Lumix G9 - I did it again....

[dirk]

Since a couple of months, I am streamlining my photo arsenal. At least I try to...

In the hope that a successor of the Lumix GX9 will come this year and because prices were really high second hand, I sold my Lumix GX9 a couple of weeks ago. Now it is May 2024 and unfortunately there are no news about a successor. I am afraid that no successor will come in 2024. What a desaster!

So I panicked. The GM5 alone is not enough MFT for my use case. I need a 20MP camera with good AF for sports of the kids. The GX9 was enough for this, but the GM5 is not really made for this. Today one of my favorite dealers had a "like new" G9 online available and the price was really good. I guess because everybody is switching to the new G9 Mkii.

So I hit the "order" button, although I found the G9 always too big for me and much more preferred the RF style of the GX9. It is what it is. GX9 is almost impossible to get second hand and it is also nice to play with something new

It shall arrive in a couple of days. I get excited...

 

[dirk]

The Panasonic Lumix G9 arrived yesterday.

Boy, this camera feels big compared to my Panasonic GX9. Feels almost like fullframe. At least APS-C. But it feels very good in the hand. The grip is excellent.

I guess I will have some questions over the next couple if weeks. First I have to check the condition. It looks like brand new.

Strangely the mechanical shutter count in the service menu showed around 551 shots only and no ES, but the image file names were around 4600.

How can this difference come?

• Google - Pixel 8 Pro
• Pixel 8 Pro back camera 6.9mm f/1.68
• 6.9 mm
• ƒ/1.68
• 1/84 sec
• Center-Weighted Average
• Auto exposure
• ISO 86

And what does this second screen means?

• Google - Pixel 8 Pro
• Pixel 8 Pro back camera 6.9mm f/1.68
• 6.9 mm
• ƒ/1.68
• 1/1000000 sec
• Center-Weighted Average
• Auto exposure
• ISO 72

 

[dirk]

How can this difference come?

It seems the difference is the electronic shutter count on my Lumix G9.

STBCNT stands for strobe, not for ES as I originally thought.

 

[dirk]

Regarding the size: The Panasonic Lumix G9 is basically as big as my Panasonic Lumix S5ii.

• Google - Pixel 8 Pro
• 6.9 mm
• ƒ/1.68
• 1/24 sec
• Center-Weighted Average
• Auto exposure
• ISO 593

• Google - Pixel 8 Pro
• 6.9 mm
• ƒ/1.68
• 1/24 sec
• Center-Weighted Average
• Auto exposure
• ISO 488

I really hope, that Panasonic will bring a successor of the Panasonic Lumix GX9.

 

[dirk]

Last week I went to a hockey training with my kid and made some test shots with the Panasonic Lumix G9. I had only the Lumix 35-100/2.8 with me. Started raining again. This year is really a wheather desaster in Germany. Clima change is really visible over the last couple of years.

With a tele zoom the G9 feels really good in the hand. You do not "feel" the size, everything is steady. The camera feels like a glove. Mechanical shutter is in position I and II very silent. Almost a pleasure to hear. I prefer to hear the shutter with sport photos and high fps, so that I know I made the picture and in which second


I like the top display a lot. Really good, Also the possibility to lighten it up if it is dark outside., very convenient, very useful.

Viewfinder is excellent although "only" 3.6MP. Impressive if you switch from 60hz refresh rate to 120hz. That make a difference. I do not know yet how much battery the 120hz will eat, though. What I also find a great idea is that little button on the side of the VF, to change the VF-size. This is a great innovation and very useful for people like me, who wear glasses.

I have not seen such a feature with any other brand so far. I am surprised that no reviewer is pointing to this. This makes more difference in real life than fps of 20 or 30 per second

Apropo fps. The G9 has with mechanical shutter slightly more than 9fps. I had Jpeg only (fine) set in the menu. I do not know whether this slows down if you shoot Jpeg & RAW at the same time. But the speed and AF accuracy was very good. The fps is a little faster than my Panasonic Lumix S5ii and in some circumstances that 1 or 1.5 fps more makes a difference.

For a judgement of the DFD-AF for field hockey I need more time and a different lens. The 35-100 is not long enough. The first impression is very good. I updated the firmware already to the newest version (2.7 of Apr. 25, 2022). DFD AF is significantly better than with my Lumix GX9 and maybe also better than my S5 Mk1. But that is difficult to say, since I do not have the S5MK1 and GX9 anymore.

As soon as I have the opportunity, I will try the Lumix G9 with my Olympus tele zoom 75-300 for field hockey.

What else do I like? The on/off switch. I love this. Very simlar to the on/off switch of Nikon. This should be applied with every Lumix camera. The 1/8000s mechanical shutter is also something I really appreciate. It gives you a lot more flexibility when you want to have a shallow DOF with a bright lens, i.e. F1.7 or F1.4/F1.2 to use the maximaum aperture without blowing out the highlights.

What I do not like so far is the fully articulating screen and the front wheel between the on/off switch and the LCD top display. For me this is uncomfortable to use with the forefinger. Nikon has a better solution on their cameras for that wheel. It is below the on/off switch. But maybe Nikon has a patent on this.

To sum it up: My opinion changed a little bit after the first run with this camera. I am a lot more positive about it. The G9 is really a great camera, although it is not as small as I prefer it for MFT. But this is a personal thing. I am a maniac regarding camera-sizes. I like the G9 more than I expected it. A lot more - although it is so big for a MFT camera.

 

[CharlesH]

I like the G9 more than I expected it. A lot more - although it is so big for a MFT camera.

I liked the G9 I had very much and regretted selling it. The G9II is almost exactly the same size and weight as the G9, also a big MFT, and I've grown to really like it. Between these cameras I had a GH6, an even larger MFT, and I never liked it much.

 

[dirk]

It is a pitty that I do not have my GX9 anymore to compare the image quality. The GX9 has also 20MP, but a different Venus engine as far as I remember. Both have no AA filter.

It seems to me that the image quality of the G9 is better (Jpeg ooc), even at lower ISO settings.

The advantage of the bigger body is that the Leica 42,5/1.2 does not look or feel heavy anymore.