Panasonic g9 ii review

The Panasonic Lumix G9 II is a flagship hybrid mirrorless camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor that's aimed at both stills photographers and videographers.

The Phoblographer may receive affiliate compensation for products purchased using links in this article. For more information, please visit our Disclaimers page. In a growing trend of cameras made for content creators, the Panasonic G9 II is a camera that puts still images first. While video is available, the features that interfered with still images — like the bulky fan — are axed to prioritize stills. As a result, the G9 II offers better weather-sealing, more stabilization, cleaner high ISO images, and a much-improved autofocus system over the hybrid-focused Panasonic GH6. Sure, the G9 II has better stabilization and more telephoto lenses, but the narrow price difference will push some Panasonic fans towards the S5 II instead.

Panasonic g9 ii review

They love the system for its portability, especially with long lenses for wildlife. But under the hood the G9 II also sports powerful video capabilities, which in some respects rival or even beat the GH6, so owners of the GH5 and earlier GH models will also be tempted. I tried out a sample running almost final firmware which Panasonic described as delivering final quality and performance. If you prefer to read the written highlights, keep scrolling! Same size, same controls, albeit roughly 80g lighter, due to the different sensor, shutter and IBIS units. While the G9 II may employ a different body to the original G9, both grips actually feel remarkably similar in both size and shape. The lack of cooling fan is also a factor in the weight difference. Before delving into the controls, one small but important difference between the G9 II and its predecessor is swapping rattly strap lugs for fixed slots on the sides. Not only do these avoid unwanted sounds when filming, but also make the camera easier to accommodate within a cage. Starting from the top left surface is a non-lockable drive dial with positions for single shooting, two burst modes, the high resolution pixel shift mode, an interval timer and the self timer. The original G9 also had its drive dial on the upper left side, but it was beneath a lockable exposure mode dial. In contrast, the G9 II mode dial is now to the right of the viewfinder head, and like the S5 II, has sadly become non-lockable — a shame.

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My experiences with this mirrorless MFT camera were positive. I used it under extreme weather conditions at the Opal Coast in France. Our dog hates fireworks. The poor animal becomes frightened with every explosion and is reluctant to go out. I got the opportunity to use it for a couple of weeks, and I had a lot of cool plans to test it thoroughly.

The Lumix G9 line has come a long way in five years, and the second iteration is a more capable all-rounder, and a great choice for capturing action thanks to the introduction of phase-detection autofocus. It's a highly competitive camera, particularly for video, while also offering a sensor format and lens selection that are well suited to wildlife and sports photography. If Micro Four Thirds was starting to feel like something of an anachronism, the Panasonic Lumix G9 II proves that it still has a place with modern content creators. Find out more about how we test. Almost every aspect of the Panasonic Lumix G9 II has been improved over the five-year-old Lumix G9 , with the most notable improvement being the introduction of phase-detection autofocus, which features for the first time on a G-series camera. The sensor resolution for stills has been upped to The camera offers 60fps burst shooting with full autofocus tracking, and a MP high-resolution mode and up to eight stops of IBIS also feature, while on the video side of things, recording modes are exceptional, including 5.

Panasonic g9 ii review

It has a newly redesigned body that's more reminiscent of the Panasonic LUMIX S5 II than its predecessor, and it offers plenty of upgrades under the hood that make it a good fit for hybrid photo and video shooters. That includes a megapixel dual gain sensor, a new and improved phase-detection autofocus system, and a very effective five-axis in-body image stabilization system, along with a plethora of advanced video features. That said, with comparable full-frame or even APS-C cameras hovering around the same price point—including Panasonic's own S5 II—the G9 II makes the most sense for those who are already invested in the MFT lens ecosystem or prefer the reach and portability offered by that system. The Panasonic G9 II is good for travel photography. While it isn't the most portable MFT camera, it still benefits from smaller MFT lenses, which can bring down the size of your kit. The camera also has an excellent IBIS system, which helps reduce the need for a tripod. Its autofocus is okay but can get tripped up with busier scenes or faster subjects. Battery life is good overall, but depending on your shooting habits, you might still need a portable power bank for long days on the go.

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Speed is a quick 60 fps or 10 fps with the mechanical shutter with pre-burst. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the G9 II did, focusing in a dark room. This is especially effective in traditionally challenging conditions for handheld shooting, such as using telephoto lenses or filming while walking. Panasonic's Photo Styles are preset combinations of different sharpness, contrast, saturation and noise reduction settings. It also has a 1,, dot free angle monitor, is what they call it. Tech Specs. From this, you can make a decision for yourself. It supports up to 5. The lens was fast. I tried it with my trusty Olympus 75mm f1. The fast shooting capabilities are definitely a highlight of the G9 II. The new With 60 frames per second, you get a lot of frames. The amount of rolling shutter also translates to video recordings.

The Panasonic Lumix G9 II is a flagship hybrid mirrorless camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor that's aimed at both stills photographers and videographers.

The biggest news for the G9 II is that it's the first ever Lumix Micro Four Thirds G-series camera to use a hybrid contrast and phase-detection auto-focus PDAF system, something that Panasonic fans have been asking for for a long time. Another set of customizability screens, including the option to swipe the histogram on screen. Slower speeds are also available. And now you see all the images as it flies away. Sunrise behind the clouds. Which is incredible because you can handhold a long lens. You can also boost the refresh rate from 60 to Hz, which makes fast panning look smoother, but like many cameras, I noticed a mild drop in viewfinder detail at the faster refresh. Tech Specs. The camera automatically combines those two images in a single image and you get a great dynamic range image. And the SSD is also happy to record still photos, with over shots shown here remaining. The eye AF here is just okay. Panasonic Lumix GH6. The benefit extends toward wide-angle lenses as well. No additional noise filtering was used.