Robin Wong G9 Review - Thoughts?

I just received a G9 earlier this week. I was originally a Nikon shooter (D70 through D810), and switched to Olympus a few years ago after noticing that the Nikon came out only for a very few family events and only car-oriented vacations. I have both versions of the EM-1, and received my G9 this week. I much prefer the ergonomics of the G9 - the larger grip is much more comfortable for my size fingers, and don’t cause the cramping I’ve experienced with EM-1’s after a long day of carrying the camera.

Now on to your question - I have indeed experienced the blackout that Robin Wong mentioned. It occurred when I was comparing the lowlight focusing capabilities of both cameras - the G9 (mounting the PL 12-60) locked up and blacked out after racking back and forth repeatedly without being able to establish focus. Not only was the light very low, but the target was low contrast - a folded blanket across the room. I then shut the camera down and tried again, with the same result. I then mounted the Oly 12-40 2.8, and repeated the exercise, and the G9was able to immediately lock focus. Interestingly, I haven’t experienced the blackout in other very lowlight situations I tested, where the objects (trees, etc.) incorporated more contrast. This leads me to conclude that the result was unique to the target, and not something I’d likely experience in normal use.

Back to my other initial observations:

- I’m disappointed in the light-gathering capability of the PL 12-60 on the G9. My plan had been to sell the Oly 12-40, as I prefer PL’s slightly lighter weight (particularly on the slightly heavier G9 relative to the EM1.2) and its greater reach. Interestingly, the G9 with the Oly lens performed at least as well in low light as the EM-1.2 with the Oly lens - this is what leads me to conclude that the problem is the PL lens, and to agree with Robin Wong’s opinion that the G9’s focusing and low light capabilities are at least as good as the EM-1.2’s.

- As noted above, I love the ergonomics of the G9, the dedicated button layout, the menu organization, and the top lcd readout in addition to the size of the grip. These are all superior to the EM’s FOR ME, and others will have different reactions.

- I also love the G9’s bright, crisp EVF - it’s much superior to that of Olympus. It’s true that there’s noticeable pincushion distortion (particularly if you’re looking for it), but it’s relatively minor and nothing that impacts my use.

That about sums up my initial reactions. I haven’t had a chance to out and really test its images against those of the Olympus yet , but if the results are what others are reporting I’ll be very happy, as I’ve been quite happy with my EM-1.2. It certainly isn’t the equal of the D810, but it gets much more use, and I’m nowhere the photographer to extract or need the extra margin of capability the 810has over MFT...