Panasonic G9 - Powerful, Stills-Focused, Camera
/[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="16903,16904,16905,16906,16907,16908,16909,16910,16911,16912,16913,16914"]Panasonic has just announced the Panasonic G9, Similar in size and weight to their excellent GH5 camera but unlike the GH5 strength in video. This G9 is tuned for those that want the best still shooting experience in Panasonic's lineup. On paper, it's a great redesign stealing some of the best parts of the GH5.Lumix's new flagship has quite the specs:
- No Low-pass filter for a boost in sharpness
- The same 20.3MP sensor in the GH5 with a maximum 80MP high res photo mode thanks to sensor shifting like the Sony a7Riii.
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization, 6.5 stops for sharp shots on the move
- 4K video at 60p (10 minutes only), including a 180fps full HD slow-motion mode
- 60 FPS via Electronic Shutter or 20 FPS mechanical
- "World's Fastest AF" tracking speed of 0.04 seconds with its 225 AF points. Just a touch faster than the GH5's 0.05 for fast-tracking and smooth.
- Face/Eye Recognition, Tracking AF, 1-area AF, and Pinpoint AF
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with BLE, Bluetooth low energy for full-time connection to a smartphone
- Massive 3,680K-dot OLED Live View Finder [LVF] with 120 fps refresh rate, 0.83X magnification, and blackout free 100% field of view.
- Dual SD card slots
- Redesigned body with a Thumb-operated AF joystick and top LCD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaGbeHx9HGUhttps://youtu.be/9CxVkl-fL3YThis flagship is a killer camera! It will be available starting in February for $1,700. With a big shift to stills in this model, the Panasonic G9 has some impressive specs. We'll have Toby up for a review soon when he can get a copy.
Preorder Now! The G9 will be released February 15, 2018.
Specifications
Imaging
Camera
Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera, Micro Four Thirds Mount (2x Crop Factor
Pixels
Actual: 21.77 MP, Effective: 20.3 MP
Max Resolution
17.3 x 13.0 mm (in 4:3 aspect ratio)
Aspect Ratio
1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9
Sensor Type / Size
MOS, 17.3 x 13 mm
File Formats
Still Images: JPEG, RAWMovies: AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264Audio: AAC, Dolby Digital 2ch, Linear PCM
Dust Reduction System
Yes
Memory Card Type
SD, SDHC, SDXC
Image Stabilization
Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis
AV Recording
Video Recording
Yes, NTSC
Video Format
3840 x 2160p at 23.98, 29.97, 48, 59.94 fps (MP4)1920 x 1080p at 29.97, 59.94, 180 fps (MP4)1920 x 1080p at 23.98, 59.94 fps (AVCHD)1920 x 1080i at 59.94 fps (AVCHD)
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Video Clip Length
Up to 29 Min 59 Sec
Audio Recording
Built-In Mic: With Video (Stereo)Optional External Mic: With Video (Stereo + Mono)
Focus Control
Focus Type
Auto & Manual
Focus Mode
Continuous-Servo AF (C), Flexible (AFF), Manual Focus (M), Single-servo AF (S)
Autofocus Points
Contrast Detection: 225
Viewfinder/Display
Viewfinder Type
Electronic
Viewfinder Pixel Count
3,680,000
Viewfinder Eye Point
21.00 mm
Viewfinder Coverage
100%
Viewfinder Magnification
Approx. 0.83x
Diopter Adjustment
-4 to +3 m
Display Screen
3" Rear Touchscreen Swivel Touchscreen LCD (1,040,000)
Screen Coverage
100%
Exposure Control
ISO sensitivity
Auto, 200-25600 (Extended Mode: 100-25600)
Shutter
Type: Electronic & MechanicalSpeed: 60 - 1/8000 SecondType: Electronic & MechanicalSpeed: 30 - 1 Minute in Bulb ModeType: ElectronicSpeed: 1 - 1/32000 SecondType: ElectronicSpeed: 1/25 - 1/16000 Second in Movie Mode
Remote Control
DMW-RSL1 (Optional)
Metering Method
Center-Weighted Average Metering, Multiple, Spot Metering
Exposure Modes
Modes: Aperture Priority, Manual, Programmed Auto, Shutter PriorityMetering Range: EV 0.0 - EV 18.0Compensation: -5 EV to +5 EV (in 1/3 EV Steps)
White Balance Modes
Auto, Cloudy, Color Temperature, Daylight, Flash, Incandescent, Shade, White Set
Buffer / Continuous Shooting
Up to 9 fps at 20.3 MPUp to 12 fps at 20.3 MPUp to 20 fps at 20.3 MPUp to 60 fps at 20.3 MPUp to 30 fps at 18 MPUp to 60 fps at 8 MP
Flash
Flash Modes
AutoAuto/Red-Eye ReductionForced OnForced On/Red-Eye ReductionOffSlow SyncSlow Sync/Red-Eye Reduction
Built-in Flash
No
Max Sync Speed
1 / 250 Second
Flash Compensation
-3 EV to +3 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
Dedicated Flash System
TTL
External Flash Connection
Hot Shoe, PC Terminal
Performance
Self Timer
10 Seconds, 2 Seconds
Interval Recording
Yes
Connectivity
1/8" Headphone, 1/8" Microphone, 2.5mm Sub-mini (2-Ring), HDMI A (Full Size), USB 3.0, Viera Link
Wi-Fi Capable
Yes
Power
Battery
1 x DMW-BLF19 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack, 7.2 VDC, 1860 mAh
Operating / Storage Temperature
Operating: 14 to 104°F (-10 to 40°C)Humidity: 10 - 80%
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)
5.4 x 3.8 x 3.6" / 136.9 x 97.3 x 91.6 mm
Weight
1.27 lb / 579 g body only
[/himage]BracketingThe GX80 comes with several bracketing options. For focus bracketing (focus stacking) for example you can configure how many images you wish to have and the step size for the focus. This feature seems to work very well when importing into Adobe PhotoShop and using the stacking functionality. The GX80 also offers aperture bracketing and WB bracketing.Viewfinder/Touchscreen DisplayThe electronic viewfinder (EVF) is taken straight from the GX7, however on the GX80 it no longer tilts upwards. It has a diopter setting on the right hand side and is a 2764K high resolution unit with 16:9 aspect ratio and 0.7x magnification. Some people report seeing rainbow patterns due to the field-sequential LCD used in this viewfinder.The rear 3″ display is tiltable as per the GX7 – 90° looking down onto it and about 45° looking upwards. It is not fully articulated, which I personally prefer. It seems better than the one on the GX7, especially in sunlight. The GX80 has a 60 FPS refresh rate which makes LiveView look very smooth, but may come with the cost of reduced battery life.Wi-FiWi-Fi is pretty much unchanged from the GX7 implementation however, the GX80 lacks NFC capability. With Wi-Fi you can connect to your mobile phone, using the Panasonic Image App, or your computer. When using the app you can copy photographs locally to your phone or use it as a remote control for your camera. Performance is pretty good when I tested it with the iPhone 6s Plus. It is also possible to setup a share on your computer and send your photos to it. Using LightRoom it is then possible to monitor this share and emulate tethering functionality – however I found this to be incredibly slow, probably due to the USB 2.0 port on the camera.Battery/ChargingThe GX80 does not come with a charger. You have to charge the battery in camera via the supplied USB cable. If you were thinking of having an external battery pack plugged in then you will be disappointed as you cannot use the camera whilst it is being charged this way. I purchased a couple of extra third party batteries and a charging cradle for about 20€. Whilst I was shooting at this years Comic-Con in Germany I noticed that the camera body had gotten quite warm and the third party battery only lasted for about 50 shots. With the official Lumix battery it was considerably better, however after my previous experience I was being extremely careful and ensuring that I turned off the camera if I wasn´t shooting for any length of time. I also turned down the display brightness and changed its refresh rate to 30 instead of 60.ConclusionThis is a fun little camera with a micro four thirds sensor that has a few niggles, but nothing onerous. It offers really nice image quality for photos and 4K video as well as a whole host of interesting little extras for a very good price. The dual IS system is amazing, easily on par with Olympus´s system and probably a taste of things to come with the GH5. The GX8 has a few advantages over the GX80 – namely the 20MP sensor, weather sealing and a mic input. However in Europe the GX8 is still a fairly expensive camera coming in at over 1000€ body only. The GX80 is currently priced at 699€ with the 12-32mm kit lens and is far better value for money. For me the GX80 features easily make it a better choice over the GX8.
