Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

Lumix DC-G9 REVIEW: the still current Micro 4/3 flagship

A variant of the Lumix GH5 launched in December 2017, the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 is a Mirrorless with a 20Mp Micro Four Thirds sensor. Unlike the GH5, created to especially please video makers, the Lumix DC-G9 focuses its attention on photography without obviously neglecting videos. Defined by the authoritative Digital Camera World as (possibly) "the best Lumix G of all time", the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 received super favorable reviews at the time of its launch, but a response from the public is yet to arrive.

With a street price that has become increasingly affordable over time, more than three years after its release, the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 is currently one of the flagships of the Japanese house that consumers appreciate the most. Its 20.1Mp MQT Live MOS sensor without optical low pass filter, in conjunction with the excellent processor, is responsible for images rich in detail and with few digital noise problems. And with a revamped shutter that can go up to 200,000 cycles, the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 still has just a few rivals at its height in the same commercial range.

Construction, viewfinder, and display of the Lumix DC-G9

Could it be that one of the reasons why this Lumix G9 was not an immediate bestseller, was the size and weight of this mirrorless? Definitely not very light for a mirrorless model. 137x97.3x91.6mm and a weight of 658 grams without battery made the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 the most “oversized” of Panasonic's Micro 4/3 before the launch of the GH5S. Of course, the size and weight are not always a flaw, and the half-full glass consists in the fact that this G9 lends itself very well to supporting optics of a certain size.

Aesthetically austere and robust, the Panasonic G9 does not differ from the typical appearance of the Lumix: classic reflex style lines, and marked knurling. At touch, thanks to various rubber parts, it is pleasant; the handle is prominent, and offers an excellent grip. On the top plate there is a nice secondary display that is very "pro"; the power button is easily accessible from the index so this Panasonic G9 becomes operational with one hand. Furthermore, the physical buttons are so numerous that you can choose not to use the menu on the display which, anyway, is always tidy and intuitive as the Lumix tradition dictates.

The rear view of the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 highlights the display and viewfinder, between which the AutoFocus joystick is positioned. Very sharp and anti-glare, the electronic viewfinder is of high quality (3.6Mp, 100% coverage, 0.83x magnification). Unlike reflex cameras, with this type of EVF, you can view all the adjustments on the image - effects, exposure, color profiles - for total control of the shot.

Compared to the GH5, the 3” display is slightly smaller with (1.04Mp) lower resolution. Under the sunlight it doesn't have a great return but luckily, being fully articulated, it can be rotated to find the best perspective.

The camera body of the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 shows several aspects that make it a (semi) professional camera: the double slot for memory cards and, on the front, several, very appreciable, features such as the Syncro socket, the Fn4 and Fn5 keys, the function lever for silent shooting, and numerous other options, including AF mode and 6K Photo.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 at a glance

• Sensor: 20.1Mp Micro Four Thirds Live MOS
• EVF: 3.68M dot OLED (0.83x magnification, 100%)
• Display: TFT, 3-inch, resolution approximately 1,040K dots.
• AutoFocus: contrast system (225 zones)
• ISO: 200-25,600
• Burst: 12Fps (Single AF or MF), 9Fps (Continuous AF)
• Video: UltraHD 3840x2160 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24p); FullHD 1920x1080 (60, 50, 30, 25p)
• Interfaces: USB 3, HDMI Type A, Mic-in, Headphones, Remote, Wi-Fi (NFC), Bluetooth
• Memory: 2 UHS-II SD Slots
• Battery: Li-Ion 1860 mAh (380/400 shots)

AutoFocus and photo quality

The AF system of the Lumix G9 is based on a contrast-detection with 225 points and different features, from precise focusing to the single variable size area, to the extended area that covers most of the total points. Of course, this is not a hybrid system that also uses phase detection, but in this camera, this little lack is not felt. With moving subjects, the system responds well while not being lightning fast; in situations with low light, it also adapts without major problems.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 can boast the Post Focus function that works like this: from a burst shot (6K/4K) with a focus on different areas, after recording you can choose the image you want. Speaking of burst, the Lumix G9 is truly remarkable in this aspect: With the mechanical shutter, you get to up to 12Fps (only in single AF or MF mode, in the continuous mode you reach 9Fps). Using the electronic shutter, 60Fps in single AF or MF mode, 20Fps with continuous AF.

At medium-low sensitivity, the photographic quality expressed by the Lumix G9 is not inferior to that of different DSLRs, with the same number of pixels. Certainly, increasing the ISO range, the Micro Four Thirds shows some limitations, but with a Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH lens, you can somehow compensate for this structural limit. As for the digital noise, at ISO 6400 - for a Micro 4/3 already a good challenge - the JPEGs denote a drop in details, but nothing tragic, the quality is more than acceptable. The automatic white balance is very natural while the Standard color mode releases rich but natural hues; for something more garish, you can opt for the Vivid mode.

The interesting 6K PHOTO mode deserves a special note: from a video it extracts an 18Mp shot in 4:3 or 3:2 format. In addition to returning images with excellent resolution, this function is very useful in situations in which capturing the moment is essential.

Video recordings with the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

In the video sector, the difference with the GH5 is not huge, even if the latter has something more, starting from 4:2:2 recordings. Shooting videos with the Lumix G9, in any case, is a very simple operation, also because most of the settings are manageable from the touch display. The focus can be automatic or manual; the audio is stereo. Also, to meet the needs of video makers, there are inputs for headphones and an external microphone, and the recordings can be sent either to the SD card or to an external recorder via HDMI.

Among the limits that can be found comparing it to the GH5, there are those of the duration of recordings: a maximum of 10 minutes in MP4 format (in 4K 50p/60p) and half an hour for FullHD and UltraHD 24p/25p/30p. This said, the Lumix G9 offers very fluid and stable recordings even in freehand, thanks to a stabilization on five axes that compensates for some missteps of the AF system.

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 vs. Olympus OMD E-M1 Mark II

Both Mirrorless Micro 4/3 20Mp, the two cameras have more elements in common than substantial differences: an equivalent monitor, tropicalized camera body, battery with approximately the same autonomy (just under 400 shots), both offer double SD card slots and external headphone and microphone ports.

The main differences between the Olympus OMD E-M1 Mark II and the Lumix DC-G9 concern the EVF - the Panasonic model has a higher resolution than the Mark II (3680k points vs 2360k) – while, for AutoFocus, the Lumix G9 offers a system with 225, compared to Olympus' 121 (which, however, boasts a hybrid system that also includes phase detection).

On the video resolution, the E-M1 Mark II is slightly higher and also prevails on continuous shooting (60Fps vs. 20Fps) and lower weight of 84 grams (A non-negligible difference for a mirrorless model). But the Lumix G9 has two more aces up its sleeve: the 4K/6K PHOTO function and the Bluetooth connection, absent in the Olympus model.