Handling Panasonic GX9 - not too sure

Helen wrote:

Ozonation wrote:

After reading up on it extensively and weighing the pros and cons of upgrading, I traded in my GX7 for a GX9. The GX7 was a great little camera but I wasn't using it much - it was a backup to my Olympus EM5Mk2, and I got the GX7 used as part of a package deal several years ago. However, I did find it felt great in hand.

I have owned and used the GX7, 8 and 80, though not the GX9, but hopefully my comments may be of some help as the GX9 is an evolution of the GX80/85.

To be honest, I'm having a surprisingly slow and hard time warming to the GX9's handling. It seems close enough to the GX7 that I figured I'd find it very comparable.

But my initial impressions are:

• The redesigned thumb notch/rest on the back seems to interfere with my ability to access and use the rear control dial quickly.

Whilst the GX80 is different again, I do find that its rear thumbdial is more difficult to use than that of the GX7 - it is both stiffer and more recessed, at least on my example.

• When I move my thumb to turn the rear control dial, I sometimes end up turning the exposure compensation dial instead because it's quite prominent.

I can imagine that this could be an issue.

• The body seems less grippy in hand: I think the GX7's body hump was more prominent and less slippery.

Yip, the GX7 was easier to hold with its more prominent hump, not that I battle holding my GX85, but the GX7 was a tad easier to grip.

Absolutely the case. As well as a larger front grip bulge than the GX80 and GX9, the GX7 has a thick, deeply textured matte rubberised leatherette covering, whereas that of the 8, 80 and 9 is a thin, slightly slippery non-rubberised synthetic leather. The GX8 was the first to use it and its larger grip helped offset the issue but I still preferred the GX7 in terms of grip security.

• I can't quite get the EVF just right. It seems like when the bottom part is in focus, the top part isn't quite.

Again, I totally agree. This issue seemed to arise with an eyepiece optics redesign on the GX80 and I’d hoped, given the return of the tilting EVF, that the GX9 would have the GX7 optics again, but it sounds as if that may not be the case.

I still have my older Olympus EM5Mk2, and I almost prefer it over the GX9... which surprised me.

Well, I know that I would too, if it helps!

Anybody else finding the GX9 harder to adapt to than expected? None of the online reviews mentioned any of the above, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something.