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Panasonic G9 Review

biglouis

biglouis

Well-known member
I have completed a review of the Panasonic G9, and also written about my experiences with the Lumix Leica DG Elmarit 200/2.8.

You can read the review here:

Panasonic G9 | LouisBerk.com photography

I hope you find it useful - it contains a link to my Flickr album where I have put a number of samples, mostly full sized, or the full sized after cropping.

If you have any questions or observations, I'd be happy to respond to them.

LouisB
 
jonoslack

jonoslack

Active member
biglouis said:
I have completed a review of the Panasonic G9, and also written about my experiences with the Lumix Leica DG Elmarit 200/2.8.

You can read the review here:

Panasonic G9 | LouisBerk.com photography

I hope you find it useful - it contains a link to my Flickr album where I have put a number of samples, mostly full sized, or the full sized after cropping.

If you have any questions or observations, I'd be happy to respond to them.

LouisB
Click to expand...
I thought that was excellent Louis - and a good read too, which is even better!

As you know, I went through the 200/100-400 angst and went for the zoom - really for that reason, that I really like to have a zoom for the way I shoot (close up one minute and distant the next). I’m sure that the 200 is better optically (it certainly should be) but my copy of the 100-400 seems really good (see yesterday’s zoo shots).

All the best
Thanks again
 
Knorp

Knorp

Well-known member
Good tips regarding high Shutter speeds, IS en Quick AF. Got to remember that some day ... :rolleyes:
I didn't do much customization yet, except for disabling the video button, but rearranging a few options here and there will surely improve the handling.
The playback button is indeed oddly positioned, very inconvenient in fact.
A pity you can't reuse the playback and video buttons: a firmware thingy perhaps ?

Still holding off the PL 200/2.8, first I want to know how that PL 50-200 will perform.

As a side note: rumour has it the GX9 is imminent. But if the position of the right site buttons is not changed, I'm glad, after some deliberation, I chose for the G9.
All too often I found myself accidentally pressing buttons with my thumb while gripping the GX8, resulting in unwanted behaviour and ditto results.

Anyway, thank you for the write-up, Louis.

Kind regards.
 
S

SrMphoto

Well-known member
Thank you for the review, Louis. Love the camera, though I found a couple of minor issues:

- soft press on shutter can take two pictures instead of one (in single-shot mode).
- had occasional software crash in the field when pressing playback button while the image was still being written (not reproducible).
- moving AF point with joystick invokes automatic focusing (Quick AF is off).

Since I like Nikon's ergonomics, I like that G9 mimics Nikon's setup: playback button on the left, LCD on the top, the location of AF/AE Lock button, the position of on/off switch, etc.

Somehow, I do not find G9's EVF a big deal (as I feel about Leica SL's EVF) and it does have slight pincushion distortion. Still think of EVFs only as a necessary evil ;-).
 
biglouis

biglouis

Well-known member
jonoslack said:
I thought that was excellent Louis - and a good read too, which is even better!

As you know, I went through the 200/100-400 angst and went for the zoom - really for that reason, that I really like to have a zoom for the way I shoot (close up one minute and distant the next). I’m sure that the 200 is better optically (it certainly should be) but my copy of the 100-400 seems really good (see yesterday’s zoo shots).

All the best
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Thanks, Jono. As I stated in the article the 200/2.8 is a very specific lens. On several occasions I have thought about abadoning m43rds to own a 7DmkII and the 400/4 - the zenith of bird photography but the cost is just too eye-watering. By comparison the G9+200/2.8 is about a third of the price. But weight is also a factor. I could not seriously use the Canon system. However, as I have stated the 200/2.8 is a very specific lens. I'm serious about birding, so it suits me. But for a general all round lens the 100-400 is what I would recommend - it is a fantastic, light-weight, long-reach telephoto which is so far on its own in the m43rds universe.

Knorp said:
Good tips regarding high Shutter speeds, IS en Quick AF. Got to remember that some day ... :rolleyes:
I didn't do much customization yet, except for disabling the video button, but rearranging a few options here and there will surely improve the handling.
The playback button is indeed oddly positioned, very inconvenient in fact.
A pity you can't reuse the playback and video buttons: a firmware thingy perhaps ?

Still holding off the PL 200/2.8, first I want to know how that PL 50-200 will perform.

Anyway, thank you for the write-up, Louis.

Kind regards.
Click to expand...
Lol! The first thing I always do is disable the video button, as well. Fortunately, the buttons are so customisable that I have found a good solution to the placement of the dedicated playback button by customising the function wheel (the up press). Still, I would like to know Panasonic's design philosophy for moving that button to where it is. I keep feeling I am missing someting obvious!

I reckon the 50-200 will be a killer lens, especially if you can use the teleconverters with it.

SrMphoto said:
Thank you for the review, Louis. Love the camera, though I found a couple of minor issues:

- soft press on shutter can take two pictures instead of one (in single-shot mode).
- had occasional software crash in the field when pressing playback button while the image was still being written (not reproducible).
- moving AF point with joystick invokes automatic focusing (Quick AF is off).

Since I like Nikon's ergonomics, I like that G9 mimics Nikon's setup: playback button on the left, LCD on the top, the location of AF/AE Lock button, the position of on/off switch, etc.

Somehow, I do not find G9's EVF a big deal (as I feel about Leica SL's EVF) and it does have slight pincushion distortion. Still think of EVFs only as a necessary evil ;-).
Click to expand...
Knorp said:
+1 Happened a couple of times to me as well. Also found the shutter quite trigger-happy (Half Press Release = OFF).
Click to expand...
Yes, the softness of the shutter button is odd. It reminds me of my Olympus XA (if you have ever used one, you'll know what I mean). I did query this in the G9 FB page and got a lot of responses, including one from the G9 Product Manager at Panasonic, who claims this is a feature and not a fault. Apparently, a very soft shutter release was a requested feature by their focus group of users at the design stage. I have sort-of got used to it but I still regularly get 20 frames of my feet :mad:

Thanks, all for your comments. I am working on a couple of other reviews. The next one I want to complete is about my favourite camera: the Ricoh GR.

LouisB
 
bensonga

bensonga

Well-known member
Thanks for the excellent review Louis. I agree with you about the IQ of the Sigma DP Merrills. I took a trio of DP1/2/3 Merrills to Death Valley a few years ago. Image quality of the prints was amazing to me. So if you feel the G9 is approaching that quality at base ISO, it is indeed impressive for a MFT camera.

I look forward to reading your review of the Ricoh GR someday. It is one of my favorites too.

Gary
 
jonoslack

jonoslack

Active member
Various things spring to mind.
1. The Play button on the left. Is just normality for me as Leica seem to put it there all the time - no problem.

2. The top plate LCD. I love it, because you can change the 3 main settings by pressing the button and turning the dial Without having to open the LCD - which is great (I like to shoot with it turned in to the body).

Having moved here (to the G9) directly from a Nikon D500, like srMphoto, I was struck by the similarity in the layout philosophy and ergonomics generally, which is no bad thing - it took Nikon many years of small refinements to get there!

3. Soft shutter - the OMD E-M1ii is like that - and it irritted me there, but I like it on the G9 (and I know what to do with the odd blurry pictures of my feet).

Three weeks in now and I’m enjoying it increasingly (with no real irritations), I. Haven’t done much customisation yet either, there hasn’t seemed to be much need.

(I’m still resisting the Nocticron though :p Bart!)
 
Jorgen Udvang

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
jonoslack said:
Various things spring to mind.
1. The Play button on the left. Is just normality for me as Leica seem to put it there all the time - no problem.

2. The top plate LCD. I love it, because you can change the 3 main settings by pressing the button and turning the dial Without having to open the LCD - which is great (I like to shoot with it turned in to the body).

Having moved here (to the G9) directly from a Nikon D500, like srMphoto, I was struck by the similarity in the layout philosophy and ergonomics generally, which is no bad thing - it took Nikon many years of small refinements to get there!

3. Soft shutter - the OMD E-M1ii is like that - and it irritted me there, but I like it on the G9 (and I know what to do with the odd blurry pictures of my feet).

Three weeks in now and I’m enjoying it increasingly (with no real irritations), I. Haven’t done much customisation yet either, there hasn’t seemed to be much need.

(I’m still resisting the Nocticron though :p Bart!)
Click to expand...
It's interesting that the similarities with Nikon is mentioned so often. This has been one of the most important reasons why it has been so easy for me to adapt to Panasonic, although the similarities were not as strong with the earliest models as with the G9.

I'm putting the G9 on hold for now and will probably see if the rumoured GX9 appears within a few months. In the meantime, I'm preparing for some experiements with a focal length reducer (which hasn't arrived yet) and my OM lenses. I'm in no hurry right now, and from an image quality point of view, the GX8 is still doing fine.
 
ptomsu

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Jorgen Udvang said:
It's interesting that the similarities with Nikon is mentioned so often. This has been one of the most important reasons why it has been so easy for me to adapt to Panasonic, although the similarities were not as strong with the earliest models as with the G9.

I'm putting the G9 on hold for now and will probably see if the rumoured GX9 appears within a few months. In the meantime, I'm preparing for some experiements with a focal length reducer (which hasn't arrived yet) and my OM lenses. I'm in no hurry right now, and from an image quality point of view, the GX8 is still doing fine.
Click to expand...
Jorgen,

which focal length reducer are you looking for? I could get a cheap and mint OM 1.2/50 - so I would be interested in combining that with my EM1.2.

Many thanks

Peter
 
biglouis

biglouis

Well-known member
Jorgen Udvang said:
I'm putting the G9 on hold for now and will probably see if the rumoured GX9 appears within a few months. In the meantime, I'm preparing for some experiements with a focal length reducer (which hasn't arrived yet) and my OM lenses. I'm in no hurry right now, and from an image quality point of view, the GX8 is still doing fine.
Click to expand...
I know in the past I have avowed that I would get a GX9 if it appeared but I have to say that the ergonomics and comfort of the G9 has made me think again. It is just so comfortable and I love the button layout.

LouisB
 
biglouis

biglouis

Well-known member
jonoslack said:
2. The top plate LCD. I love it, because you can change the 3 main settings by pressing the button and turning the dial Without having to open the LCD - which is great (I like to shoot with it turned in to the body).
Click to expand...
Doh! I knew I was missing something. Now, I geddit.

Thanks, Jono!

LouisB
 
Jorgen Udvang

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
ptomsu said:
Jorgen,

which focal length reducer are you looking for? I could get a cheap and mint OM 1.2/50 - so I would be interested in combining that with my EM1.2.

Many thanks

Peter
Click to expand...
I've ordered the Viltrox since it gets good user reviews and is less than half the price of a Speed Booster at $200. The latest version is only available for EF-mount though, so I've ordered OM to EF and F to EF converters to, but those are cheap. I'll try it out with my complete OM arsenal as soon as it arrives, but I'll be traveling extensively for a couple of weeks, so it will be after I get back from that.
 
J

Jrsforums

New member
Louis, nice review. Thank you.

In it you say “The best advice I have had so far, from professional photographer Ian Cook is to turn off IS at these speeds and also to make sure that Quick AF is turned on.“

Can you comment on your use of ‘Quick AF”? It appears to be a form of continuous focus. Seems not much different than keeping BBF engaged in AFC. However, regular AFC exhibits “pulsing” at times. ‘QuickAF’ does not, from what I have seen, but seems to engage and react slower.

Thanks again, John
 
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