Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
The Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 is the brand's highest-end stills-oriented camera, sitting beside the video-oriented Lumix DC-GH5 at the top of the product lineup. The GH-series has long held a positive reputation with pro-video shooters but Panasonic hasn't seen the likes of the GH5 resonate as well with the stills crowd. With the G9 Panasonic hopes to mimic the success the GH series has had in the video realm, and gain a greater foothold in the stills world.
There's a good bit of crossover between the two cameras, but the G9 has some juicy offerings to whet the appetite of still photographers - specifically advanced amateurs and professionals - as well as those seeking a stills/video hybrid.
For starters, its faster than its video-centric sibling, capable of an impressive 20 fps with continuous autofocus for about 50 frames using the electronic shutter. It can also shoot at 9 fps with AF-C for 600+ frames using the mechanical shutter, which is equally as impressive.
Panasonic's taken a page out of Olympus' book - as other manufacturers with stabilized sensors recently have - and added a High-Resolution mode that shifts the sensor to build an 80MP file - this should be hugely appealing to still life and landscape shooters occasionally requiring resolution greater than that of a Micro Four Thirds camera.
Key Features
- 20.3MP Live MOS sensor with no AA filter (same as GH5)
- 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder w/ 0.83x equivalent magnification
- 1.04M-dot 3" articulating touchscreen display
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization with Dual I.S. 2 (CIPA rated 6.5 stops)
- 20 fps burst w/continuous AF using the e-shutter (for ~50 frames)
- 9 fps burst w/continuous AF using mechanical shutter (for 600+ frames)
- 80MP Raw and/or JPEG files using High-Resolution mode
- 4K/60p UHD video capture
- Magnesium body designed to be dust/weather-sealed
- Dual UHS-II card slots supporting new high-speed 'V'-rated cards
- Assortment of 4K and 6K Photo modes and in-camera focus stacking
- USB charge and power capability
- Top plate LCD
- AF joystick
- Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
Physical standouts include a top plate LCD - a true rarity in mirrorless-land - and one of the largest electronic viewfinders on a Micro Four Thirds cameras. It has an equivalent magnification of 0.83x and an eyepoint of 21mm. The G9 also features dual UHS-II card slots and can support V-rated SD cards - the industry's fastest to date.
Don't take these mostly-stills oriented improvements to mean the G9 is not a capable video camera, because it surely is. Like the GH5 it can shoot 4K/60p video and offers both headphone and microphone jacks, but it lacks the high bitrate options and extensive video tool set of its sibling. Dual I.S. 2 has also been improved and when using compatible lenses, the G9 offers the highest CIPA-rated level of stabilization - 6.5-stops - of any camera currently on the market. This is great news for both stills and video shooters.
Panasonic has taken a different approach to camera development with the stills-focused DC-G9 Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera, which has a variety of newly developed functions and features that will appeal to photographers.
| Brand | Canon | Body Type | SLR-style mirrorless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Pixel (MP) | 20.3 | Sensor Size (mm) | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) |
| Max resolution | 5184 x 3888 | ISO | Auto, 200-25600 (expands to 100-25600) |
| White balance presets | 5 | Custom white balance | Yes (4 slots) |
| Uncompressed format | RAW | JPEG quality levels | Fine, standard |
| Auto Focus | Continuous, Contrast Detect (sensor), Face Detection, Live View, Multi-area, Selective single-point, Single, Center, Tracking, Touch | Number of focus points | 225 |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Articulated LCD | Fully articulated |
| Screen Size (´´) | 3" | Screen Dots | 1,040,000 |
| Screen Type | TFT LCD | Viewfinder type | Electronic |
| Min. shutter speed (sec) | 60 sec | Max. shutter speed (sec) | 1/8000 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed (electronic) | 1/32000 sec | External flash | Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync port) |
| Continuous drive | 20.0 fps | Self-timer | Yes |
| Metering modes | Center-weighted, Multi, Spot | Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
| Format | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 | Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono | Modes | 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC, 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC, 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC, 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC, 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital, 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital, 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital, 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital |
| Storage Types | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II supported) | USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
| USB charging | Yes | HDMI | Yes |
| Remote control | Yes (wired or via smartphone) | Wireless | Built-In |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes | Battery Description | DMW-BTC13 lithium-ion battery & USB charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) (Mins) | 400 | Weight (incl. batteries) (g) | 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz) |
| Dimensions | 137 x 97 x 92 mm (5.39 x 3.82 x 3.62″) | Notes | No GPS |
