Wow, cold shoe, no shutter, no evf, heavy banding. Panasonic were so close to getting this thing right but the fumbled it imo. And in ways that can't be fixed in firmware....I went from excited to not caring so fast. I guess I'm not the target market for this thing...
Good god so many deal breakers. What was in theory a system seller and would sell like gang busters , is now a crippled mess. I was hovering over the buy button till I saw this. Utterly baffled. Ready to sell my a7c but even the x100vi is better all round performer. Sad. I looooove the look of Panasonic files.
Looks like a giant Panasonic GM-1. I wish they had made an updated GM-1 or GM-5 instead for micro four thirds - on that sensor size and with those lenses, compactness can truly be achieved.
I think the problem is it wouldn't be that much cheaper as an M43 and thus harder to sell. Would you pay 800 for this camera in M43? It seems designed for the cell phone crowd anyway.
@@robojimtvbro i'd even heist a bank if they release a new GM5, a compact MFT with tilting screen and EVF. With 20mp MFT and all the latest tech they have, it would be a beast of a street photography camera. Slap it with a 300mm short reflex lens and you can pretend you are a secret agent.
@@robojimtvm43 sensors are much cheaper to produce than full frame sensors since its 1/4 the size. Plus it requires less power meaning lighter battery and with a much smaller body you can save more on materials making it an awesome travel camera
@@benjhaisch lol I can imagine but we’ll see what happens in the future! I believe that they will drop a S9R with a view fonder one day. If I’m correct Lumix holds the patent for ND filters in mirrorless cameras and hasn’t resealed one yet. I’m confident they know how to work with that space of a body. They just chose not to Do that as to compete with their next generation of S1 series cameras.
@@MrWiseinheart Yeah and weather-sealed too. There's something oddly beautiful about the fp too - it's quirky and cool, and often overlooked. A future fp model with a stacked sensor and a flippy screen would get me even more excited 🤤
I’m still enjoying my LUMIX GX85…it’s more than enough camera for 99% of people whether they’d like to admit it or not. Nice to see Panasonic still creating these beautiful cameras.
Same here! And I also have the GX7, which I love even more from an ergonomics standpoint. How did the entire internet get brainwashed into thinking you need FF for creators, when their output is only RU-vid, TikTok, and Instagram!
They should have just made a gm5 successor. New mft sensor, add ibis, add the luts. Keep the evf and the mechanical shutter. That would be a killer camera because of the smaller lenses. It would be the best compact camera to date.
For those coming here after Gerald Undone's video, I'm in the same boat. Just curious how a lot of the top camera channels approached this. Without doubt, I knew Chris and Jordan would NOT hold back. They obviously didn't "fluff" this review. It was pretty brutally honest and not glowing. They even gave 3 different cameras as options over this one. You can tell by most of the comments here that their points against this camera were made clearly. I feel Gerald made some VERY solid points as to why we should change the way reviews are handled regarding these embargo/influencer trips for product launches. It really puts the pressure on up and coming reviewers to "toe the line" but I can always count on Chris and Jordan to buck that. They made their bread and butter by NOT toeing the line and just telling it like they see it. Kudos guys! Great job.
In defense of the S9, a friend of mine has been asking me to recommend her a compact but high quality vlog camera for her social media for months now and there was literally nothing for me to give her until this camera came out. The kinds of vloggers that this camera is aimed toward are not doing 50 minute pieces to camera even once in their lives. They do one to five minutes, handheld, and walking. Because they're vlogging. When i as a camera person saw the real time lut function i thought "that's fucking stupid" but my friend saw it and went "so i don't have to edit any colors?!? That's perfect!!!". Then she saw the app that lets you make your own colors, and got even more excited. Then she saw that you can download clips right to your phone and said "THAT'S IT!! THAT'S WHAT I WANT!" There is clearly a disconnect between who is reviewing the camera and what they want out of every piece of gear, and who is buying every piece of gear. I am not saying this camera is without fault, far from it. This camera is deeply incompatible with piece to camera RU-vidrs, and that is okay. It's not designed for piece to camera RU-vidrs. It's designed to be thrown in a purse pocket, taken with you everywhere, and literally MADE to get short clips from your camera to your phone for social media. The s9 is not necessarily a bad camera because it lacks certain things, it's tailor made for social media vloggers who want everything to look good straight out of the gate. Sacrifices have to be made to achieve that, like a viewfinder, headphone jack, and recording limits. Those three things are what i see most people complaining about. None of those are necessary for this camera's intended purpose. A headphone jack is great for people behind the camera, no one wears headphones when vlogging. People have been comparing it to the x100vi, which is an idiotic comparison. Everything about those two cameras intended purposes are different save for being small. This is a cheaper and easier zve1. Cheaper means no 4k120, that's fine. Social media doesn't care. It's small, it has great ibis, it has good resolutions codecs and bitrates for social media, and it's far less expensive than the zve1. The issue of it being only a little less expensive than the s5ii is more a testament to the excellent value that camera brings than anything, and if you're doing pieces to camera, why are you even looking at a camera with no fan and recording limits? A few channels have given this camera too many praises because they really wanted to get on Panasonic's good side, and a few have buried it because it's a tool not designed for them. Using a coping saw to cut down a tree. With Gerald's video blasting Panasonic (I've long suspected this happens a lot) i understand a lot of the hate the brand is getting, I'm right there with y'all. No one should have to ingratiate themselves with a company by giving good reviews to make a living. There's no excuse for that lens either. I wrote this after watching most of the videos on this camera so I think I've got the general consensus. Specifically wrote this after watching camera conspiracies video. I'm going to put this in a few videos comments.
Yes, but the issue is with full frame most decent lens, including the l mount primes will make this setup unbalanced and not so compact anymore. Your friend is better off looking into Micro 4/3s for social media if size is big concern.
@@kyleledotnet this is simply not true, the only mft camera with respectable autofocus for vloggers is the g9ii which is the same size as the s5ii, and lacks the camera to phone capabilities that make the s9 so much more convenient than any other camera on the market
Sony has the best autofocus by far of any camera manufacturers, and they sell decent vlogging cameras with 1" sensors (RV and ZV line), APSC and Full frames. Nearly all MFT cameras post 2014 have best stabilization, and most of them have fully articulating screens - what vloggers need essentially, and tiny lenses compared to FF - including Panasonic's own. Even action cameras and the recent midrange smartphones and iPhones from the last 5 years have excellent built in mics, are as small as a camera can get, easy and light and can be mounted on cheap gimbals - with decent enough video and the ability to edit and post on the fly. Canon and Nikon also still make compacts which were staple for vloggers and small youtubers, accessible enough for anyone who doesn't want to go full camera nerd. Where do you come up with the assertion that you had nothing to recommend to your friend until S9 came about? If anything, it's pretty mediocre offering; with no mechanical shutter and a coldshoe to boot, for a $1600 that has nothing going for it except a FF sensor. I feel like your initial statement is contrarian for the sake of it; plus we don't have any in depth reviews of the camera anyway yet so it is a bold stance to take regardless. Panasonic makes good cameras; Gerald's comments were about the general state of consumer product "content" and how companies handle PR; S9 is a very poor offering at that price when you can get near mint bodies used on MPB or KEH, even Full frame ones at a lower price/substantially better feature set for that price.
Big Panasonic fan here, but I'm confused as to who Panasonic consulted when r&ding this camera. You said that Panasonic was aiming at photographers as well as videographers, and serious stills photographers have been crying out for a new compact form factor (GX9, GM5, GX85 etc), but the lack of stills features is almost a write-off. The live LUTs is a great idea, and some of those in-camera profiles looked good, but I'm left puzzled as to who this camera is aimed at. Sadly, it's not me.
If they want 1400 dollars from me they can release a gm5ii. Actually it would be 4200. I'd purchase 3. 2 for dual camera shooting, and a third as a backup. I've run my entire photography business, making 200k a year, off GM5s entirely since they released!
Ngl, the realtime lut and photo styles is pretty incredible. I feel like they saw what Fuji have been doing and just cranked it to 11. Honestly, Panasonic giving me more reasons to get one as my next camera…
As someone who has been shooting with the S1H for a few years and was considering buying an S5IIX for a little while for vlogging and that sort of thing, honestly this looks like a great B-Cam and for if I ever decide to get into vlogging or need something to put in a difficult location.
This thing has a fantastic FF sensor, best in the business IBIS, 6K open gate, 4K open gate, 4K 60P in 4:2:2 10 bit and the fantastic LUT feature from the S5II, all in a compact and lightweight body. This is a filmmaker's dream run and gun/B roll cam. Its a lot more capable than just a "vlogging" cam lol
I just sold my little GX85 that was my trusty "C- Cam" the last 6 years and will probably scoop up one of these when they hit $1,000 used. Gaining full frame, anamorphic, PDAF and IBIS will be amazing coming from a little m43 camera that was already punching way above its weight.
@michaelbell75 No full sized HDMI, difficult to rig form factor, no mechanical heat regulation, no audio monitoring, no hot shoe, etc, etc. Recording modes are one thing, but when there's cameras out there that more than fulfill those requirements already, I'm not gonna take the hit on IO and form factor.
@@patrickmeyer2802 well that’s why they have the S5IIx. There are plenty of hybrid shooters like myself who couldn’t care less about any of that. We just want an affordable compact and lightweight FF camera with great specs. We finally have one.
@michaelbell75 and did I ever say that you had to use it as a B? No, I said that that's what I would be using it for. Some people can absolutely not worry about those issues, but unfortunately in the work I do, I can't.
Absolutely love the look of this thing, and I'd by it immediately if it had an EVF (and ideally a mech shutter and a tilt screen). Since it doesn't, I'll be picking up a nice green one used in five or so years.
Nikon z5 1100$ (body only): better grip, EVF, mech shutter, much brighter 28mm pancake lens Lumix s9 1500$ : missing everything mentioned above So apart from being a compact I don't see any reason to purchase this.
z5 is going for a different market going photography focus. it has a huge 1.7 crop at 4k video. The s9 is mainly a video/vlog camera which usually doesn't have an evf or mech shutter (fx3 or zve1 for example). The s9's faults are elsewhere.
Ahh, the old “Royal We”. The reality is that Panasonic know what old curmudgeons want, but they also know that said old curmudgeons don’t really buy compact bodies like this one. They buy the big beefy S5, A7IV and R6 ones because they include everything and the kitchen sink. The kids who will consider an S9 have *vastly* different priorities and interests.
@@Ildskalli I am one of the people who was excited for this camera, being a Lumix GX series shooter this was right up my alley. No EVF and no mech shutter is a huge dealbreaker for me so idk
I have a hunch not having the headphone jack was an internal space/cost saving measure circuit wise. Would also explain why it isn't a combo jack either. That said the full-frame sensor is a welcome surprise as my first impression is that it's apsc/ m4/3. I can only hope more companies adopt open gate recording to their cameras due to the doors that opens up creatively. (tbh was kinda shock the a9iii didn't have it but with everything else there it made sense to leave it behind)
As someone still rocking a GX8 as a light, easy to pack camera, I was super excited when the rumors for this camera came out. Unfortunately, I don't know if this is going to be the replacement I was hoping for.
No EVF is breaks the deal for me. Hopefully Panasonic will make and S9ii or S9EVF sooner rather than later because I would instantly buy that. That being said Lumix Lab is going to absolutely revolutionize LUTs. I’m super excited for this.
The camera seems ok, but it has to be said that your street photography and videography is on point! You walked away with some definite keepers there. There's a lot to be said for having a camera compact enough that you can take it everywhere.
17:00 Don't forget that the Sigma fp L introduced the Crop-Zoom with twenty-six increments of the 61mp sensor -- which allows for 5x or so on HD, as I recall. I'm very pleased to see this on Lumix -- especially when a high-resolution camera with mechanical shutter comes through. Having said that, I loved the GM5 and the X100, and this goes to the next level in L-mount.
Until companies start releasing sub 600 dollars cameras. No one is going to go mainstream. People like to take photos. But they already have 800 dollar phones. The first company to release a compelling 600 dollar camera is going to become huge in the long run. This is not it. Targeting TikTokers with a 1500 camera is just dumb. Absolutely dumb.
I disagree. Tons of tiktok creators are getting the expensive Sony models for their creation... this will be a compelling option, but with some drawbacks
@@nickguzman1734this is true. People moan about any Leica camera…and these ‘creators’ will blow thousands and thousands of dollars a few times a year buying new Sony cameras, lenses, etc.
@@nickguzman1734 wrong, there's not even a ton of successful TikToks/creators to warrant a 1500 video camera that's not geared for professionals. Like the ZV line from Sony. It's also not geared for photographers at all, and is the ugliest camera in the market besides the black so it can't even compete with the X100vi, which is what they should have aimed with a small form factor full frame at 1500 usd.
This camera is clearly for young hobbyists who want the best possible image and video quality in a small and attractive package for things like travel. I think it nails it for that audience.
I love the option for small rangefinder sized cameras as a backup to a DSLR brick, even if I have t give up some features. I remember the tiny Lumix GM1. So awesome, so convenient for a 2nd camera.
Wonderful video as ever! Was such a pleasure spending time with you both in Osaka. And I think a very balanced and informative view on Real Time LUT. I think, if people give it a chance it can be so powerful! But Lumix havent helped themselves with the techy naming, and various methods you can come at RTL in-camera
I was really pumped about this camera in the lead up. But now I sort of feel deflated. I am ok with some compromises like no mechanical shutter and no built in EVF. The problems I have are basically ones you covered: - no weather resistance / sealing: I really think weather sealing is essential for this to be viewed as travel cameras. Dirt, sand, rain, snow, splashing, sandy wind etc are likely events or conditions on many holidays. - recording limits: surely they will fix these?!? Crazy stuff. Makes me wonder whether Canon’s R5 marketing manager moved to Lumix… - Headphone Jack omission. I’m sure there will be a LUMIX’s design engineering saying something like ‘but you don’t understand how little room there is inside…’. Too bad. Don’t care. Just fix it on the Mark II version. - No hotshoe: does ‘S’ in S9 stand for Spotmatic? - No hotshoe accessory EVF (flows from the lack of a hotshoe, obviously…). - Full sized HDMI. If you need an Atomos Ninja to overcome record limits and monitor audio then the full HDMI helps. I totally agree with the view that this should have been a full frame GX9 with contemporary specs. But it isn’t unfortunately. I was 100% sure I’d get this camera. Not now. Hopefully a MFT version will redress the limitations and likewise a Mark II S9. Regardless the S9 will be great for some creators. The disappointment is it could have been great for almost ALL creators looking for a small package.
I have an Olympus (OM System) E-P7 and absolutely adore the in-built colour profiles (the same ones as seen on the legendary PEN-F, and similar to Fujifilm film simulations). As a parent, I don't really have the time to spend editing my raw files, so I shoot raw+jpg, with the raw as a backup and the colour-modified jpg for instant sharing with my family (who live overseas). The ability to share and edit the LUTs via an app is a genius move. So I think there is definitely a market for the in-built creative photography modes seen in this camera, and I'm excited to see how they evolve (and if OM System follow suit). However, given the small body, I don't understand why this isn't a Micro Four Thirds camera: the smaller lenses of that system would be ideal for its tiny body.
I will go onto every S9 vid and shamelessly preach for a GX9ii, a compact m43 camera with PDAF and the generous Lumix video features (plus all that fun cheap glass), it would be the perfect "carry it just in case" camera.
100% they did not read the room! LX100mk3 with PDAF high read out speeds etc etc people would have eaten that up! And a GX camera in the same vain for interchangeable format
I love the LUT features and how in depth it goes. I can finally make my own style and shoot in it. And compose my shot for the contrast and exposure of the LUT. Very nice
Why the hell is it not M43? Who wants a compact, not very ergonomic camera with massive full-frame lenses? The LUT idea is great, doing what Fuji should have been doing: allowing people to create and share film simulations easily.
To me this would be primarily a platform for adapting compact rangefinder mount glass tbh, and for that it seems quite fun. Lenses like the Voigtländer 40 1.4. But also, come on where's the compact MFT gear seriously it's such a good ecosystem for compact autofocus lenses 😮💨
It looks super cool, I just want a M43 version at half the price. The LUT's option is something we have needed for years, I hope there's an option to add luts via SD card as phone apps tend to brake after a few years.
Youre joking right? This thing has a fantastic FF sensor, best in the business IBIS, 6K open gate, 4K open gate, 4K 60P in 4:2:2 10 bit and the fantastic LUT feature from the S5II, all in a compact and lightweight body. This is a filmmaker's dream run and gun/B roll cam. The Sony fanboys are so mad right now lol
@michaelbell75 you must be mad by insinuating that everbody whonis critical on camera is Sony Fanboy... (bad case of Projection on your behalve🧠) Been a Lumix Photographer since 2015 and will stay that but when I buy a new Lunix not an S9....I llove tge looks love the size but... Like the Idea with LUTs.... But no EVF is a NO GO for me
@@michaelbell75 MODERN cinema cameras dont have EVFs, and a ton of professionals still use them, they just dont come with the camera anymore lol. And yeah, I'd buy any other brand camera over this one because ANY of them would be better for $1,500. I love Panny but this release sucks...
@@pringleboat really? Who else makes a compact and lightweight FF sensor camera with excellent IBIS, 6K open gate, 4K 60p in 4:2:2 10 bit with advanced features like waveform and vectorscope for $1,500? I’ll wait….
I'm pretty sure, the next is a MFT camera. Look at the timeline from the recent cameras S5 > GH6 > S5II/X > G9II > S9 > ¿Next is GX10? They dance between MFT and FF sensor with their releases. So I'm pretty sure it will be a MFT, but not sure if it's gonna be a GX or a GH. There's potential and demand for a GX10 or GH6II, both with PDAF and killer stab.
@@edvelfilms Rumours all strongly suggest G100M2 to be the next camera that will use the G9M2 sensor with PDAF and open gate mode. So far the rumours have all been correct about the S9 and its awful 26mm lens also the compact zoom lens. So who knows? The G100 is definitely a camera that could use some redemption.
@@edvelfilms Well you are in luck, cause that was DEFINITELY confirmed to be arriving but first as a Leica exclusive, and then we will get LX100M3, I am definitely pre-ordering one.
As a Leica CL owner, the baffling design decisions in the S9 just reminds me how much potential APS-C L mount has. In a similar footprint, the CL feels way more complete as a camera feature wise, and lenses balance way better on it. Sigma has a whole line of APS-C L mount too, a camera needs to happen.
Seems to me that the S9 is priced WAY too close to the S5-II. Just spend a little bit more and get a WAY better camera. I don't get why this camera exists unless it's much cheaper than this. Go S5-II or S5-IIX and forget this S9. Buy the S5-IIX and you will NOT regret it! (buy the S9 and I think you will)
The lut stuff is actually really cool I think. It's like the Fuji film simulations except it's not a proprietary format. Even if you use raw files in the end, having using a lut could enable you to have the viewfinder look closer to how you want the final result to be
Seems like the S9 is to the S5ii what the X-T50 is to the X-T5. Also we have another stab at Fuji but this time in the "Film Simulations" and "recipes" area. Oh, and I am not sure if Chris' Neopan 640 is actually good, or if it's enhanced by Jordan's looks.
Please tell Jordan to make a how to mix sound video then force every other content creator to watch it. It’s so nice to hear music that doesn’t make me want to smash my head into a wall because it’s so much louder than speaking volume. Good job.
The content you made with it all looked really nice. However, I think it's really expensive for what it is and it lacks the kind of controls I'd want as a photographer. I'm not sure whether there are small form factor lenses for this system in the same way as on M43 from Panasonic and Olympus. Nice review, thanks and you've save me from wasting any more time thinking about this model.
What a shame... something that generated a bit of excitement in the last couple weeks turned out to be a castrated S5 II to launch Panny's Lumix Lab platform. Democratization of picture/video profiles doesn't quite offset the 2 features that are dropped in the process... namely: Cold shoe and electronic shutter only are the dealbreakers for me. Chris may be right in hoping Lumix Lab coming to S5 II... and his Japanese 🔥. So I'll save up a bit for the Sony A7C II. I can still access a lot of nice compact-ish budget-ish Sigma f2 lenses in E-mount, ones that I would've liked if I were to get into L-mount.
Edit. Okay so after watching a few more videos on the camera, my opinion has changed. I think this would be a good selling camera for people looking for a compact/travel ff video camera. I still want that MFT camera below. Not that it matters…Just another dream camera list from just another rando. Panasonic just doesn’t understand how to combine the features we need with compactness. The GX9 is another example. I really hope they make an MFT gx10 with mech shutter, hot shoe, headphone jack, no record limits, dual control wheels, weather sealing and the new lut button features. Now that would sell.
This will sell plenty. You want a mechanical shutter and hot shoe, buy the S5II. There are PLENTY of filmmakers like me who want a small, run and gun camera like this.
@@michaelbell75 After some time thinking about it and watching more videos on the camera, I agree with you. I withdraw my previous comment. Should be a good choice for people looking for a camera like this
Apparently this is not your workhorse camera. However, for people like me who already have more than 20 cameras, this is my ideal street photography camera, or for attending events as a guest, or for trips visiting cities and indoor attractions. I am buying this.
19:20 I can see this for RU-vidrs as well as tiktokers and instagrammers. Not every youtuber wants to spend the time color grading their footage in post, some just want to get their videos or vlogs out as soon as possible. Same with the photo LUTs, I can imagine someone who has a ton of lightroom presets that they edit with and they'll export the JPGs after, but I can see someone just using those LUTs on the fly and just eliminating the need to edit the shots later. It also helps people to get the shot in camera more often, because how many times do we shoot, find that something is under- or over-exposed and we just say "we'll fix it in post", well if we shoot with our color grades applied already, we can see the results right away. No, its not for professionals, the people getting this camera are just casual, fun shooters. They aren't looking for redundancy or monitoring their audio (though, I cant imagine the onboard mic on that camera being very good, so thats a bit of a letdown that they didn't have a hotshoe and give it a Sony-like option for various good microphones). I see this as a pretty neat camera for travelers and vloggers, parents who might want a bit more of a robust camera than their phones. Fun times.
Youre joking right? This thing has a fantastic FF sensor, best in the business IBIS, 6K open gate, 4K open gate, 4K 60P in 4:2:2 10 bit and the fantastic LUT feature from the S5II, all in a compact and lightweight body. This is a filmmaker's dream run and gun/B roll cam. Not everyone who shoots video is a "tiktoker". You are clearly not a filmmaker and have no idea what you are talking about.
TikTok/Instagram influencers are using their phones. No one under the age of 30 is going to deal with having to take pictures, take it out of an SD card, edit it in Lightroom, export it then upload it to their phone to get it on there. They can do it five seconds on their phone.
@@michaelbell75 You're right, I'm not a filmmaker. Its just that when I see things like what looks like the easiest to use app transfer tool of any major camera brand out there, I instantly think that they are going strait for the quick creator market, the "influencers." The ones that shoot and upload within moments. I dont consider that market of creators as "filmmakers" because even though this camera has a lot of features like you mentioned, its lacking a lot of things I would expect a serious filmmaker would want at the bare minimum, such as audio monitoring for one thing. Does it even have a video output if someone wants to use an external monitor? I wasnt trying to downplay the capabilities of this camera, I was just saying its aimed at a certain market, not exactly for actual pro's because of its limitations.
Almost nobody who actually makes a living with video color grades haha. It takes way too freaking long. So I guess this feature is neat if you can load up some options. Gotta try on my s5iix, a far superior camera in every way.
@@YaYousef5 well thats just the thing, with this camera you dont have to do all that to get all the footage off it, thats why they focused on having a robust app for data transfer.
It seems zve10 and S9 is giving purchaser a camera that has way better video image quality than cell phone. Panasonic have a good image stablization which can totally replace the gimble and get a light weight while raising your arm to shooting vlog, I think S9 would be a good experience to the vlogers too, but lumix should rich the camera line as quick as possible.
This is clearly not something I would be interested in buying, but it was fun watching the video with Chris & Jordan and also getting a glimpse of Osaka, since we hope to be going there later this year...
I really love this, to be honest. It’s for the Fuji X100 crowd and TikTok/IG people, for whom this simplified full frame experience will be a revelation. The $1500 is perfect as well, I’d skip a flagship phone for this, and the results would be massively better. I hope Canon will update the RP, that camera is also a little gem
Baffled as well guys. I met Lumix at 2 trade shows in London and I knew a new camera was coming, but oh boy what a disappointment. We don't want the S9, we want the GH7 and S1Hii.
At the moment it costs almost the same as the S5 II (just a 50€ difference), but there are so many thinks missing. The main advantage is that it does not look like a "serious" camera. In some locations they do not let you it with a camera that looks "professional".
I bought this camera 3 weeks back as a backup camera to my A7R IV, as I was sold to its small and light form factor. People told me that I just wasted my money as I can buy the A7C II instead since I can use the same lens of my A7R IV. But I just want a light FF CAMERA (sorry X100VI) and try another ecosystem. Long story short: it didn't disappoint. The light, small form factor made it really enjoyable to it bring everyday, with a small bag. And during the weekends, I carry both cameras - with the A7R IV and its lens mainstay Tamron 20-40mm, and the S9 with the 90mm 2.8 Sigma. This combination resulted to an unbelievable light load of 1.8kg only, and that's carrying two FF cameras with the best lightweight zoom and prime lenses in the market. The fun side of this is that I don't have to change lenses which I find to be an inconvenient hassle all the time when I shoot exclusively with A7R 2. Gone are the days of carrying a 3.5 kg load of 1 DSLR camera and 2 lenses! I also do think that my combo is much lighter than a Canon R5 and the equivalent lenses that I use for my cameras. It is also worth mentioning that the colors of the S9's SOOC Jpeg shots are much better than the Sony (Standard mode).
@@macrossrao5657 sigma has a couple small primes by FF standards and there’s a couple third party options. I agree though a pancake zoom or prime from Lumix would be awesome. I’m also the type of person that thinks a body cap lens is acceptable and would use the 26 f/8. Depends what a person is doing with the camera.
Give it two years. Panasonic cameras depreciate crazy compared to other camera brands. I don't know who's actually going to use this camera except for the adluencers who are going to be paid to use it in their RU-vid videos.
@@YaYousef5 such a crazy comment.. its the same audience as for the sony z cameras or the sony a7 c and they sell well. Gh6 and s52 still cost release price where i live. You clearly have no clue about Panasonic cameras.
@@YaYousef5 Yeah, I plan on watching the used markets for one. I've got an S1R & S1 and I'd like to add a compact camera to my L-Mount system, but this thing is way overpriced for what it offers. I'd rather pick up a used Leica CL digital for that price. Almost none of the choice they made on this thing make sense. No good for photographers with no mechanical shutter without having a fast enough sensor read to compensate for it, no hotshoe so no flash photography, poor autofocus controls, no headphone jack, mini hdmi, short video recording ability. The more I think about it, it isn't even worth $600. They seem to think people will pay that just because it is a full frame sensor when m43 is way more than sufficient for anything this would be used for.
Reading most of the comments here, I see too many people are doing navel gazing. Stuck within the tiny confines of their thinking. Reframe it to think of this camera as a point-and-shoot marketed towards those who use their smartphones' camera for photo taking and video shorts to post as content creators. This is the highly compromised version of the Lumix S5ii where its role is to reintroduce the camera to the people who have mainly grown up using smartphones as cameras. Here are some questions to reframe and rethink about the Lumix S9: * No EVF? Does a smartphone have an EVF for their camera? When taking photos with smartphones, you don't press your eye to the screen. * Few smartphone users fiddle with the fine controls like the photography geeks. * Short video recording time? Videos shared among friends and colleagues are short and not long form. Same with those that go on social media platforms to capture the short video moments. * Electronic shutter only? That's the same with cameras on smartphones. * LUT quick access and downloadable? Image and video filters in smartphone camera/image apps? * Starter kit lens is 28mm F/8? 35mm equivalent of the lenses of main cameras in smartphones? Plus, what this camera offers is an interchangeable lens system (L-mount). For those who want better lenses, they can buy an L-mount lens to replace the kit lens. * Connectivity of the camera to transfer images and videos to the smartphone for quick posting. * Size, weight, pocketability of the camera is not too big a difference with a premium flagship smartphone compared with the usual mirrorless digital cameras. Question is whether Panasonic's strategy and implementation for Lumix S9 will appeal to the market they are targeting.
I can deal with the lack of EVF, but the lack of an mechanical shutter is very underwhealming, and I don't like this trend. I would be okay a first-curtain shutter, but going fully electronic does have disadvantages IMO. Having a mechanical shutter that has no issue with mixed artificial lights, is one main merit these days when smartphone photography takes over. Lacking a mechanical shutter will be thus one reason for not winning generation smartphone over. I was actually kinda considering this camera until that point--having a small form factor, good IBIS and autofocus, and a reasonable price
So more like a "Jack of no trades master of none" camera opposed to S5IIX "Jack of all trades, master of all" :D Definitely overhyped ... haven't met even 50% of expectations :(
I think this review misses the point almost, but not quite, entirely. Reviewers look at spec sheets all day, and it tends to warp perspective. They’re also in a never-ending la-la camera land, where they get to be picky in ways that most of us do not. A. The images looked lovely, except for Chris’, well, kinda sketchy LUTs. (Sorry Chris) 12 bit, no problem. B. Rolling what? Who cares? We’re not shooting for BBC Nature. C. No EVF/hot shoe. An EVF is nice, but I’m not bothered when I grab a non-EVF camera (I own a couple.) Cold shoe … I’m not shooting fashion editorials or imagining that my photos/videos need to be at that level. Tiny, full frame, lightweight, a pile of video features, awesome lens selection, decent IBIS, good price. That’s a helluva package for anyone who isn’t a reviewer or making a particular living in “content creation”. (We’re all content creators, arguably.) I’ve shot film, smartphones, and mirrorless for years now. And I’m VERY interested in this camera. I can see past the pixel peeping and the spec sheet to what the underlying camera can actually give me: a semi-advanced camera hobbyist who loves generalist shooting without lugging a brick around with me. For most of us, this will likely be an amazing camera.
Looks great for adapting rangefinder lenses, but heavily conpromised for its supposedly intended audience. If it had a viewfinder and tilt screen, this'd be a great pocket full frame for stills, but right now it's kinda stuck between worlds
3:15 ish... That dial. I had two Lumix cameras with that rear dial. In both instances, the dial started to give me problems after a few months of use. I'd turn it clockwise and it would register counter-clockwise movements or vice versa, or refuse to recognize movements. I am really not liking seeing that weak failure-prone part on the S9.
Wait…how did Chris sleep? This video is missing an important part of the press trip with Chris and Jordan 🙁 who is Matt and benj were so funny, thanks for being willing to help
This camera is way too expensive for the fundamental faults it has. This should be 800 dollars with its lack of features. No headphone jack, hot shoe or EVF make it a joke at this price point. They could have made it the basically same size with these features if they want to charge that. This camera is a mistake in positioning.
