The Panasonic Lumix G9 – All About the Gear

A look at the Lumix G9 - quite possibly the best camera for still photography Panasonic has ever made.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 8:53 — 16.6MB)

The Lumix G9 is one of the latest camera releases from Panasonic. It’s significant in many ways, one of the main reasons being that it’s squarely targeted at “stills” photographers (versus video shooters). Panasonic asked questions, listened, then implemented the suggestions for professional landscape, nature, sports shooters and others.

The result is a triumph in engineering. And I’d even go so far as to say the Lumix G9 is probably the best camera I’ve ever owned.

The Specifications:

So, let’s get some homework out of the way first. Some photographers (including myself) will say the specifications for this camera are impressive. Others will say it’s hamstrung by the small micro four-thirds sensor.

My response for the “small sensor” gripe is that what works for you and your genre/style of photography may not work for others. This camera works for me… and many thousands of others.

20.3 Megapixel Micro 4/3rds sensor with no anti-aliasing filter (same as GH5)
20 FPS burst w/continuous AF frame rate using the e-shutter (for ~50 frames)
9 FPS burst w/continuous AF using mechanical shutter (for 600+ frames)
ISO 100-25,600
Dust-resistant, freezeproof, splashproof – Magnesium body
5-axis in-body image stabilization with Dual I.S. version 2.0 (6.5 stops)
Uses same batteries as GH3, GH4, GH5 and GH5S
Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
1.04M-dot 3″ articulating touchscreen display
Dual UHS-II card slots supporting new high-speed ‘V'-rated cards
Assortment of 4K and 6K Photo modes and in-camera focus stacking

What's Different?

So, that’s enough about the specs… what makes this camera different from other Lumix cameras? Even from it’s siblings, the GH5 and GH5s?

80MP Raw and/or JPEG files using High-Resolution mode
Top Plate LCD
Nikon Style On/off backlight
Buttons positioned perfectly
Deep hand grip
Well thought-out buttons and dials
Good-enough Audio/video – 4K/60p UHD video capture
Night mode
Front custom switch
HUGE 60FPS EVF, 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder w/ up to 0.83x equivalent magnification
USB charge and power capability

The Bad Stuff:

As we all know, there are no perfect cameras. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a few quibbles that keep the G9 from being flawless.

Sensitive shutter button
Top LCD backlight turns off too quickly (not configurable?) On some Fuji’s the display stays activated constantly (not backlit) even when the camera is off.
Low light performance (damn physics)
Weight

Conclusion:

In short, the G9 is a triumph, especially at this price point. As I record this, you can snag a G9 (body only) for around $1,600US).

It’s the obvious result of Panasonic engineering listening to its base, watching trends, and aiming squarely at producing a camera that is created unapologetically for still photographers — while still maintaining video capabilities that make similar cameras in its class jealous.

I own a few Lumix cameras, and this is the first one that gives me that little electric feeling in the pit of my stomach!

In the upcoming videos in this series, I’ll take the G9 out and put some of its stand-out features to the test.