Intro
Panasonic’s 25.2-megapixel Lumix G9 II arrived with numerous fanfare, because it’s the corporate’s very first Micro 4 Thirds digital camera with hybrid phase-detect autofocus. And from the primary day of launch, Panasonic promoted it as the final word small-sensor wildlife and motion digital camera, due to the hyper-fast 60 fps capturing speeds and comparatively excessive decision.
Nonetheless, I (and others) observed that it held numerous promise for content material creators, too. The superior hybrid AF can be higher for video than previous fashions and it provides as much as 5.8K 60p video, 4K at 120p, unimaginable stabilization and even SSD ProRes seize. On paper, it’s superior to the corporate’s vlogging-dedicated GH6, although it lacks the latter’s fan and some different minor options.
That provides the G9 II a little bit of an identification disaster. Is it the final word content material creator digital camera, an motion shooter’s dream or the final word hybrid digital camera? To search out out, I’ve received a retail digital camera with the ultimate manufacturing firmware and RAW photograph assist.
Physique
Bodily, the G9 II is extra just like the full-frame S5 II than the six-year-old G9. Gone is the softer, rounded G9 design, as a replacement a extra angular, hard-edged physique. It’s comparatively massive for a Micro 4 Thirds digital camera, weighing 658 grams (OM system’s OM-1 weighs 599 grams), although it has precisely the identical heft as the unique G9.
The design is extra businesslike than fairly, however I just like the practicality of it. The ridged grip is safe, and it has each management you want, together with a joystick, entrance, again and rear management dials, a setting dial, capturing dial and quite a few buttons. Just a few issues have modified from the G9, as the twin dial on the left is now only a single capturing dial, the on/off change is in a greater location and it has a entrance capturing dial. That is now a template for Panasonic cameras, so in the event you’re used to fashions just like the GH5, you’ll adapt shortly.
The menus are simple to make use of as properly, however I want it had a devoted photograph/video change with separate controls. For example, in the event you set V-log on video, that setting carries over to photographs too – and also you positively don’t need that. To maintain photographs and video aside, you’ll have to make use of one of many customized “C” dial settings.
The 1,840Ok dot LCD show absolutely articulates for vloggers and self-shooters, after all, and most controls can be found by the touchscreen. It comes with an honest 3,680Ok dot OLED viewfinder that’s on par with different cameras on this value vary, like Fujifilm’s X-T5. I’d want slightly extra EVF decision on a flagship digital camera, notably for fowl capturing, nevertheless it’s not unhealthy.
The G9 II makes use of the identical battery because the S5 II, permitting for a middling 390 photographs on a cost. Video endurance is healthier than the GH6, although, lasting almost 100 minutes at 4K 60p.
A function I didn’t anticipate is SSD recording. That permits you to file high-bandwidth ProRes recordsdata to an exterior drive through the USB-C port. It does require some rigging, however is a tremendous time saver, as you may edit the recordsdata immediately with no transcoding wanted. It additionally has a pair of SD UHS-II card slots, however no assist for CFexpress just like the GH6.
There’s a pleasant full-sized HDMI port, however the G9 II doesn’t but assist RAW video recording. You additionally get microphone and headphone jacks, together with a USB-C port that helps 10Gbps switch speeds and quick PD charging.
Efficiency
With a brand new sensor and processor, the G9 II is a velocity demon – however that is Panasonic’s first crack at phase-detect autofocus. That does present at occasions, through points like occasional lag and an AI function set missing in comparison with rivals.
It might probably shoot RAW plus JPEG bursts with the mechanical shutter at as much as 10 fps, or 60 fps within the SH60 digital shutter mode with steady autofocus. When you don’t want that sort of velocity (and don’t need to fill the buffer up too quickly), it additionally provides 20 fps bursts in digital mode. Panasonic additionally launched a pre-burst mode, which repeatedly cycles bursts via 1.5 seconds earlier than you absolutely press the shutter – serving to you catch a shot even in the event you’re a bit gradual.
It has a big buffer that permits for over three second bursts at 60 fps and continuous capturing with the mechanical shutter. Nonetheless, it takes longer than different cameras to clear the buffer – as much as a minute in some circumstances – due partly to the slowish SD ports. This may be fairly annoying, because the digital camera successfully stops working whereas the buffer clears.
Nonetheless, that sort of velocity is spectacular – supplied the autofocus can sustain. Fortunately, the brand new phase-detect system on the G9 II is generally as much as the duty. Taking pictures at 60fps with eye-detection enabled, the big majority of my photographs had been in focus with a topic operating towards the digital camera.
It wasn’t fairly as dependable for extra distant topics when utilizing Panasonic’s new 200-800mm equal telephoto, and didn’t initially lock in as quick as I’d like. The attention detect autofocus, nevertheless, was typically dependable for each human and animal topics. It lacks a selected setting for birds, however the system does appear to robotically change between birds and deer, as an illustration, in the event you’re capturing within the woods.
It might probably additionally observe bikes and automobiles, and although I didn’t check it on the previous, it does a superb job monitoring autos. There’s no “auto” setting both such as you’ll discover on Canon’s newest fashions, so it’s important to go in and change focus modes manually in the event you’re capturing a pet and its proprietor.
In different phrases, Panasonic is off to a superb begin however has a strategy to go to catch as much as Sony’s ultra-reliable and extra clever AF. I anticipate that to enhance over time, although.
When you’re involved about rolling shutter in digital mode, don’t be. Readout speeds are quick for a non-stacked sensor, so skew and different points aren’t a difficulty besides in excessive conditions like airplane propellers.
Panasonic has included the identical in-body stabilization system because the GH6, so it will possibly scale back shake by as much as eight stops, or 7.5 stops with extremely telephoto lenses. It’s very efficient for capturing handheld, letting you seize photographs at 1 / 4 second or much less with no blur.
Picture high quality
The G9 II has the identical 25.2-megapixel decision twin achieve sensor because the GH6 however picture high quality for photographs is healthier, with much less noise at decrease ISO ranges.
With 5 additional megapixels over the unique G9, it takes sharper photographs and gives some additional element over rivals just like the OM-1 – letting you crop in a bit extra. JPEG colours straight out of the digital camera look nice and require little retouching.
The twin-gain sensor additionally makes it good in low gentle for a Micro 4 Thirds Digital camera. Little or no noise is seen as much as ISO 1600, and it’s properly managed past that as much as about ISO 12,800, so long as you expose appropriately. That stated, it’s all the time higher to have extra gentle with a small-sensor digital camera, as noise ranges can shortly get uncontrolled, notably with underexposed photographs.
RAW recordsdata are comparatively simple to edit and provide you with room to dial down highlights or deliver up element in shadows. Once more, the small sensor places it at a drawback to full-frame cameras in that regard, nevertheless, as extra noise will seem at greater ISOs.
The G9 II now has a dynamic vary increase perform utilized robotically. It makes use of each the high- and low-gain circuits, and combines them into one photograph, HDR model. That helps increase dynamic vary in brilliant daylight and different difficult conditions.
The hand-held high-resolution mode, in the meantime, combines a number of photographs right into a single 100-megapixel shot, with no tripod required. It really works surprisingly properly for photographs like landscapes with restricted motion, drastically boosting decision. I did discover that the high-resolution JPEG recordsdata have a synthetic look whenever you zoom in although, as if the digital camera is making an attempt so as to add non-existent element. For that purpose, I’d recommend enabling RAW when utilizing the function.
Lastly, Panasonic took a web page from Fujifilm with a brand new black and white shade profile referred to as Leica Monochrome. It was developed in partnership with Leica, clearly, and options brighter highlights and extra distinction. It’s simply the nicest photograph “look” setting I’ve seen on any Panasonic digital camera (it’s nice for black and white video, too).
Video
Panasonic may not need to hear this, but when I used to be a content material creator in search of a Micro 4 Thirds digital camera, I’d buy this mannequin over the like-priced GH6.
Sure, the GH6 has just a few benefits. It might probably seize ProRes video on to CFexpress playing cards, whereas it’s good to rig up an SSD to do the identical on the G9 II. It additionally has a fan that permits limitless video recording, so it is higher for occasion videographers. Lastly, you may output RAW video to an exterior recorder.
Except for that, the G9 holds its personal. Each can seize 5.7K at as much as 60fps, or 120p 4K, and the G9 II helps 10-bit V-Log recording and 4K inside seize with excessive knowledge charges and easy-to-edit I-frame recordsdata, precisely just like the GH6. And you are able to do high-bandwidth ProRes recording through the USB-C port – once more, similar to the GH6.
The shortage of a fan limits the G9 II’s recording occasions, however not considerably. 4K and 5.7K recording occasions are successfully limitless at 30 and 60 fps. Even 4K at 120fps can go over 20 minutes, and few customers would ever want that.
And the G9 II does issues the GH6 can’t. The phase-detect AF is clearly superior for video, eliminating wobble and focusing a lot faster (although the identical AF caveats for images apply). It additionally has a decrease 500 ISO flooring for dynamic range-boosted V-log recording, in comparison with ISO 2,000 for the GH6. That makes it extra sensible to shoot in daylight, the place the advantages of log and dual-gain are best.
As with the GH6, stabilization is superb for video, although Sony’s ZV-E1 is a contact higher. Enhance Mode gives near-tripod ranges of smoothness for static photographs solely. Turning on E-Stabilization eliminates the necessity for a gimbal in some circumstances (although the digital IBS on Sony's ZV-E1 is a hair higher). That mode additionally corrects warping on the edges with wide-angle lenses, a primary for mirrorless cameras. As a content material creator myself, the stabilization alone would make me attain for the G9 II as a substitute of probably extra succesful cameras like Canon’s R6 II – as a result of I do know I can seize nice footage with no tripod.
4K video is oversampled and thus very sharp, although the cropped 4K 120p is a bit softer. Dynamic vary is excellent in V-log mode, so it’s simple to regulate later, particularly on the base ISO 500. Colours are pure, and low-light functionality is strong for a small-sensor digital camera due to the twin achieve system. So video quality-wise, I’ve no complaints.
That stated, there are just a few useful content material creator options discovered on Sony and Canon cameras lacking right here, like Sony’s devoted product showcase and focus respiration compensation.
Wrap-up
With all that, the $1,900 G9 II is without doubt one of the most succesful hybrid cameras I’ve seen. The dealing with, velocity and improved autofocus make it a compelling choice for wildlife photographers. However the glorious video capabilities and high quality makes it an incredible alternative for content material creators as properly.
Panasonic’s most important competitors on the images aspect is the $2,000 OM-1. The G9 II has extra decision, however the OM-1 has a quicker stacked sensor. For photographs, both is an effective alternative, relying on what you want. Nonetheless, the G9 II is way superior for video.
On the content material creation aspect, Sony’s $2,200 ZV-E1 is a transparent rival, and is a contact higher for vloggers. Panasonic’s personal GH6, at present discounted to $1,700, is an alternative choice. Nonetheless, neither of these fashions can contact the G9 II on the images aspect. Maybe one of the best absolutely hybrid various could be Fujifilm’s X-H2, because it provides each velocity and video chops, nevertheless it prices $600 extra. All instructed, in the event you’re somebody who tends to do each images and video, the G9 II is a good alternative.
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