G9, any good?

Love my G9.

Probably the best camera I've used in digital. Loved my Oly EM1.1 (and still do) but for me the G9 is a different league.

The ergonomics are just right for me, but as with any camera body I's advise trying one if you can.

John

SkiHound said:

I think it's a great camera and at the current prices a terrific value. But I don't see that it buys you much of anything compared to the E-M1iii. The interface between the two cameras is very different. I've not used the more recent Olympus bodies, but I prefer the Panasonic interface. That said, if you're comfortable with the Olympus interface a G9 is going to present a whole new experience.

Click to expand...

Agreed. For someone who already has an EM1-III, I'd agree that getting a G9 isn't really worth it unless you maybe happen to like the interface/shooting experience/lenses better perhaps.

Since you mentioned value, though, I would say that if I were someone who doesn't have either and is considering which one to purchase, I'd have a real hard time ponying up the additional $600 or so for an EM1-III considering just how close the cameras are, give or take some here and there. I just don't see the value in it, even when compared to the EM1-II.

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

99%! How did you arrive at that figure? I would have no idea what percentage of units are affected. Here's what it looks like.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you have to remember that not everybody uses the EVF with the same settings, so they may very well not see the pincushioning to the extent others might.

The photo above shows the EVF being used in Monitor style and what looks to be the full-sized setting as well. That combo will show off the pincushioning at its worst, but for someone like myself who shoots with the EVF set to Viewfinder style (hate anyting in the framing area other than AF points) and also at one of the smaller sizes (eyeglasses), the pincushion appears notably less.

This is why people considering a camera - any camera for that matter - really owe it to themselves to test it first-person.

Click to expand...

This may be an important point. I don't use the monitor mode either, as I like the icons outside of the live view area. Perhaps that makes a difference, as I don't see this much distortion. As a glasses wearer, I also have it set back a bit. Frankly, it shouldn't exist no matter what, but settings may matter here.

What lens did you use to shoot the viewfinder?

Reason I'm asking this is because I've shot my G9 viewfinder with my cellphone (aprox 28mm equivalent FL) and with a 35mm lens on a FF camera.


G9 viewfinder shot through a 28mm cell phone camera


G9 viewfinder shot through a 35mm lens on a FF camera

As you can see, the pincushion is still visible but less impactful on the 35mm compared to the 28mm.

Also, just for funsies, the DSLR viewfinder shot with the mobile phone:


FF viewfinder shot with 28mm eq phone.

Hmm, seems that my DSLR viewfinder has pincushion defect as well... even though nobody complained about it in the last 6 years since it was manufactured and I can't see any distortion in it.

In practice, I can't see any distortion on my G9, except if I really squint at minimum magnification.

That being said, I will not dismiss the whole distortion plus poor corners of the viewfinder as I had the oportunity to use an early production G9 which, even when diopter adjusted, would display visible distortion and blurry corners.

As such, in my opinion, the EVF issue was an early production issue that unfortunately got in the reviewers and early adopters hands and it got blown out of proportion.

Also, in my opinion, the G9 has one of the best EVFs on the market, bested only by the Z6/7 EVFs and possibly (as I have not tried them) the Panasonic S1 EVFs.

--
I hold the truth... A very specific, based on my experience and only relevant to me truth, but the truth nonetheless!

Terrible Photographer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

You know it when you see it. I remember when I first saw a G9 at a Panasonic Demo at my local store and the first words out of my mouth were "wow look at that pincushion, why would they do that?"

Click to expand...

I noticed it when I first used the G9. But you soon get used to it.

And now, after over 22,500 shots, I don't even realise it is there. It is a fantastic EVF - a real step above any others I have used. Absolutely trounces the E-M1 Mk2 viewfinder.

Cheers,
Paul

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

99%! How did you arrive at that figure? I would have no idea what percentage of units are affected. Here's what it looks like.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you have to remember that not everybody uses the EVF with the same settings, so they may very well not see the pincushioning to the extent others might.

The photo above shows the EVF being used in Monitor style and what looks to be the full-sized setting as well. That combo will show off the pincushioning at its worst, but for someone like myself who shoots with the EVF set to Viewfinder style (hate anyting in the framing area other than AF points) and also at one of the smaller sizes (eyeglasses), the pincushion appears notably less.

Click to expand...

Does that mean the issue does not exist?

It could be an issue that affects some batches in particular regions of the world. Have you considered that as a possibility?

Panasonic video shooters brushed aside their confirmation bias and were vocal about wanting better video autofocus, because they were unhappy with the performance. Guess what - Panasonic listened and improved it.

I’m a Panasonic user and I want to continue to get quality products.

The problem is that the moment we settle for less, we may get even less than what we settled for.

Panasonic video shooters have demonstrated why it’s worth acknowledging an issue and being vocal it.

StefanSC said:

What lens did you use to shoot the viewfinder?

Click to expand...

That picture is from a review. Perhaps read my other posts.

StefanSC said:

Reason I'm asking this is because I've shot my G9 viewfinder with my cellphone (aprox 28mm equivalent FL) and with a 35mm lens on a FF camera.


G9 viewfinder shot through a 28mm cell phone camera


G9 viewfinder shot through a 35mm lens on a FF camera

As you can see, the pincushion is still visible but less impactful on the 35mm compared to the 28mm.

Also, just for funsies, the DSLR viewfinder shot with the mobile phone:


FF viewfinder shot with 28mm eq phone.

Hmm, seems that my DSLR viewfinder has pincushion defect as well... even though nobody complained about it in the last 6 years since it was manufactured and I can't see any distortion in it.

In practice, I can't see any distortion on my G9, except if I really squint at minimum magnification.

That being said, I will not dismiss the whole distortion plus poor corners of the viewfinder as I had the oportunity to use an early production G9 which, even when diopter adjusted, would display visible distortion and blurry corners.

As such, in my opinion, the EVF issue was an early production issue that unfortunately got in the reviewers and early adopters hands and it got blown out of proportion.

Also, in my opinion, the G9 has one of the best EVFs on the market, bested only by the Z6/7 EVFs and possibly (as I have not tried them) the Panasonic S1 EVFs.

Click to expand...

Here's Robin Wong's review of the G9 that he published on MingThein.com. Just like my three experiences with the G9, he says the distortion is obvious and he provides a photo.

https://blog.mingthein.com/2018/01/22/review-the-2018-panasonic-lumix-g9/

I guess there'll be many that won't accept his findings!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your input, you're obviously thinking more objectively than some others.

You know, back in the early 2000's I bought my first digital camera. It was the Minolta A1 bridge camera. It had a Sony 5mp 2/3" sensor that was also used in the Panasonic LC1 and the Leica Digilux 2. The sensor was found to be faulty and would just stop working, so affected all 3 brands. But for the time I owned the Minolta A1 I never had a single problem, it never broke down. Do you think it would have been fair if I went around telling everyone that this camera has no problem, people are just making it up - simply because it didn't affect my camera? I think we both know the sensible answer to that one!

Cafe Racer said:

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

99%! How did you arrive at that figure? I would have no idea what percentage of units are affected. Here's what it looks like.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you have to remember that not everybody uses the EVF with the same settings, so they may very well not see the pincushioning to the extent others might.

The photo above shows the EVF being used in Monitor style and what looks to be the full-sized setting as well. That combo will show off the pincushioning at its worst, but for someone like myself who shoots with the EVF set to Viewfinder style (hate anyting in the framing area other than AF points) and also at one of the smaller sizes (eyeglasses), the pincushion appears notably less.

Click to expand...

Does that mean the issue does not exist?

It could be an issue that affects some batches in particular regions of the world. Have you considered that as a possibility?

Panasonic video shooters brushed aside their confirmation bias and were vocal about wanting better video autofocus, because they were unhappy with the performance. Guess what - Panasonic listened and improved it.

I’m a Panasonic user and I want to continue to get quality products.

The problem is that the moment we settle for less, we may get even less than what we settled for.

Panasonic video shooters have demonstrated why it’s worth acknowledging an issue and being vocal it.

Click to expand...

No one is saying that it doesn't exist (well, one here has, but they seem to be an outlier), what's being said is that it's not as severe as some people are making it out to be. That's been my experience and I'm sticking to it. And it has nothing to do with confirmation bias - I know it's there, but it seriously has no effect on my shooting and I don't even pay attention to it, the same way I don't pay attention to the shadow in the viewfinder from the mirror retention clip that is a hallmark of the Nikon F4s I still shoot regularly. Would I be happier if it wasn't the case? Sure, but it's just not a deal breaker, and considering how popular the G9 is and how many people have purchased them and love them, I don't seem to be in unique company.

As for it being an issue limited to a particular run of cameras, sure it's a possibility, but since there's no way to confirm it one way or the other, any discussion including that just becomes useless speculation and nothing more.

And no, there's also nothing wrong with voicing concerns and giving feedback so that companies can improve their products for everyone. I think we all want to receive better products, I know I do. If you don't want to buy the G9 because of the pincushioned EVF, that's fine. and understandable. If enough people feel like you do and do the same, something likely will get done about it. But if not, then you may just have to accept the fact that it's your issue and not others' and that future iterations of the camera may simply not be for you if Pany does nothing about it.

--
HP: http://www.emasterphoto.com
Photostream: http://gallery.emasterphoto.com
Photo Book: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/414130

Cafe Racer said:

Click to expand...

I can see a bit of pincushion distortion in the EVF if I look for it, but in use I never notice it. And I think this photo exaggerates it. When the issue first came up after the G9 was released (and probably after someone linked to Robin Wong's review with this same image), I tried to photograph the EVF, and I was unable to do so without exaggerating the pincushion effect. It's just not as bad as shown in this photo.

Be that as it may, if it's a problem for some, it's a problem for them. I have nothing but praise for the EVF, but that doesn't do those folks any good.

--
Brent

Cyvan said:

On paper the G9 seems to have similar features to the E-M1 III but in reality Olympus's implementations are generally better and useful.

• They both have HighRes and, esp since the update, mode 2 is definitely more usable now on the G9, but its not at the ease of use of HandHeld HiRes that the EM1.3 have yet.
• The G9 has something similar to Pro Capture but for RAW output it only saves about half a second before full shutter press. To get a full second u'd need to use 6K Photo to get 18MP jpegs. On the Olympus the buffer is larger so u get a full second in RAW.
• With the in-camera focus stacking for macro .. yeah the G9 has it, and it works with any lens , but it doesn't deal with focus breathing well so the results tend to be full of artifacts. Olympus limits the feature to specific lenses. I theorize it's so they can take the focus breathing characteristics of the lens into account and from there they get better results so its actually usable.
• Olympus has refined their PDAF to give smoother focus transitions and lock on capability than the G9 now; so much so that even Vloggers are saying its a great vlogging camera now.
• The EM1.3 has longer live bulb limits whereas the G9 has a maximum of 60 secs I believe?
• Look how practically useful Live Composite is which the Panasonic lacks.
• They both have joysticks but G9's 4-way the EM 1.3 is 8 way
• Sure they're both somewhat weather resistant but Panasonic's manual makes sure to put up disclaimers. The E-M1 III is now IPX1 certified.
• The body packs in so much and yet its same size as the relatively diminutive G85 which is smaller than the G9 and therefore more portable.

Click to expand...

That's a nice list of E-M1 pluses. I think I've seen a similar list of little perks of the G9 that the E-M1 doesn't have. I can never remember all those details, but in general I think the two are quite competitive with each other. Each may have some features that make it more compelling to a particular buyer, but if nothing in either list really matters to someone, they can't really go wrong with either one.

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

like complaining that the prettiest girl in town has big feet (-;

geoson said:

When the G9 was first reviewed, it received a silver medal compared to gold for the EM2, because it did not do anything better than the EM2. Since the recent firmware update, G9 owners have said it’s like having a new camera. Unless you need something smaller, it’s probably the best camera around at it’s current price.

Click to expand...

That reminds me, DPR adjusted the scores of the Nikon Z6/7 because of the firmware updates, but have they did the same for the G9? Because the updates made it basically the best M43 camera out there, aside from the best video, GH5.

There seems to be a dislike for Lumix cameras here at DPR. They always seem to be a Point off, or a Silver when it should have been Gold.

AdamT said:

Adam-T said:

About the G9 it's a shame you didn't give it more time.

Click to expand...

A day was long enough to know that it`d drive me nuts . I shoot with Nikon DSLRs for my job and there`s no way I could get used to the G9`s button ----- the EM1-II is light but OK ..

Adam-T said:

The shutter may feel odd if you've only used it for a day or two, but guarantee had you used it longer you would have no issue with it. It took maybe 2-3 days at most to get used to mine and I've heard the same from others.

Click to expand...

That`s fine if its a main camera , only camera and you don`t do focus recompose but it`s none of those things for me . most of my time is spent with cameras with a normal shutter button .

Adam-T said:

One thing to remember with the G9 is that they originally geared it towards semi-pro and pro level shooters, and for those folks the lighter shutter button is a benefit as it greatly reduces the chance for camera shake when releasing the shutter.

Click to expand...

I`m a full time working photographer been with canon and Nikon for many years, never encountered a button that light or felt the need for it . Again YMMV , I never shoot ultra tele for a living , the Em1-II / Fuji XH1 / D4 type is more than light enough .. TBH I`ve never shaken a D850 or 1DSMk3 either with the button

Adam-T said:

journalism, and nature photogs. Also, it's very similar to what they may be already using. I've shot Nikon single digit pro bodies for around 12 years now, and the G9 shutter is very similar in feel and sensitivity,

Click to expand...

I shoot the D850 , D800E before and before those the Canon 1DS series - I have shot a D4 and D3S (though they`re sports cameras and not geared to my work) and none had a hair trigger like that G9, they were about the same as the EM1-II (notably Lighter than the D850 / D810/ D800E and way lighter than a Canon 1DS MK1/2/3 )

Adam-T said:

and LCD have individual settings for contrast, brightness, saturation, etc., so since you had tried a used one it's entirely possible that it might have been set to something different than the norm.

Click to expand...

Nope, I reset it after loading up the latest Firmware (it was on an early one)

as I said in the (much needed on these forums) Disclamer - YMMV and in your case it does , glad you`ve been able to get on with it , I wish I had ...

Click to expand...

i use 7 dif cameras. The shutter on my G9 is the favorite. I used to shoot firearms in the Marines, and it is what we call a soft trigger, the best for not "jerking" the barrel when target shooting.

I move between my different cameras with absolutely no issues adjusting to different weighted shutter buttons / pulls !

(I have to believe you are very picky, he he, but to each his own)

MrALLCAPS said:

geoson said:

When the G9 was first reviewed, it received a silver medal compared to gold for the EM2, because it did not do anything better than the EM2. Since the recent firmware update, G9 owners have said it’s like having a new camera. Unless you need something smaller, it’s probably the best camera around at it’s current price.

Click to expand...

That reminds me, DPR adjusted the scores of the Nikon Z6/7 because of the firmware updates, but have they did the same for the G9? Because the updates made it basically the best M43 camera out there, aside from the best video, GH5.

There seems to be a dislike for Lumix cameras here at DPR. They always seem to be a Point off, or a Silver when it should have been Gold.

Click to expand...

Yep, completely agree. It should be reviewed again with the updated firmware. Likelihood of that happening - small.

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

99%! How did you arrive at that figure? I would have no idea what percentage of units are affected. Here's what it looks like.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you have to remember that not everybody uses the EVF with the same settings, so they may very well not see the pincushioning to the extent others might.

The photo above shows the EVF being used in Monitor style and what looks to be the full-sized setting as well. That combo will show off the pincushioning at its worst, but for someone like myself who shoots with the EVF set to Viewfinder style (hate anyting in the framing area other than AF points) and also at one of the smaller sizes (eyeglasses), the pincushion appears notably less.

Click to expand...

Does that mean the issue does not exist?

It could be an issue that affects some batches in particular regions of the world. Have you considered that as a possibility?

Panasonic video shooters brushed aside their confirmation bias and were vocal about wanting better video autofocus, because they were unhappy with the performance. Guess what - Panasonic listened and improved it.

I’m a Panasonic user and I want to continue to get quality products.

The problem is that the moment we settle for less, we may get even less than what we settled for.

Panasonic video shooters have demonstrated why it’s worth acknowledging an issue and being vocal it.

Click to expand...

No one is saying that it doesn't exist (well, one here has, but they seem to be an outlier), what's being said is that it's not as severe as some people are making it out to be.

Click to expand...

Exactly, and how would they know it's not as severe as someone else experienced? They would have to have checked the same camera, otherwise they are just speculating.

Chikubi said:

That's been my experience and I'm sticking to it. And it has nothing to do with confirmation bias - I know it's there, but it seriously has no effect on my shooting and I don't even pay attention to it, the same way I don't pay attention to the shadow in the viewfinder from the mirror retention clip that is a hallmark of the Nikon F4s I still shoot regularly. Would I be happier if it wasn't the case?

Click to expand...

I believe you're giving an honest account. I've tried 3 G9's on 3 seperate occassions and all of them exhibited the problem and it was severe. Did you see the link to Robin Wong's review? That's how it looked on the ones I tried. Do you have any reason to believe I'm not giving you an honest account?

Chikubi said:

Sure, but it's just not a deal breaker, and considering how popular the G9 is and how many people have purchased them and love them, I don't seem to be in unique company.

As for it being an issue limited to a particular run of cameras, sure it's a possibility, but since there's no way to confirm it one way or the other, any discussion including that just becomes useless speculation and nothing more.

Click to expand...

I agree, that would be just speculation. It was just my way of highlighting that people should consider asking questions rather than being so dismissive. I've found many people don't want to ask questions to find out more, they just jump straight onto the defensive. Because that hasn't been their experience then it can't possibly be true! I don't see how asking questions is a bad thing.

Chikubi said:

And no, there's also nothing wrong with voicing concerns and giving feedback so that companies can improve their products for everyone. I think we all want to receive better products, I know I do. If you don't want to buy the G9 because of the pincushioned EVF, that's fine. and understandable. If enough people feel like you do and do the same, something likely will get done about it.

Click to expand...

I bought the G80 instead of the G9 two years ago, so I'm not concerned about it.

Chikubi said:

But if not, then you may just have to accept the fact that it's your issue and not others' and that future iterations of the camera may simply not be for you if Pany does nothing about it.

Click to expand...

And that's fine. I made my decision and Panasonic still got my money.

I don't disagree with what you've said and I have no reason to think that your experience with the G9 is anything other than what you've described.

Cafe Racer said:

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

99%! How did you arrive at that figure? I would have no idea what percentage of units are affected. Here's what it looks like.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you have to remember that not everybody uses the EVF with the same settings, so they may very well not see the pincushioning to the extent others might.

The photo above shows the EVF being used in Monitor style and what looks to be the full-sized setting as well. That combo will show off the pincushioning at its worst, but for someone like myself who shoots with the EVF set to Viewfinder style (hate anyting in the framing area other than AF points) and also at one of the smaller sizes (eyeglasses), the pincushion appears notably less.

Click to expand...

Does that mean the issue does not exist?

It could be an issue that affects some batches in particular regions of the world. Have you considered that as a possibility?

Panasonic video shooters brushed aside their confirmation bias and were vocal about wanting better video autofocus, because they were unhappy with the performance. Guess what - Panasonic listened and improved it.

I’m a Panasonic user and I want to continue to get quality products.

The problem is that the moment we settle for less, we may get even less than what we settled for.

Panasonic video shooters have demonstrated why it’s worth acknowledging an issue and being vocal it.

Click to expand...

No one is saying that it doesn't exist (well, one here has, but they seem to be an outlier), what's being said is that it's not as severe as some people are making it out to be.

Click to expand...

Exactly, and how would they know it's not as severe as someone else experienced? They would have to have checked the same camera, otherwise they are just speculating.

Cafe Racer said:

That's been my experience and I'm sticking to it. And it has nothing to do with confirmation bias - I know it's there, but it seriously has no effect on my shooting and I don't even pay attention to it, the same way I don't pay attention to the shadow in the viewfinder from the mirror retention clip that is a hallmark of the Nikon F4s I still shoot regularly. Would I be happier if it wasn't the case?

Click to expand...

I believe you're giving an honest account. I've tried 3 G9's on 3 seperate occassions and all of them exhibited the problem and it was severe. Did you see the link to Robin Wong's review? That's how it looked on the ones I tried. Do you have any reason to believe I'm not giving you an honest account?

Cafe Racer said:

Sure, but it's just not a deal breaker, and considering how popular the G9 is and how many people have purchased them and love them, I don't seem to be in unique company.

As for it being an issue limited to a particular run of cameras, sure it's a possibility, but since there's no way to confirm it one way or the other, any discussion including that just becomes useless speculation and nothing more.

Click to expand...

I agree, that would be just speculation. It was just my way of highlighting that people should consider asking questions rather than being so dismissive. I've found many people don't want to ask questions to find out more, they just jump straight onto the defensive. Because that hasn't been their experience then it can't possibly be true! I don't see how asking questions is a bad thing.

Cafe Racer said:

And no, there's also nothing wrong with voicing concerns and giving feedback so that companies can improve their products for everyone. I think we all want to receive better products, I know I do. If you don't want to buy the G9 because of the pincushioned EVF, that's fine. and understandable. If enough people feel like you do and do the same, something likely will get done about it.

Click to expand...

I bought the G80 instead of the G9 two years ago, so I'm not concerned about it.

Cafe Racer said:

But if not, then you may just have to accept the fact that it's your issue and not others' and that future iterations of the camera may simply not be for you if Pany does nothing about it.

Click to expand...

And that's fine. I made my decision and Panasonic still got my money.

I don't disagree with what you've said and I have no reason to think that your experience with the G9 is anything other than what you've described.

Click to expand...

That's strange, I went thru numerous reviews from DPR, Camera Labs, Imaging Resource, Digital Trends and Digital Camera Wold, with most of them going extensively in reviewing the G9, spanning pages and not one mention of this pin cushion issue. In fact, most of them said it was one of the best evf's out there.

It's just strange that the only one that mentions this works for Olympus. I find that a little suspect, even though he even admits that it's one of the best EVF's he seen. Seems like knitpicking to me...

It's probably a simple Diopter adjustment. I've seen some EVF's that would slightly warp when adjusting to the far ends.

Chikubi said:

Cafe Racer said:

Trevor Carpenter said:

Cafe Racer said:

epozar said:

G9 EVF exhibits a pincushion distortion, quite annoying if you are into architecture for example.

Click to expand...

Unacceptable for a flagship camera in my opinion.

Click to expand...

But 99% of us have never seen it. I'm still not sure what it is.

Click to expand...

99%! How did you arrive at that figure? I would have no idea what percentage of units are affected. Here's what it looks like.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you have to remember that not everybody uses the EVF with the same settings, so they may very well not see the pincushioning to the extent others might.

Click to expand...

Also, not everyone's eyesight/ eye point and how those interact with the viewfinder optics are also not the same for everyone, further complicated if one wears corrective lenses.

Chikubi said:

The photo above shows the EVF being used in Monitor style and what looks to be the full-sized setting as well. That combo will show off the pincushioning at its worst, but for someone like myself who shoots with the EVF set to Viewfinder style (hate anyting in the framing area other than AF points) and also at one of the smaller sizes (eyeglasses), the pincushion appears notably less.

Click to expand...

In my own case, I prefer the Monitor style as in the photo just above, it's what I've always used since my first digital camera with an EVF. I see the pincushion distortion similar to the photo, but that is not my biggest problem with this viewfinder -- the trouble is, I can't quite fit the entire EVF display image into my field of vision, but even worse is that the edges and corners are somewhat blurred, not in good focus. I am very nearsighted and wear highly corrected high-index eyeglasses, and that is no doubt a part of my problem, but there is nothing I can do about that...I've had to wear eyeglasses since I was 10 years old.

Dropping the EVF's "magnification" in the menu settings to a lower setting works, but just bear in mind that what this is doing is electronically cropping the display, remapping the image to use fewer pixels in the central area of the display, which in turn eliminates the benefits of having this camera's highly touted high-resolution display.

I have no such issue with my EM1iii EVF, nor with the even higher magnification and lower distortion EM1X EVF.

Chikubi said:

This is why people considering a camera - any camera for that matter - really owe it to themselves to test it first-person.

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I agree 100% with this. The G9 is a really fine camera, but it's always best to try out such a large expenditure and commitment as this in person, not only for the viewfinder but also to check the ergonomics and user interface. Some cameras will "fit" better than others, and some may even irritate, and it's different for each person.

--
-Dennis W.
Austin, Texas
¯\_|’_’|_/¯

MrALLCAPS said:

geoson said:

When the G9 was first reviewed, it received a silver medal compared to gold for the EM2, because it did not do anything better than the EM2. Since the recent firmware update, G9 owners have said it’s like having a new camera. Unless you need something smaller, it’s probably the best camera around at it’s current price.

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That reminds me, DPR adjusted the scores of the Nikon Z6/7 because of the firmware updates, but have they did the same for the G9? Because the updates made it basically the best M43 camera out there, aside from the best video, GH5.

There seems to be a dislike for Lumix cameras here at DPR. They always seem to be a Point off, or a Silver when it should have been Gold.

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They didnt with the em12 as well. and btw for a video centric camera the em12 video pdaf af leaves it for dead.

Don

brentbrent said:

I really like the G9, but I think it's pretty comparable to the EM-1 Mk II or III. Each brand has its own little extras. One of the G9's extras is better video capability, which doesn't matter to you. Is it worth it for an EM-1 III owner to buy just because of its looks and the top plate LCD display? I guess only you can decide that. I love the ergonomics of the G9, so if you have a chance to handle one, you should do that and see how it compares with your EM-1 in your hand.

The 12-100 works well on my G9, but only the lens OIS is active. With that lens on your EM-1, you get better stabilization through Sync IS, using both lens OIS and body IBIS.

The G9's EVF is excellent in my opinion. It is among the largest available, and those who wear glasses might not easily see all of it edge to edge. To deal with that problem, there is a button that reduces the size of the display by two steps, one of which should work for you while wearing glasses.

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Well that kills it stone dead, thanks to all.

Donald B said:

MrALLCAPS said:

geoson said:

When the G9 was first reviewed, it received a silver medal compared to gold for the EM2, because it did not do anything better than the EM2. Since the recent firmware update, G9 owners have said it’s like having a new camera. Unless you need something smaller, it’s probably the best camera around at it’s current price.

Click to expand...

That reminds me, DPR adjusted the scores of the Nikon Z6/7 because of the firmware updates, but have they did the same for the G9? Because the updates made it basically the best M43 camera out there, aside from the best video, GH5.

There seems to be a dislike for Lumix cameras here at DPR. They always seem to be a Point off, or a Silver when it should have been Gold.

Click to expand...

They didnt with the em12 as well. and btw for a video centric camera the em12 video pdaf af leaves it for dead.

Don

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If that's the case, then why do videographers choose the Lumix cameras over the Olympus ones?

The only ones I see using Oly cameras for video, work in some way for Olympus.

That's not saying much for their pdaf, especially if DFD isn't there yet, but yet, Lumix cameras are still being chosen over Olympus for video.

Member said:

--
Olympus EM1mk2, Sony A7r2
http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/9412035244
past toys. k100d, k10d,k7,fz5,fz150,500uz,canon G9, Olympus xz1 em5mk1 em5mk2

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