. And now APS-C are either 22.5 x 15 mm or 24 x 16 mm. Medium and Large formats are totally another thing and never has been called as "Full Frame" as no one cared about "mini-format" called 35mm as it was good only for reportage and 8x10 size prints at best (because film and optical qualities). For last 5 years a 4/3 format is already so much better than critical people can demand (no one can match the nerdy pixel peeper demands as they are out of this world anyways just following DXO or so) for majority people for almost their every situation they can come up with. If 90% of photographers needs are below 4/3" capabilities, no one cares if 10% finds it ain't enough. And if from those 90% of photographers can get the format deliver 95% of their situation, the quality that surpasses their demand then they don't need larger. And that is where Olympus originally already based their decision to select 110 format as base for their new DSLR by making a 4/3" format. They worked with Kodak (#1 paper, film and development manufacturer in the world, knows something about FINAL QUALITY needed regardless of format) to find out what are the demands for 90% of the professional photographers. Then they used their knowledge about among photographers what size, weight the camera system should be and the needed capabilities. They checked what the digital world had to offer for next 5-10 years like what software and processing performance does and they build the new digital system to exceed the requirement of the majority of the people. If someone comes at you and say they need a great looking 18x12" print in black and white or color and their 99% of ISO used is below ISO 1600, and need only to crop to about 80-90% of their framing. Then you already have a very good starting point that is the requirement from digital camera. "Full Frame" was great at 2005 like when Canon released 5D (their cheaper FF model next to 1D) as the technology was not yet ready for huge (like 1x2m) fine detail printing so larger sensor size offered benefits. But year after year that cap has come down between "good enough" and then "technical limitations" so rapidly that 1-2 years is huge difference.
if you only want resolution, then yes, there are higher res models for the same or less. Some point and shoots have higher res, but you of course know it's about more than just resolution, right?
Yes cameras are not about Megapixel, and of cource not just about Viewfinder and not just for speed and Not all for money making. End of the its all about numbers dude. Ofcource not one aspect is driving forward.
Yes sir if they were giving it for reasonable price, then it won't be about Resolution. We buy camera to make money, to begin with spend less money. That what Panasonic doing Offering little asking more and thats what i am looking for take less give me more, A balance between manufacturer and customer is understanding. At this point every camera manufacture lacks it, Meanwhile we argue about their peanuts.
80Mpix camera you would pay what? See, a landscape, even portrait photographer (you need models who can stay still longer than half a second so forget to se ADHD models who have learn to change pose once a second), product photography and still life photography all benefits from it! And you have only a three models at the moment for that, E-M1 II, PEN F and now G9 to get cheaply a 80Mpix (actually worth of 200Mpix in bayer sensor).
I see MFT as an advantage as it allows smaller and lighter lenses that perform better corner to corner and also makes it easier to deploy better stabilisation. These often counteract the benefits of a bigger sensor for many styles of photography.
If I stopped buying so much film, I would be able to afford one of these. Nice review Gordon. Great to see Panasonic focus on stills for this model, but it does buy a lot of film. Haven't picked up my G6 other than to test some old lenses.
You are not even in same level of performance with your film camera. 1) I stand in a public event capturing the moments, performances, famous people etc. After special capture, I have the photo uploaded to Google Drive in 30 min and shared the link with contacts to dozen of news/fashion services and getting published the photo at best in minutes and getting paid because my photos were selected as I was first to send. 2) You stand in the same event capturing the moments, but how long it takes from you to get them published? How much more time it takes from you to slightly edit (crop, rotate, sharpen, adjust colors, white balance, curves, retouch some elements etc) from the film, compared that I can do that in a phone just less than minute after taking the photo and get it saved in less than minute?
How does your film comment relate to G9? One can buy a G9 and make money in few days worth of few grands, paying the G9 + couple lenses, solely because it is digital camera with quick connectivity! So how much does your film camera generate money in such situation? None, as you are still developing and making prints in darkroom when the news are already old.
Still not relevant and your response has many arguments, but that is not for here. This is a camera review of a fantastic looking camera as I stated above and Gordon is always a pleasure to watch. I shoot for fun and film is fun. I have only sold one image in my life, begrudgingly, and it did happen to be a film image.
I really like this no-nonsense first look at the G9. Excellent video. The camera too, it feels like something truly new rather than the usual ste by step updates.
Wow! Astounding array of features on the G9. Thanks for an outstanding quick review.
You're welcome, glad you found it useful!
Oh my goodness! Panasonic just seems to do almost everything right! Great ergonmics, fully articulating touch screen, no overheating in video, great IBIS, improved skin tones, full sized HDMI, dual card slots, WIFI, bluetooth, joystick for AF point selection, large EVF. Now they just need to get auto focus tracking working for video - it will be interesting to see if this G9 is improved over the GH5. I just have a huge wish, which is unlikely to be fulfilled - Panasonic, please make a reasonably priced full frame version of these wondercams!
They're committed to the MFT format so I wouldn't expect to see any larger formats from them anytime soon!
@Gordon Laing - wow, thanks for your reply! Unfortunately, I think you're right. I've had a GH3 since January 2013, but when I take pictures I always reach for my Canon camera. I primarily do people photography, so skin tones and shallow depth of field are very high on my list of priorities. Full body isolation is one area where m4/3 is simply limited by its sensor size - low light performance being another. Thanks for your excellent videos and reviews - I've subscribed :-)
Too big ergonomics, E-M1 has best body ever made.
Side articulating screen is terrible, even tilt up/down wins it but best is the Fuji X-T2.
Olympus still has the best IBIS even without Sync-IS it beats Panasonic Dual-IS2.
Joystick for AF is terrible, dual wheel design in E-M1 is superior to anything out there in fast situations in any weather or camera angle.
Panasonic should as well fix their menu system, too complex and illogical, but then they make many other things great like amount of Fn buttons and now the switch!
This G9 is great 4/3" format (not m4/3 or MFT format!) body but by many specs match the E-M1 II but lacks in many and wins in some. It is great time to be a m4/3 system owner compared to any other format I can tell. You get top notch IQ comparable to any other larger format up to ISO 6400 (even some cases 12800) and still have too shallow DOF to worry so you need to stop down in portraiture.
If you want to do portraiture, the focal length is 90% of the key to get blurry background, the aperture ratio value is very small. Even on FF the best portrait lens is 200mm at f/3.2 and all 50mm or 85mm lenses even at f/1.4 are way way weaker than that one. Meaning, get a 150mm f/2.8 lens or even 75mm f/1.8 and you will produce better results.
The Panasonic menu system and use of the touchscreen is far superior to the messy Olympus menu system. I like the em-1 mkii but they need to redesign the use of the touchscreen and menu system, it still feel awfully similar to my old e-pl1. For stills the g85 ibis and dual is is very similar to the experience with the Olympus (Panasonic is smoother so seems less effective than the harsh shift of Olympus but in reality the results are really close) so I have no doubt the g9 will be equal. I've been switching from Olympus and Panasonic bodies on my mix of Olympus and Panasonic higher end glasses and can't really find any superiority in Olympus bodies over Panasonic for still when shooting raw. For jpg the Panasonic color tend on the neutral side and Olympus use more saturation but it's easy to fix, the l.monochrome in Panasonics is really nice. I took a series of shoots with the em-1 mkii and with the g85 last week and you would never differentiate them once converted in lightroom. For me the ergo of the g85 with the grip is better suited for my hands and the functions and menus system is quicker and less cumbersome to operate so to each their own. That g9 will be tempting for me even if right now my g85 is fantastic.
@ReMors - I don't agree with you on ergonomics, side articulating screen or joystick. So we'll just have to agree to disagree on those points and use whatever tools suits our individual needs the best. The good thing is there are a lot of different cameras to chose from.
As far as I know there are no Four Thirds System (4/3) cameras in production anymore and while Micro Four Thirds System cameras may use a 4/3 sized sensor I think you're splitting hairs. MFT and m4/3 are both widely used abbreviations for the current mirrorless cameras made by Panasonic and Olympus.
I agree that focal length is an important factor in blurring the background. However, using a longer focal length will also affect background compression and increase subject to camera distance if you want the same subject magnification. In order to blur the background sufficiently, I recently had to zoom all the way in, back up, yell and run back and forth to the models whenever any change of pose was needed, as the only lens I had with me at the time was a 70-200 f/4 IS on a camera body with an APS-C sized sensor. So, aside from low light performance, there definitely is a point in having full frame sensors and large aperture 50mm and 85mm lenses etc.
Hi Gordon! Awesome preview. I think your the only one that shows the viewfinder on your videos , which is highly appreciated. Very nice! :)
Thanks! yes, I'll try to film more viewfinder action in future!
Nice video! I am enjoying my g9 as well. All the features in this little camera are really making me happy. This is indeed a good year as there are so many nice new cameras to choose.
Thanks Gordon. Good video.
I'm just trying to decide whether to buy a G9 to augment my Olympus OMD EM 1 Mk II now that the prices on the G9 have come down. Seems like a very worthwhile purchase at current prices,
It's a monster. I look forward to you and Doug dissecting it.
The camera seems to have a lot of desirable features. But I have an APS-C now and am constantly aware of the increased bokeh and low light capability of a full frame sensor. I'm aware that a micro 4:3 sensor can produce good photos, but there is no way I'd be taking a step down in sensor size. Those that currently work with a four-thirds will find this an exciting entry.
As ever a good and precise overview. I picked up a G7 and couple of years ago for very little money because of discounts, it was fun as an addition to my DSLRs. A year ago I upgraded that to a G80 and the price was considerably more, I see the trend has continued with this model ! Though to be fair, you are getting quite a lot for your money however there are two things that I never settled with on either I owned, the autofocus isn't that good and the lack of availability of fast lenses. I look forward to your full review on Camera Labs.
Thank you for a fantastic discussion and overview of the new Panasonic G9 photographers camera. I was totally unaware of this camera, but I'm super impressed with what you have presented today. Having purchased the GH5 and updated it with the 2.1 firmware I am still blown away with this camera. In your humble option Hugh, will it be easily justifiable to own the GH5 and the G9. I have an insatiable appetite for good photographic and video graphic equipment and I have a real passion for both photography and videography. Your last comment to me was "You like your glass, don't you" so guess what lens I will be buying next. Many thanks Hugh for another great presentation.
Thanks William, but I'm not Hugh, I'm Gordon! Did you mean to comment on Hugh Brownstone's video? He's a friend of mine though so I don't mind taking his complements!
I do apologizes Gordon. I am unclear how this has happened, but I did have a glitch of some sort while writing my comments to Hugh. I will have another go at getting my comments to Hugh. I have just looked at your video and I will now take the opportunity to thank you for your contribution. I would also like to ask you the same question I asked Hugh. "In your humble option Gordon, will it be easily justifiable to own both the GH5 and the G9? Many Thanks
No problem William, I'm glad you found and enjoyed my video! If you can exploit a dual camera setup, then there may be some justification in getting both the GH5 and G9, but I think with so many features in common, most people would buy one or the other based on how demanding they are for video or continuous shooting. But as I said, both cameras are still great all-rounders.
Thanks Gordon. Sound and much appreciated comments.
This looks like a badass camera! And If the performance lives up to the specs, this might be the upgrade to my Em10 Mark I. Great job Panasonic.
Yes, it'd be a great upgrade over that model. I'm still using my EM1 Mk 1 and this feels like a completely different beast, although coincidentally, this video was filmed with my EM1 Mk 1!
Oh wow. You got a hold of this pretty early!
Hail Gordon ! . . . and that large EVF is a killer feature !
As a member of the press I often get invited to preview events, so in this case I was able to film a short preview for you! Hope you found it useful!
A man I would love to see you review this camera. I'm on the fence about stills/portraits on these mft cameras.
What is the price????
body price of $1699 / 1499 GBP / 1729 EUR
Always enjoyed your videos Gordon, for years ;)
Glad I found you via the Camera store video and have subscribed. I was noticing your hands shake and wondered what that is? Always appreciate your knowledge and reviews. Great work.
Just wanted to clear up things to consider, especially for a GH4 user wanting to upgrade to the GH5, or the G9.
First, the GH5 is a few hundred dollars more, but the G9 would appeal better only if the video functions are less important. The concept (marketing) of the G9 is to skimp on the video features, but leave the photo capabilities the same, except for a few things that most people probably would overlook.
G9 compared to GH5 (- GH5 only or better/caveat feature on G9, + G9 only or better, ~ same or neutral/lacking feature).
- 4,096 X 2,160 (True 4K) max video recording
+ 3,840 X 2,160 (UHD Pseudo 4K) max video recording
- 10-bit video recording internal, external, supported
~ 20 MP
~ High ISO quality up to 10,000 (RAW in particular, JPEG 8,000 comparable)
~ No internal flash (bane to photography, especially in low-light for portraits)
~ No clip-on flash (bane to photography, especially in low-light for portraits)
~ Due to the above two factors, purchasing an external flash may be quite expensive; n/a to GH4 with internal pop-up flash
- Extra feature: 40 and 80 Megapixels resolution for multiple image combination (lossy with artifacts, as in Sony's ClearZoom), which this looks better on paper than in real-world use, as any resolution above the effective megapixels uses digital zoom!
+ Few more fps photo shooting (good for sports in good lighting conditions)
- Effectiveness of image stabilization and/or in-body
+ 20% less expensive (body only) per average MSRP (street price may fluctuate)
+ Smaller and lighter (depth; about the same for height and width from viewing front or back of camera)
+ Top of camera LCD display on right (borrowed from Canon G and Sony RX10 lines--considered P&S as lenses are permanent)
That said, do I recommend the G9 over the GH5? If you want to spend $300 less and want the non-True 4K as found in new Sony cameras (because they algorithms and engineering may be related, perhaps somewhat changed with TowerJazz involvement, the Israeli company). If video and stills are of equal importance, the G9 won't fare that well. If you are serious about 40 and 80 MP resolution, you are not going to get decent results on a M43 sensor with digital zoom incorporated into optical zoom. It is no different from taking a 20 MP photo into Adobe Photoshop, going to Image Size, setting the enlargement to 200%, pressing enter, and saving the photo. Instead of taking a 40 or 80 MP still, consider purchasing a fractal-based program, and using that to enlarge the photo to the desired enlargement. Who would want to use 40 or 80 MP for billboard-size prints? Who even has a printer to do such size prints? If you are serious about extremely high-resolution photos, the new Fujifilm GFX-50s is quadruple the price of the G9, yet will yield results that someone coming from a Hasselblad, Mayima, or other Medium Format camera background would have the real-world need for. It makes no sense to put a M43 sensor in a Hasselblad, so the 40 and 80 MP option is a gimmick that obviously won't give great results, but it is just 'there' to make the budget-minded find appeal, which is probably alright, as you probably won't even print murals to cover the vast amount of wall space in your living room mansion.
1:23 finally usb 3.0 now we are onto something! 2:00 duel SD slots finally! Battery life??? Is it more than 700 shots?
It's 380 shots in the standard modes, but a power save option can take you beyond 900. I'll be testing it all for my final review though.
duel ?? you gonna shoot it out then ?
better than anything that canon ever made
Looks a bit cheaper than the gh5,but i still think i will get the gh5 .... thanks for the review, great job as always
compare those features very carefully. if you're a video pro, I'd get the GH5, but otherwise I'd go for the G9.
Gordon Laing this will be my first "real" camera,but i have been watching all of your reviews😁!!! Thanks for the reply and i will consider all the options on a purchase this expensive,i have 3 kids so will be making videos for family and taking stills of nature and such,possible youtube too... thanks Sir
Panasonic does so much right. Would love to see them have a Full Frame line.
sony a9 m43 version...wew nice job panasonic..
Great video, now how does one decide between the XT2, OMDEM1.2 and the G9?
Thank you Panasonic for building a mirrorless camera that doesn't fake being compact like the sony line up, where we all know pro glass will make it bulky anyway.
Foto4Max I don't own any Panasonic equipment, I use Nikon currently. I just appreciate good ergonomics and hand feel in a camera. Sony's mirrorless bodies while having really good tech inside, they ruined them by making them "compact" when they know for a fact pro glass is physically impossible to be compact.
The sensor size is different (like 4x) tho... so its justified
personally i have panasonic, olympus and sony. each has their pros and cons. but frankly mft camera are growing larger.
Sony 12-24 f4 (half size and weight of Canon and Nikon closer lenses, smaller and lighter than Pana 8-18 and Olympus 7-14), Sony 100-400 (smaller than Canikon, and even lighter than Fuji`s 100-400), 28mm f2 (small and light), 35mm f2.8 (pancake), 50mm f1.8 (DSLR size), Loxias (compact, light and optically perfect), 85mm f1.8 (superb sharpness, and same size and less weight than Panaleica 42,5 F1.2, the lens with the same depth of field equivalent).... And I could keep going....
This is an exciting camera.
Looking forward to your AF results. Thanks for the early info.
Me too1
+1 for me - especially regarding any shutter lag in CAF...
Please test the G9's Continuous AF performance, this is where most believe DFD will fall short and the fact no one is showing off good results with it is very concerning.
It's not disconcerting because the camera isn't out yet! I will be testing this when production models are available.
Gordon Laing There are currently quite a few videos of people shooting with the camera showing off AFS and claiming it's great for sports.
I think they're probably all previews, using pre-production models like mine. If you wait a couple more weeks there'll be more production bodies available for us to test. I should have one I can test properly within a couple of weeks and that's when I'll do some proper AFC tests.
these cameras are quite large with decent grips, I wish they would integrate an arca swiss/l bracket trype groove in the base of the camera. I look forward to seeing how the high res mode compares to the oly.
Fuji offers a thin grip with an arca swiss base, but it doesn't curve into an L-bracket. I think in that event I'd sooner go for a third party bracket so I can mount in portrait or landscape orientation.
Nice, looking forward to hearing more! Any idea of UK pricing?
Yep: Expect the Lumix G9 in January 2018 at a body price of $1699 / 1499 GBP / 1729 EUR.
Cheers Gordon! Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the full review.
Thanks!
Ouch, that's a whole lot of dough.
sure loads of features but that sensor just isn't good enough for a stills camera in that price range. Yes I know first a hand my girls Gx8 that has been traded in. She went Fuji too. Final Results on my 16mp X-E2 were always better. Nevermind our current 24mp models.
Hope you will get 100k subscriber soon. Lumix g9 is very god cam.
thanks! I'm edging upwards, but very slooooooowly!
Nice review, thanks for your introduction!
For the AF, are all those small boxes (at 02:20) always visible? I have the G7, and the boxes only show up when activated as a focus point(s), automatically or via touch. Or at least that's how it works with my set up, which I really like All those boxes all the time I might not as much.
Sounds great! Price?
about 1,697.99$ body --> www.43rumors.com/panasonic-g9-200mm-lens-officially-announced/
Martin Schreier Thanks!
you can also power the Fuji X series with the usb port while operating.
I'll retest, but I'm pretty sure the USB port on the Fuji bodies (that support USB charging) is for charging only, not for supplying operational power. If you turn on the body, it'll ignore the USB power. But again I'll recheck to be certain. Can you confirm it works?
Also, seems like there are a lot stipulations on what lenses with which the stabilization will work.
Hy Gordon, Do you know if G9 model got HDMI LIVE mode and keep sending video signal trough the HDMI out put during filming ? ( My DMC-FZ300 LUMIX shutdown the monitor and give me a nice black window !!! ) PS : Same limitation on GH7 !!
I presume it can also shoot 120fps in Full HD. Were you able to test the quality? I have a G80, which is a great camera and I have been really happy with it! But it is missing the higher fps 120/180 mode.
I know it can shoot at 180fps in 1080p, so I'm assuming you can do 120fps too. I wasn't allowed to test the quality for this preview, but I will soon for my final review.
Thanks! Will definitely watch that review when it is out.
The G9 will shoot three slowmo modes. 48fps (conformed to 24p) in 4K, 60fps (conformed to 30p) in 4K, and 180fps (conformed to 30p) in 1080.
Thanks for the info! A bit disappointing if there wont be a 120fps to 24fps mode. But understandable, if they have kept some of the modes only for the GH5.
Gordon Laing, do you know if this camera can do tethered /or wireless live-view onto Windows 7 and 10?
#2 which wireless radio TTL battery operated strobe will be compatible with G9?
#3 will Olympus software that has wireless live-view work on G9?
Panasonic supplies tethering software with the G9, but I haven't seen it yet,
Which one will you recommend for street shooting and film making? I can offord only one system.
Confused b/w Fuji x systems/Panasonic gx8 or gx9
Which one did you get? I'm in the same situation right now
Thanks, do you know what is the cool down time between videos? As the g9 is limited to 10 min 4k60 and 30min 4k30 what happens after the camera stops the recording at that limit, can you start the recording right away or do you have to wait (how long)?
I didn't experience the need for a cool down in my tests. I could start recording straightaway and keep doing that until the battery ran out. I should also say I don't recall my particular sample being limited to 10 minute clips at 50p or 60p, but I'll reconfirm with a final production sample.
Thanks! keep us updated!
Hi, what about battery? Which model uses, what capacity? Photo and video endurance? Thanks.
They're quoting 380 shots or around 900 in power save mode. I'll be testing this soon.
GH3/4/5/G9 the same battery
So the G9 has 6.5 stops of in body stabilisation while the Olympus omd 1 II only has 5.5? So the ibis on the G9 is better (when lens ibis not taken into account) ?
I think the 6.5 stops might require a Dual IS lens, but let me confirm for my final review at cameralabs.com
Interesting that as the Micro 4 3 system grows up it becomes more and more in size like the DSLR's that they seek to replace.
Good point, but at the high-end, it seems people just desire bigger cameras. That said, this is still way smaller and much lighter than, say, a Canon 7D.
Ergonomics has no remorse. If you want to have a 12 FN buttons and be operable with gloves in winter time at -20C, then you need to design the body to support that.
Panasonic could very well do a GM7 that is like GM5 but with the features of this, but you would get just two Fn buttons and battery lifetime of 100min and single MicroSD card slot and tiny EVF that you can't use in sunlight as it is so small.
Would you be happy for it?
Olympus could put a E-M1 II to Air A02 model, but what would you do with it and 30min battery lifetime? Not much really.
Agree absolutely
hi Gordon, do you think panasonic will release another 4/3 camera, the successor of G9? thank you.
A G9 successor? Maybe, but it's already as good as it can be - the only thing I'd want is a sensor with PDAF, but that's unlikely to happen.
@@cameralabs I agree, thank you so much, and I hope they will develop m4/3 technology. What are your the most favorite lenses for G9? particularly for landscape and portrait? thanks again.
@@arifkizilay I made a guide here: www.cameralabs.com/best-micro-four-thirds-lenses/
Hi Gordon.
As you tested a lot of cameras and i'm still looking for my next camera (actually nikon d90) maybe you could help me.
I hesitate between g9, Sony a7II, a6500,...Fuji x-t 2/3...my budget IS around 1500€. I take pictures mainly of my daughter (portrait, mouvements,) but street or landscape too. I need good autofocus to not miss pictures of my princess, and do sharp pictures...wich cameras would you advice?
Does your budget include lenses? Do you have any specific lenses you'd like?
@@cameralabs hi well if possible yes...hère there is a sony a7II +28-70mm+50mm+bag+sd card in sale et 1089€.
I like the G9 Gand grip. With a lense it IS 1499€.
If not XT3 nude IS 1329€, with 18-55mm 1899€
X-t2 nude 1049€
For all this brand i don't know lenses prices...
There is z50 +16-50 around 1150 too.
@@cameralabs well i would just to take sharpen portrait and in mouvement my daughter...family pictures, street or landscape maybe..i still have my d90 with 70-300/ with50mm1.8g and 18-55m
@@romualdb5968 I think staying with APSC is your best bet, and of the APSC systems, i think Fujifilm has the best overall bodies and lens selection. But if you don't need a vast array of lens options, also consider a Canon EOS M model or a Sony A6000 series. My guide here should help refine your choices: www.cameralabs.com/best-mirrorless/
@@cameralabs hi Gordon did you had this problem in background vidéo of g9? :(2min21 on this vidéo ruclips.net/video/W0lfXP5gISU/видео.html)
I hesitate nos between om1 MK2/om5 mk3/xt3(1100€ body used) /a7iii1400€ body used)...what do you advice?...or maybe xt30...loo
You should use a rolling slider instead of permanently scratching the bottom of this masterpiece. Great video nevertheless...
I didn't scratch the bottom of this or any other camera I've filmed. But yes, a slider could still be good. That said, all I had was a set of stone steps outside an office to film this.
Hey which lens were you using in the video on gh9
Look promising, I bet Sony will react to this G9
Very good first review..
Thanks! Hope you also see my in depth videos about it!
Whats the camera’s limitation if only a uhs I card is used instead of ush II? Speed? Buffer?
The buffer reduces but the speed should stay the same.
Can you use the hi res shot mode with the focus stacking at the same time? (To create an 80mp focus stacked macro shot) Also are there any limitations on aperture to use the hi res mode like Olympus have?
Good questions. The focus stacking on the Lumix bodies uses 4k and 6k Photo, so no it won't work with the High Res mode. As for apertures and ISOs, Panasonic hasn't mentioned any limitations yet but I expect there will be advisable limits similar to the Olympus. Maybe not actually preventing you from shooting, but you won't get the best from it.
Sorry, didn’t mean the focus stacking in camera - meant the focus bracketing mode that gives you all the frames to stack in other software
Thats rather a big upgrade compared with my g3. Thats right g3.
So 1080p 180fps is confirmed?! Thats amazing if so
the 10bit recording as well as limited recording could be fixed with a firmware upgrade if they wanted to right? or is this limited by the hardware?
This is for photographers and Panasonic clearly wants to keep G and GH line separated.
Yes I thought so but would it be possible software wise?
I would say combination of not killing GH5 and according to interview with Panny rep it has something to do with heat dissipation. Now choose whatever you want from those possibilities.
*Does it support external mic??? Pls reply?*
I am hoping, that panasonic will add the high resolution mode to the gh5 :)
I think it relies on the improved stabilisation of the G9.
Imrpoved stabilisation put together data from gyros and data from sensor. I would say it might be added in FW update. If Panny will be willing to do so - which is questionable.
that's looks freaking awesome the ulitimate camera for all rounder shooters
you think? I would still prefer the A7R3 in that regard
rhapsodist I do like the sonys but for compact and I cant do without the articulated screen
the A7r III is somewhat more expensive and as Chico says, doesn't have an articulated screen either.
of course its a different kind of beast
LOL and then deal with Sony's over priced under performing lens
What is the range of Diopter adjustment?
Took my new GH5 to the real test vs my old Oly Epl 5.....that was very interesting....i do not see something really of quality difference when it come just down to a picture quality in Raw/Jpeg, possibly a fraction better to GH5. But the old Oly is still very good when it comes to night pictures,maby a bite better than the new Pany ;)
Micro 4/3?
Yes?
@@cameralabs LOL Mini 13/7?
But why the older USB port instead of the newer/small type-C that everyone else is moving to, including some of pany’s previous cameras... there has to be a reason for that right?
I'll ask them. I'd have preferred the USB C shape too.
Likely because G9 design might have started already 2014.
Olympus top engineers has told that E-M1 development started 2009, they had two models in their tests a E-7 and E-M1. The E-7 was a DSLR with same internal parts as E-M1 but they weren't sure do they go fully to m4/3 mount or still deliver a 4/3 mount body. 2012 they released E-M5, that is few years after E-M1 being in test evaluation, as the E-M5 has been in development for few years and ready.
At the E-M1 II launch event Olympus engineers told that it development started at end of 2011, that is many months before E-M5 was released. And couple years before E-M1 Mk1 was launched.
There is typically a 3-5 year development period between new body development start and release.
And they use the common latest tech at the time, so you get few years delay very easily.
Price please brother
PRETTY!
Big question is...can this camera deliver low light concert photography?
The Oddest Thing that micro 4/3 sensor is horrible in low light.
then I'm switching to full frame. I love my g7 with metabones but rather get a full frame than spend 1800 on another daylight 4K shooter
I have g80, great in lowlight with 1.7 lens
Mat Nasa Yeah I know it will shoot video in low light but capturing lowlight moving stills with autofocus is what I want from Lumix
Low light moving stills? Well that means a Dslr. Panasonic has great AF in low light. Best i have used (with a fair margin)
But they also reliably fail when the subject starts moving.
My current Fuji's track much much better in good light. But not under dim conditions. Then the on-sensor PDAF says screw you.
Is there timelapse built in?
What about 4k video in low light , could you make some test pls, Thanks
Yes I will be testing this when production models are available.
If the G9 married the GH5 we would have a perfect camera
Yehaaw.. Grind that camera on the rock! :D
OOOh I thought, if that's on loan from Panasonic, please put it on a bit of carpet at least :-)
it wasn't harmed or marked in any way. Same for the A7r III in my previous video. These are tough tools you know, designed to handle this kind of thing!
Still I would - especially when it's not MY camera - never do this intentionally to the camera. I have tough cameras too but still take care of them.
Don't worry, I've been testing cameras for over 25 years now and have never damaged any of them. If I did, they wouldn't let me borrow them anymore for review.
Don't worry. He is a professional. Nothing more to see here :-D
My first impression when looking at this camera was: Man, it's huge! I mean, the main advantage of mirrorless cameras was the smaller size and less weight, compared to DSLR's. The G9 body is heavier than some Nikons and Canons! But hey, if you already put heavy metal in your photo bag why would you stick to Micro 4/3 quality instead of going full frame (or APS-C)? I can't see Panasonic following this path for too long.
The main advantage of mirrorless isn't just size, but electronic composition and playback through the viewfinder, which in turn allows them to do a lot more than a DSLR can. The G9 is fairly large for a mirrorless, but it's a lot lighter and less hefty than a comparably-featured DSLR - this is up against things like the Canon 7D II and Nikon D500.
What is the flash button on the front near the top?
that's a PC Sync port for connecting to external lighting. I should have mentioned it in the video.
I saw his hands shaking he was proably like "holy shit its the G9!"
no, that's something else.
GX9 Yes tilting electronic viewfinder, while G9 No tilting electronic viewfinder
One thing pops out to me in watching this video is that 4k60 is recorded at 150mpbs. GH5 only does 100 in that mode. I do like that!!
Nope - GH5 records at 150Mbps with 4k/50-60/8bits. 100 Mbits only with 4k/8bits/25fps
Vlad Jurco yeah I never knew that because I always had it in cinema mode. Once I went back to regular mode, I saw 150mbps lol
Bonsoir
Do I find Used
Panasonic G9
Merci
So is the recording limited to the 30mins
yes limited to 30 mins per clip. On one charge, I managed almost five x 30min clips.
ok but when u get to that 30 min limits what happens?
it explodes. No, only kidding, it just stops recording, but you can start again straightaway, you just have to press the record button.
For me Panasonic is becoming really confusing. Most of the stuff in this camera seem like a software update on gh5. So why one whole new line? And are those software features going to be available to the gh5 e.g. jpeg and high resolution mode?
The high res mode needs the improved stabilisation, so no it won't be coming to the GH5.
I would not buy into any reason for not porting the added software features but I also would have liked to see the jpeg engine which is nothing but a software algorithm to be ported. This is very much against trusting in buying into products of a company (which I like very much).
WOWWWWWwwwww... Great..
Can you record 1080p 180 fps?
yes you can. I say this in the video.
@@cameralabs Does it support external mic?
@@charleskelvin528 you mean does it have a mic input? Did you watch the video?
I am sure it is a fantastic beast but for a M4/3 mirrorless it feels rather bulky to me. In this range I 'd rather go with a APS-C or FF DSLR.
I just bought a G85... Fuck!!!!
The G85 is still a great camera, and the G9 is much more expensive. They're aimed at different budgets and photographers. Plus this was announced a month ago, so if you've just bought the G85, you'd have known about this.
what 4k150M LPCM60P means?
4k video, 150Mbit data rate, Linear PCM audio and 60fps
I. just bought a g7.
should have increased the MP
Good luck olympus
How can they have not added phase detection af? That is a deal breaker for me.
At first glance maybe, but they claim to have improved DFD again and reckon it's better than many rivals with PDAF, so I'm holding out until I've tested this aspect fully.
+Gordon Laing Please try and shoot some still of birds in flight for me to test that out. Thanks!
Uh, $1700? You can get a GH5 for $1999. Why in the world would anyone get this instead? Before you go off on me - I am not doubting the camera, but the pricing. It makes no sense.
The G9 has a number of benefits over the GH5 for still photographers that I pointed out in the video.
Oh no its got a Canon style 1980"s lcd top screen - don't let Tony ( Sony are soooo good) jpeg boy know .Then again it's not Canon so he'll probably give this fabulous new Pana a clear pass.
Just bought a g85...
I bet you a horse that you can't make better photos with a camera that's just a year newer than the one that you have.
the G85 is a great camera! The G9 is much much more expensive so may not have been an option anyway.
Be key rivals for tracking with contrast detection auto focus? LMAO. Panasonic doesn't learn.
Well hopefully they have! I'll test it thoroughly as I always do and we'll know soon enough if it can track moving subjects as well as PDAF models.
Only 8 bit.
They need to ditch that red accent on their cameras... Lol.
The topp screen is of the early years of 1990s...Display...O my god...Are we realy in the year 2018 soon.... :(------> emperor new clothes
oh...man...
*Grabby Hands*
what does that mean?
That I want it!? :)
Ah, I understand!
U lost me at no phase detect auto focus points.. I can’t imagine why u would produce a camera purpose built for stills and not use this.
I know what you mean and I too wished they'd added it as it really works a treat on the Olympus. BUT Panasonic is very confident on its claims of how good this latest version of DFD is, so we'll just have to test it and see how it performs in practice. You never know, they might have nailed it.
I am yet to see a person who needs PDAF slightly better performance in critical moments who so screams for it.
CDAF can deliver already critical moment shots and it is more up to person handling the camera.
ReMors lol
)
contrast base af system? fail...
not a fail if it works and does what they say it can do. I'll be testing it to see if it really can track as well. if it can, then who cares what tech it uses.
EVERY autofocus system is contrast based... Even when "PDAF" stands for "Phase Detection Auto Focus" it is 100% contrast based autofocus system. It detects the contrast phase difference and then calculates by triangulating the distance so it knows where to move.
CDAF stands for "Contrast Detection Auto Focus" and it doesn't detect contrast phase, it detects the contrast directly and it only needs to move past the strongest contrast to find when to reverse. And even with this, CDAF is faster than PDAF.
The difference is really not in CDAF or PDAF, but that AF processing is separated in DSLR that is measuring very few and large contrast sensors quickly on separate processor. While on mirrorless the processing is tied to sensor and the main sensor is used as well for the contrast detection. This is difference why example OM-D cameras offers 800 AF points for focusing, while even best DSLR are far far far from that. That is really huge benefit for example macro photographer as 800 AF points means you can select exactly correct AF point.
Only Sony allowed USB powering while operating? Really? How about Fuji X-t20?
My Fuji x-t20 can't be charged by USB when it's turned on. Only when it's powered down it will charge.
That's funny my NX1 has been charging like that for three years
lots of cameras can be charged over USB, but you can't turn them on and have them powered by USB. SO far it's only Sony - and the phone companies - who can do that. Now Panasonic can too.
I know Samsung is a dead system but I also have a 4 yr old Galaxy NX camera and I can plug it in via USB to charge and still take photos or videos , it probably doesn't count as Samsung are out of the camera market don't know why you didn't believe me about the NX1
The NX1 was ahead of it's time in every single regard. My mouth dropped when i had a hands on at cologne when it was shown to the public. At the same time as the Canon 7d Mk2. yet i felt like it was from another universe. (wile still being more affordable.) Unfortunate that Samsung as a brand couldn't get traction. It wasn't their products fault. both the NX1 and NX500 were exceptional camera's. And they simply had better lenses then Sony has for their APSC system even today. (not better then Fuji though)
Camera looks ugly
The G9 is a decent camera considering its sensor size, but nothing close to an APS-C or full frame camera wich can be had for less or the same price. This thing is ridiculously overpriced. Just for having some gimmicky features. For this horrendous price tag, they could at least have included unlimited 4k recording. But like this? Since the GH5 can be had for around 1700-1800€, why is there a need for a 1700€ G9 then?
Show the FF or APS-C that has the same capabilities?
Only the E-M1 II and now G9 has the top features, with same IQ as any APS-C or FF up to ISO 6400 at 30" prints. (If you don't understand it, you can make 30" wide prints from photos taken at ISO 6400 at low light and have same IQ as best FF like A7rII)
Please, show me some close up images of those large prints then.
Plus, how do about 13 stops of DR compare to about 15 (DxO)? Or 9.5 to 11.6 (Photonstophotos)? "Same IQ as any APS-C or FF"?
Sorry, but I have multiple m4/3 and multiple FF cameras, and I would *never* in my life buy a m4/3 camera for stills image quality, because its shite in relation to its price (GH5/G9).
Yep, m4/3 cameras have nice features and are stunning for low cost video work, but for stills only, I would never pay 1700€ for a tiny sensor.
Clearly you don't undestand anything at all.
How are you going to come from there to the gallery where the prints are? Why I need to show anything at you, when you are the one who needs to be moving!
And stop the DXO bullshit. DXO is unworthy what so ever. They can't even get the same T-stop value for SAME EXACT LENS between tests! T-stop is a cinema industry standard that needs to match, just like F-stop is for photography (DOF). They even get different sharpness and ISO values even when exactly same sensor and same processor is used and real prints show NO DIFFERENCE WHAT SO EVER! And then they get exact values when in real world there is a visible difference!
DXO is for armchair photographers who never work with the real photography.
And if you can't use camera with 13 stops, then you don't know how to handle the camera. Masters for photography decades ago already manage to handle all situations we have today with just 7-8 stops. They didn't even have HDR nor the capability pull shadows or recover highlights..
But go on, you clearly are what you say; You think the photographer skills are only about sensor size.
I recommend you to start by at least buying the Gordon book "www.cameralabs.com/in-camera/" for some examples he has done WITHOUT EDITING. And if you dare to come to claim that you can see the difference between 4/3" and FF, you are then blind. I have made similar book few years ago but in A3 size (single page is A3 size) and there is NO DIFFERENCE at ISO 6400 when using any A7, E-M1, D800 or 5Dmk3 when using good glass and proper camera settings (full manual).
Before getting into a senseless keyboard warrior fight - wich I might have initiated, sorry - let me just sum up my opinion:
M4/3 is a really great camera system, especially when weight is a concern. And most videographers will agree that the GH4 and GH5 are decent if not even good video cameras.
But when it comes to pricing for stills use only, at least the G9 and GH5 are pretty hefty coming in at about 1700€. They have some gimmicks, wich may be nice, but will never reach the value, that any APS-C / FF camera in this price range has. Not because the images are bad, but because the sensor just has physical limitations leading to more noise, less DR and harder to achieve shallow DOF. Full stop.
Just a tip: Lets not go full out on calling each other noobs, okay? I have my 10 years of experience in first semi-, now professional photography and you may have yours. No need to fight over gear and personal opinion this much ;)
Erhh.. What?
You seem not to know that "Full Frame" specifically means a 135 format in the context when talking about Olympus PEN cameras that used only half (vertical) of the 135 film typical "Leica" (36x24mm) frame size and got to be called as "Half Frame cameras". So you had two formats using the same 135 film, a new PEN line "Half Frame" cameras (that others started to do as well) and then in that context "Full Frame" cameras.
The 135 film has always been called as "klein format" meaning "small format" or more typically known as well "Lilliput Format" as the main format at the time were 4x5 field cameras before Oskar Barnack got idea to use 135 cinema film to make camera smaller to be able carry it with him for walks (as because illness he couldn't hike so well anymore, so carrying large camera was painful/impossible).
The "Full Frame" has never meant anything else than clarification when talking between Half Frame cameras and typical 35mm cameras. Instead 24 or 36 frames, you got 48 or 72 frames with quality high enough for majority of the work. And there were later many smaller formats like 110 film that is today the 4/3" format.
When Canon and Nikon made their first DSLR, they had smartphone size sensors and costed tens of thousands. Then finally technology got better and they revived failed APS film format as digital version, calling it "APS-C" and "APS-H" etc. The problem was that journalists and staff photographers bought new DSLR and used their SLR era lenses as new digital lenses didn't exist. And majority were confused because their 35mm or 50mm wasn't as wide as they had in their SLR cameras.
So then when Canon came out with their first DSLR and 36x24mm sensor, they started marketing from the past "Full Frame" to tell that now 35mm and 50mm were offering field of view exactly like the SLR cameras by capturing "Full Frame".
And guess why a APS "C" (Classic) had frame size of 25.1 × 16.7 mm? Half Frame (PEN) had 24 x 18mm so about same.
And now APS-C are either 22.5 x 15 mm or 24 x 16 mm.
Medium and Large formats are totally another thing and never has been called as "Full Frame" as no one cared about "mini-format" called 35mm as it was good only for reportage and 8x10 size prints at best (because film and optical qualities).
For last 5 years a 4/3 format is already so much better than critical people can demand (no one can match the nerdy pixel peeper demands as they are out of this world anyways just following DXO or so) for majority people for almost their every situation they can come up with.
If 90% of photographers needs are below 4/3" capabilities, no one cares if 10% finds it ain't enough. And if from those 90% of photographers can get the format deliver 95% of their situation, the quality that surpasses their demand then they don't need larger.
And that is where Olympus originally already based their decision to select 110 format as base for their new DSLR by making a 4/3" format.
They worked with Kodak (#1 paper, film and development manufacturer in the world, knows something about FINAL QUALITY needed regardless of format) to find out what are the demands for 90% of the professional photographers. Then they used their knowledge about among photographers what size, weight the camera system should be and the needed capabilities. They checked what the digital world had to offer for next 5-10 years like what software and processing performance does and they build the new digital system to exceed the requirement of the majority of the people.
If someone comes at you and say they need a great looking 18x12" print in black and white or color and their 99% of ISO used is below ISO 1600, and need only to crop to about 80-90% of their framing. Then you already have a very good starting point that is the requirement from digital camera.
"Full Frame" was great at 2005 like when Canon released 5D (their cheaper FF model next to 1D) as the technology was not yet ready for huge (like 1x2m) fine detail printing so larger sensor size offered benefits. But year after year that cap has come down between "good enough" and then "technical limitations" so rapidly that 1-2 years is huge difference.
that's one awful looking camera.
what is an example of a camera that you like the look ? Thanks
The g7 was the best design ever. What's this angular looking crap?
Price is too much for 20MP camera. I would pay 1200$, not more than that.
Camera is not all about mp
if you only want resolution, then yes, there are higher res models for the same or less. Some point and shoots have higher res, but you of course know it's about more than just resolution, right?
Yes cameras are not about Megapixel, and of cource not just about Viewfinder and not just for speed and Not all for money making. End of the its all about numbers dude. Ofcource not one aspect is driving forward.
Yes sir if they were giving it for reasonable price, then it won't be about Resolution. We buy camera to make money, to begin with spend less money. That what Panasonic doing Offering little asking more and thats what i am looking for take less give me more, A balance between manufacturer and customer is understanding. At this point every camera manufacture lacks it, Meanwhile we argue about their peanuts.
80Mpix camera you would pay what?
See, a landscape, even portrait photographer (you need models who can stay still longer than half a second so forget to se ADHD models who have learn to change pose once a second), product photography and still life photography all benefits from it!
And you have only a three models at the moment for that, E-M1 II, PEN F and now G9 to get cheaply a 80Mpix (actually worth of 200Mpix in bayer sensor).
looks like a sick camera, too bad it's just m4/3
I see MFT as an advantage as it allows smaller and lighter lenses that perform better corner to corner and also makes it easier to deploy better stabilisation. These often counteract the benefits of a bigger sensor for many styles of photography.
If I stopped buying so much film, I would be able to afford one of these. Nice review Gordon. Great to see Panasonic focus on stills for this model, but it does buy a lot of film. Haven't picked up my G6 other than to test some old lenses.
You are not even in same level of performance with your film camera.
1) I stand in a public event capturing the moments, performances, famous people etc. After special capture, I have the photo uploaded to Google Drive in 30 min and shared the link with contacts to dozen of news/fashion services and getting published the photo at best in minutes and getting paid because my photos were selected as I was first to send.
2) You stand in the same event capturing the moments, but how long it takes from you to get them published?
How much more time it takes from you to slightly edit (crop, rotate, sharpen, adjust colors, white balance, curves, retouch some elements etc) from the film, compared that I can do that in a phone just less than minute after taking the photo and get it saved in less than minute?
How is this relevant to my comment?
How does your film comment relate to G9?
One can buy a G9 and make money in few days worth of few grands, paying the G9 + couple lenses, solely because it is digital camera with quick connectivity!
So how much does your film camera generate money in such situation? None, as you are still developing and making prints in darkroom when the news are already old.
Still not relevant and your response has many arguments, but that is not for here. This is a camera review of a fantastic looking camera as I stated above and Gordon is always a pleasure to watch. I shoot for fun and film is fun. I have only sold one image in my life, begrudgingly, and it did happen to be a film image.