Stevie Boy Blue
Senior Member
For the very few readers who don’t already know, the G9 Mk 2 is not only a serious upgrade of the venerable G9; it’s also the first Lumix M4/3 body to ship with phase detection autofocus. Additional sweeteners to the spec list include Hand Held High Resolution (HHHR) mode, a 25mp sensor (up from the previous 20mp) an array of video features including unlimited recording and a near 6K option, the latest imaging processor, etc, all housed in a body it shares with Panasonic’s S5 II full frame camera.
As the new model’s release coincided with my retirement year, what better time would there be to treat myself to a gift in celebration of that. It will also make for a combined early Christmas present, so cheers to that, folks.
Before moving to the meatier and most revealing points of this review, I’ll cover a few things about my new and expensive purchase that I initially found disappointing. Perhaps I should warn you that I gripe periodically during the informative sections, too, but firstly: I was surprised to find that here in the UK, Panasonic is no longer sealing their camera boxes like they always did until now. (With no seals, I guess all are open box deals, but that’s up to them. Personally, I always felt an authentic seal offered more assurance of no prior use than the exclusion of any seal at all. Apparently though, Sony, Nikon, etc, don’t seal camera boxes either and I’m disappointed that Panasonic appears to have followed suit.)
Secondly and most disappointing from my perspective: the G9 Mk2 ships with no separate battery charger. Panasonic merely supplies a lead and plug for in-camera charging. As if £1699 wasn’t already enough of a yank on my pocket, a designated charger is only available as an additional expensive accessory. Yes, some readers might wish to point out the obvious; that we are supplied with all we need to operate the camera, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I expected more. Why wouldn’t I? The old G9 shipped with both a separate charger and a nice thick, convenient hard copy of the user manual, so why does the G9 Mk 2 come with neither but a basic start-up guide printed separately in about 15 different languages? Clubbed together, they are as thick as a proper manual would be, so forget the paper saving excuses you might be tempted to throw in to defend this decision.
Tight-fisted and penny pinching antics, some might well say. But hey, at least I’m thankful of a fully functional camera for my £1699, so I’ll begin relaying the following info re the most obvious and noteworthy outer differences between the Original G9 and the Mk 2. That is at least, once I’ve mentioned that the new camera uses the BLK22 battery pack compared to the BLF19 that shipped with the Mk 1. Alas, the chargers for both are different models, too. Hence no convenient short cuts or any reduction in expenses available at all here. It appears the separate ‘optional’ Panasonic charger costs around £100 extra. Ouch!
By the way, to conserve space here in my review, if you want to peruse all the specifications of the G9 Mk 2, they can be viewed here:
https://www.dpreview.com/products/panasonic/slrs/panasonic_dcg9ii/specifications
Moving to those most obvious outer differences between the G9 and the Mk 2
Gone? 1) The top plate viewer that some users valued far more than others.
Gone? 2) The sensitive/hair trigger shutter release button that many loved but which equally as many hated; some apparently even sold the camera because they just couldn’t adapt to its sensitivity.
Gone? 3) The magnification adjuster on the EVF (not to be confused with the dioptre). Those who were critical of the slight pincushion effect when looking through the EVF may be disappointed to know that to an extent it still remains in the Mk 2 version and we can no longer magnify/zoom in slightly to reduce it as with the G9. I’m in the camp of those not remotely bothered by what many others won’t even notice until it’s pointed out. Ultimately, the pin cushioning in no way affects my enjoyment in using an EVF I regard as a high quality unit. In no way do I regard it as a flawed design, as some folks apparently do. YMMV, but for me, the G9 Mk2’s EVF is of excellent standard and second to no other I’ve used in the Panasonic range in terms of clarity and size. In these respects and those regarding viewing, framing and composing subjects very comfortably in all manner of situations, the new camera’s EVF is a joy to use, indeed just as I found it to be in the original G9.
Gone, or rather, moved? 4) The power up/down switch wrapped around the shutter release button; never a favourite with some users, including me, but a good enough position for those who either like or simply don’t mind one way or another where such a switch is located. For me, it’s great that we now power the G9 Mk2 up or down via a switch in a location I’m far more accustomed to seeing in most Panasonic models I own, including the FZ330, FZ2000, G100, G90, etc. And the added bonus? We now have an extra and very handy adjustment wheel wrapped around the shutter release button instead of something by which we can merely illuminate the top plate viewing panel associated with the G9 but which is no longer included in the newer model. As mentioned above, the G9 Mk 2 has no top plate viewing panel and I don’t miss it in the least.
Overall, beyond the fact that the G9 Mk2 is now housed in an outer shell almost identical to the S5 II full frame camera, all the points above probably equate to the most significant to consider when it comes down to the handling of both older and newer versions of this flagship M4/3 model.
On that note, I’d say the G9 Mk 2 is a camera that Panasonic simply had to make and it could have been on their agenda for at least two years I’d guess. Moreover, I feel the fact that it has now come to fruition puts to bed all those silly notions that the company had to any degree become less interested in serving its consumer base with cameras donning serious ‘stills’ capabilities.
If we consider all the hogwash that comes through rumour and ignorance and take it seriously, we’d all have swallowed the idea long ago that not only was M4/3rd a dying format/medium, but that Panasonic had all but ditched it and was concentrating solely on its full frame L-mount system. For me, the release of the G9 Mk2 kyboshes that nonsense completely. It also bolsters my suspicion that the main and possibly only reason Panasonic had apparently slowed development of M4/3rd gear over recent years was because they were genuinely playing catch-up to the Covid 19 situation which decimated the parts supply chain and threw most of the camera manufacturing industry into disarray, for YEARS.
Moreover still, it didn’t seem to matter in what number of articles/ interviews during these tricky times that Panasonic spokespeople stated how the pandemic had affected them, but that despite this, their intent and commitment to keep producing M4/3 gear alongside full-frame L-mount was as strong as ever. It wouldn’t have mattered what Panasonic management said to reassure us of their plans. The critics and vultures thought they knew better and they simply had to cast their aspersions that the death of the smaller sensor system was only a matter of time; that Panasonic was now purely video oriented and that stills photographers and once loyal consumers of M4/3 gear were being left behind. To me, this was always a ridiculous suggestion for various reasons, and one in particular... DFD autofocus and the critique it generated amongst some high praise. Talk about a love it or hate it system and DFD springs straight to my mind immediately. :-(
We all knew about the pulsing problems DFD brought with video. But many of us also acknowledged how reliable the tech has been for years with single autofocus re static subjects in stills photography. In the latter scenario, we’ve been blessed for years with perhaps the fastest and most reliable form of contrast detect AF of any available and including all manufacturers. Hence, if Panasonic had prioritised video over stills to the extent that the critics would like us to believe and accept, why refuse to change from annoyingly pulsing DFD video AF to phase detection for so long? It just doesn’t add up or make sense at all, does it?
Hopefully you’ll see my point here, but when all’s said and done: As a stills shooter who prefers to use AF-S mode for 90% of my stills photography, Panasonic has catered for pretty much all I’d ever ask of a stills camera manufacturer when it comes to Autofocus. Hence, in all the years I’ve been using their gear and up until most recently, I’ve never felt they were abandoning me as primarily a stills photographer. Every camera of theirs that I’ve used since I went digital in 2004 has mostly been highly efficient for stills but in some cases not so good re the pulsing video, unless one locked focus before recording footage. That was how I eliminated the problem in my own movie sequences and it was an effective solution more often than not.
FOCUSSING ON THE DUAL OPTIONS
Of course, I get that those who primarily shoot stills action sequences where subject tracking and continuous AF function best have been frustrated with DFD tech for a while. But now the G9 Mk 2 is the first Panasonic M4/3rd model to incorporate Hybrid Phase Detection and DFD AF, it seems stills and video photographers alike now gain the best of both worlds. For video and C-AF stills shooting, we can switch to the phase detection modes most appropriate to tracking specific moving subjects, with animal and human options including body and eye alternatives at our disposal.
Or we can change to AF-S and its automatically most reliable/accurate DFD tech for any static scenarios we encounter in between. Not forgetting of course that a phase detection mode alone should also afford us a good hit rate during scenarios incorporating both action and static subjects, and where we don’t have time to change from one AF mode to another. Such scenarios often occur when photographing birds/animals, for example.
All in all, although I’ve no real interest in shooting birds in flight, I have tried animal eye and body detection/tracking to good effect where small birds have been jostling to feed during the odd occasion of my initial G9 Mk 2 testing. For as quick as AF-S DFD tech is (taking no more than a split second to lock on to a stationary subject), Phase Detection is largely instant in comparison and particularly in relation to focus acquisition – albeit that no one system is ever going to be 100% accurate/reliable all of the time. I’ll admit that I need to conduct far more testing of the new PDAF options, which after only 12 days of owning the G9 Mk 2 is to be expected. But first impressions are very positive up to the time of my writing/posting this review.
At the end of the day, I primarily bought the G9 Mk2 for its 5mp increased pixel count over the older sensors and more so for the 100mp HHHR option, as either will afford more resolution/fine detail in many instances where they’re effectively employed for prints of A1 poster size and occasionally even larger. Some may argue otherwise and that’s up to them, but I already see a negligible increase in crop-ability between the 25mp as opposed to the 20mp variety. Although the pixels donated to the main subject are smaller over the specific surface area of, say, a small bird than applies with 20mp sensors, the 5 mp overall increase with no obvious trade-off in additional noise does allow for larger crops. It may only equate to around 12% more crop-ability in real terms, but with smaller subjects every little arguably helps. And on the subject of any potential noise increase, it’s simply not evident in the Jpegs I get from the G9 Mk2 compared to my G9, G90 or G100 20mp counterparts.
Dynamic Range, High ISO Performance and Jpeg Image Quality/Adjustment
In fact and on the contrary, I’m blown away with the quality, clarity and vibrancy of the G9 Mk 2 OOC Jpegs I’ve set up to my taste; they’re easily the best I’ve seen from any Panasonic camera I’ve owned. It’s also great to see a natural base ISO 100 rather than the 200 setting that applied to 4/3 sensors of old. Some may claim there’s not much difference between ISO 100 and 200 in terms of exposure/results but for me every little helps when we’re talking about the capacity for displaying the least amount of noise for maximum amounts of detail in any particular photograph. Marginal though it may be, even in good light, ISO 100 can be noticeably less noisy than ISO 200 when results are measured in side-by-side comparison re many cameras. Although I’ve yet to subject G9 Mk 2 examples to close scrutiny, this rule of thumb re more detail retention in good light with low ISO should apply with the new camera. For me, however, the fact the new G9 2’s sensor can be extended to ISO 50 is neither here nor there. It’s the native ISO 100 setting that I appreciate the most.
As for presence of noise in general, depending on light and to some extent our chosen level of NR, to me it’s virtually unnoticeable up to ISO 3200 in most cases. Even ISO 6400 looks good compared to the same setting on any 20mp G9, G90 and G100 counterparts. To my eyes, noise enters the equation at ISO 1600 in 20mp cameras donning older processing engines. Whatever Panasonic has done with the G9 Mk2’s 25mp output I can only describe as impressive. Whilst ISO 3200 would have been my absolute limit for 20mp models, I’d now probably be okay with doubling that to ISO 6400 with this new 25mp alternative.
Whether it’s down to just the sensor or both that and the new image processor combined, I’ve no real clue. But for whatever reasons these improvements are evident, Panasonic have upped the ante like never before in terms of instantly available image quality. Simply put, G9 Mk2 fine quality standard profile Jpegs pop to a degree I’ve never seen in previous models. To me, this is the icing on the cake of what so far is leaning towards being the best purchase decision I’ve made in over 50 years as a photographer, the last 19 of which have been spent using digital technology and over 20 different Panasonic models with a Fujifilm S1 Bridge and a couple of Canon compacts thrown in for some variety. I’ll elaborate on my findings re G9 mk2 OOC results and settings a few paragraphs further on.
For now, being purely a Jpeg shooter, I’ll state that I’ve no interest in RAW files at all. Hence the uncompressed format seldom gets much of a mention in any of my user reviews. So, if it’s info on Raw that you’re after here, you may wish to stop reading and move to another section within the review or exit completely. Should you choose to exit, I thank you for staying with me up to this point.
Some readers here will be wondering how effective the new sensor is re dynamic range. Having not conducted specific tests in this area because I’ve never been disappointed with the level of detail attainable in shadow areas of images shot with my 20mp G9, G90, G100 or even my 1” sensor FZ2000, I can’t give any indications beyond stating that Panasonic have added an array of adjustment options for those who wish to tweak settings well beyond any degree than I’d personally deem necessary.
I’ve never really been a fan of so-called intelligent resolution, and I can’t say I’m disappointed in the least that ‘I-Res’ seems to be no longer available in the new camera. YMMV but for me, I-resolution is (was) a fine detail destroyer/over sharpener and a pretty useless gimmick in general for anyone seriously intent on achieving the best results possible straight out of camera.
Conversely, fans of I-Dynamic and shadow boost options will be pleased to note that these have not only been retained but, at first glance, they also appear to have been expanded upon compared to the older G9. Moving back to compressed output in general, I also appreciate and regard it has a nice and sensible touch that Panasonic have afforded wider adjustment parameters to the Mk 2’s in-camera Jpeg engine. As well as granting options for us to tweak the degree of hue and shadow detail separately, they’ve also enabled us to fine tune the likes of sharpening and noise reduction in stages of half of one increment up to +5 or down to -5 from the 0 default settings that ship from the factory.
And speaking of factory default Jpeg settings especially when it comes to my favourite ‘standard’ picture profile: To reiterate and expand on my point above, I’ve never seen things look better with all adjustment parameters set to nought than before CCD sensors were replaced with (C) MOS varieties. That said, whilst I suspect many G9 Mk 2 buyers will be entirely happy with Jpegs straight out of the box, I’m a natural born ‘tweaker’ who simply can’t resist at least attempting to alter things to my individual taste. Unless I’m preparing specific photos for enlarged prints of A1 poster size or bigger, I regard post processing as an unnecessary, eye-strain and headache-inducing chore.
Hence I really do appreciate it when my photos pop straight from the camera pretty much as detailed, colourful and vibrant as I could possibly want them to be in an instant. That’s one reason I prefer to shoot Jpegs over unprocessed RAW files. It’s also why I appreciate that Panasonic has always offered the option for buyers to personalise in-camera settings like noise reduction, sharpening, saturation, etc, to individual taste in many of their camera models. The G9 Mk 2 has truly raised the bar of potential adjustment to a refreshing and impressive new level.
Yes, it may take me a few hours or days of experimentation to settle on a specific set of combined tweaks. But once it’s done, it’s done and can be left for the life of the product. With the G9 Mk 2, I’m currently shooting with the settings shown in the relevant example image. These may or may not change in the future, but for now I’m very happy and impressed with the results I’m getting. As stated above, it’s a nice touch that Panasonic has afforded more increments by which we can fine-tune things to individual taste. Even if I never feel the need to change the likes of hue or make any shadow adjustments, I really appreciate that the options are now there all under the same set of parameters/image profiles we may prefer. Great stuff, overall, and very well done to Panasonic.
HANDLING AND ERGONOMICS
After its release, the original G9 quickly gained a reputation for its superb handing. I doubt that will be any different when it comes to the Mk 2. I actually prefer the way if feels compared to the G9 but I appreciate we all have different ideals, wants and needs as well as unique hand/finger sizes.
The Mk 2’s grip just happens to fit my right hand like the proverbial glove, and the fact that the old on-off button (which I found inconveniently positioned) has been moved enhances the overall experience for me. Don’t get me wrong, like the older G9, the Mk 2 can still be regarded as a big and heavy body for its comparatively small mount and 4/3 sized sensor. After all, the format was originally designed to be more compact than full frame counterparts and it bugs some would-be purchasers that the small form factor is being forsaken for larger and weightier variations. But somehow and even with a chunky lens like the PL 12 – 60mm F2.8 – F4 attached, the new camera feels entirely right and balanced, possibly due primarily to the ‘fits-my-hand-like-a-glove’ grip I’ve already highlighted. All in all, whilst the set-up weighs heavier than I’d prefer on the kitchen scales, the excellent handling experience generally makes everything feel lighter in use.
GENERAL BUTTON AND OVERALL CONTROL LAYOUT
Aside from the playback button which remains on the left like with the G9 – and which I’d have preferred to be on the right as it is with so many other Panasonic models – everything is just so conveniently positioned. Some of the more pernickety critics as well as those who simply like to bash Panasonic gear for the sake of it claim it’s a mistake for them to have placed a M4/3rd camera in a full frame body. Well, despite the fact I’ve owned my Mk 2 for a mere 12 or so days, I already couldn’t disagree more.
In my experience, so much about this new model feels just right if not absolutely bang on, shaping my own opinion that Panasonic has conducted a master class move by using the S5 II chassis in which to house all this new processing tech and sensor. I don’t really care exactly why they’ve made that move but I’m really pleased they have. So again, well done Panasonic; credit where it’s due.
For me, it shows you know your stuff far better and more in-depth than your critics do, most of whom I’d venture to say won’t even have held your new camera, let alone shot any photos with a copy. By and large, they’ll criticise absent of any worthy foundation whatsoever, which I guess is largely a Bain associated with trolling and the internet in general. Not forgetting of course that some unfounded criticism will be coming from users of cameras made by other manufacturers who would relish seeing others fail. As I say, for what it’s worth, I believe you got the G9 Mk 2 pretty much bang on as it is. Now, with all decisions made and the camera in circulation, you can sit back and watch other buyers adopt the same collective positive opinions re the design, layout and handling of your new release.
Furthermore, as time passes on, I’d be very surprised if this camera fails to sell up to twice the number of copies overall as the original G9 and which I’m led to believe remains in the current line-up of M4/3 camera options – at least for the time being. Another good move, because at £1699 not everyone will be able to afford or may even care to buy the Mk 2 – even though in my opinion you got the introductory price bang on, save for the fact you’re apparently too tight to have included the separate battery charger. :-( As time passes on though, you still have a chance to correct that one – especially as there are numerous compartments in the box that currently remain unused but which I suspect were originally created to house a charger amongst other accessories.
I may be wrong and don’t really care if I am, but I reckon the most frugal thinking executive on your board of management possibly decided at the last minute to make the battery charger an additional cost accessory. If so, I can therefore only hope that public demand and mass complaints from buyers like me eventually ring through. The sooner you pop the charger and a nice, thick hard copy manual in the box, the more folks are likely to appreciate the gesture and feel more comfortable paying your £1699 asking price.
I know I’ve already griped about these things above, but I’ll reiterate that I still feel quite peeved by their absence. As it is, I’m expected to charge my battery in-camera, the repeated process of which will only serve to increase the amount of wear on the door/flap covering the connection for the charge lead. Both ends of the connector will also wear in time, too. So, come on Panasonic, give at least your most loyal customers some extra incentive to carry on buying your generally excellent photographic equipment. It really would be appreciated I’m sure.
IN CLOSING
As I begin to wrap things up, it’s worth mentioning that the camera is exceptionally fast to power up but only after the first switch-on of the day. On initial start up, the G9 Mk 2 takes approximately 3.5 seconds to ready itself for the first shot; not particularly quick by anyone’s standards, but akin to the full frame S5 II apparently. It’s like it needs a kick start, after which the G9 Mk 2 springs into action almost instantly after every subsequent power down, power up cycle beyond the initial one of the day. If you want to maximise its speed from the off, it will pay to remember this quirk between your daily shooting sessions. Just repeat the process every time you’re about to head out and you’re good to go all over again. FYI, I came across the thread linked below when querying the G9 Mk 2’s laboured 3.5 second initial start up time, potential reasons for which are possibly inherited from the S5 II. If nothing else, it’s kind of interesting to read the theories discussed here:
All in all, I hope to construct an extension of this review in a few months time after familiarising myself considerably more with the G9 Mk2’s features and huge photo/video potential. In the grand scheme of things, this is still early days in terms of my owning and using the new camera, but thus far I’m over the moon and thoroughly impressed with it.
Of course, YMMV and that’s fine. After all, reviews complied by anyone are merely a matter of opinion and I’m more than happy to have shared most of my initial findings with anyone considering buying a G9 Mk 2 at its introductory price, and which I doubt will be reduced anytime during the next year or more. Save for the annoying absence of that separate charger, I view it as worth every penny I paid for the camera. Ultimately, my guess is that the G9 mk2 will become a much appreciated and sought after classic that many adopters/buyers will be proud to own, regardless of how much we end up paying for a copy. This is one excellent camera.
So, thank you for reading my contributions. If only a little, I hope this one helps. If you do go on to purchase the new Panasonic flagship M4/3 model, my guess is that you’ll be equally as impressed with the G9 Mk 2 and its latest technological advances as I am.
And on that final positive note, good luck, happy shooting and kind regards to all DPR readers and staff members.
NOTE images below.
100% crops, which I’ve marked individually, are sections cut from images shot at full resolution. They afford the means for results to be examined closely absent of any real need for the whole image to be posted, which is useful considering how large full size files are these days. They’re certainly too large and time-consuming for me to upload. So hopefully the examples, which I’ve cropped in my old Photoshop 7, will suffice for the pixel peepers amongst you all.
Note also that except for copping and/or resizing for faster uploading purposes, examples are from Jpegs as they otherwise appeared straight from my G9 Mk 2. Any captions I’ve added should be pretty much self-explanatory.
Please also note that I’ve posted a relevant image album to my not-for-profit website, where I’ll be displaying more reduced resolution G9 Mk2 examples as and when I can. To view what I’ve uploaded to date, here’s a direct link:
https://steviesphotos.com/gallery/lumix-g9-mk2-camera-review-photos-added-20-11-2023/
Except for small bird images, all other examples below were shot with the PL 12 - 60mm F2.8 - F4 Lens
Lens used PL 12 - 60 F2.8 - F4. A little short for wildlife in general but useful on occasion with a crop.
100% Crop from frame shown above.
HHHR compared to standard 25mp Example. 100% Crop.
Lens used for all bird examples: PZ 45 - 175 mm. See my review link below for full lens details.
All bird shots slightly cropped and resized for faster uploading.
My Current Jpeg Settings
PS: For anyone interested: Since joining DPR in 2009, I’ve compiled various user-reviews intended to help readers by giving them some insight into my favourite Panasonic products, links for which are supplied below. Please note that I use my time freely and completely absent of remuneration or freebie goods from anyone or any company. If a product impresses me enough, I enjoy spreading the word. I speak as I find and I just happen to like Panasonic cameras and lenses more than any other makes. That’s why I buy and recommend them – nothing more, nothing less.
LX100 II Camera: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67207832
Panasonic G9 Camera: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66941383
LUMIX GX 45 – 175mm PZ Lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66935382
Lumix G100 Camera: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65550733
Panasonic 25mm F1.7 lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66591863
Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4665967
Panasonic 14-140mm ii lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65695092
FZ2000 Review Part 1: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/64288303
FZ2000 Review Part 2: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66360652
FZ300 Review Part 1: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63244070
FZ300 Review Part 2: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65012028
All the best and cheers for now...
As the new model’s release coincided with my retirement year, what better time would there be to treat myself to a gift in celebration of that. It will also make for a combined early Christmas present, so cheers to that, folks.
Before moving to the meatier and most revealing points of this review, I’ll cover a few things about my new and expensive purchase that I initially found disappointing. Perhaps I should warn you that I gripe periodically during the informative sections, too, but firstly: I was surprised to find that here in the UK, Panasonic is no longer sealing their camera boxes like they always did until now. (With no seals, I guess all are open box deals, but that’s up to them. Personally, I always felt an authentic seal offered more assurance of no prior use than the exclusion of any seal at all. Apparently though, Sony, Nikon, etc, don’t seal camera boxes either and I’m disappointed that Panasonic appears to have followed suit.)
Secondly and most disappointing from my perspective: the G9 Mk2 ships with no separate battery charger. Panasonic merely supplies a lead and plug for in-camera charging. As if £1699 wasn’t already enough of a yank on my pocket, a designated charger is only available as an additional expensive accessory. Yes, some readers might wish to point out the obvious; that we are supplied with all we need to operate the camera, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I expected more. Why wouldn’t I? The old G9 shipped with both a separate charger and a nice thick, convenient hard copy of the user manual, so why does the G9 Mk 2 come with neither but a basic start-up guide printed separately in about 15 different languages? Clubbed together, they are as thick as a proper manual would be, so forget the paper saving excuses you might be tempted to throw in to defend this decision.
Tight-fisted and penny pinching antics, some might well say. But hey, at least I’m thankful of a fully functional camera for my £1699, so I’ll begin relaying the following info re the most obvious and noteworthy outer differences between the Original G9 and the Mk 2. That is at least, once I’ve mentioned that the new camera uses the BLK22 battery pack compared to the BLF19 that shipped with the Mk 1. Alas, the chargers for both are different models, too. Hence no convenient short cuts or any reduction in expenses available at all here. It appears the separate ‘optional’ Panasonic charger costs around £100 extra. Ouch!
By the way, to conserve space here in my review, if you want to peruse all the specifications of the G9 Mk 2, they can be viewed here:
https://www.dpreview.com/products/panasonic/slrs/panasonic_dcg9ii/specifications
Moving to those most obvious outer differences between the G9 and the Mk 2
Gone? 1) The top plate viewer that some users valued far more than others.
Gone? 2) The sensitive/hair trigger shutter release button that many loved but which equally as many hated; some apparently even sold the camera because they just couldn’t adapt to its sensitivity.
Gone? 3) The magnification adjuster on the EVF (not to be confused with the dioptre). Those who were critical of the slight pincushion effect when looking through the EVF may be disappointed to know that to an extent it still remains in the Mk 2 version and we can no longer magnify/zoom in slightly to reduce it as with the G9. I’m in the camp of those not remotely bothered by what many others won’t even notice until it’s pointed out. Ultimately, the pin cushioning in no way affects my enjoyment in using an EVF I regard as a high quality unit. In no way do I regard it as a flawed design, as some folks apparently do. YMMV, but for me, the G9 Mk2’s EVF is of excellent standard and second to no other I’ve used in the Panasonic range in terms of clarity and size. In these respects and those regarding viewing, framing and composing subjects very comfortably in all manner of situations, the new camera’s EVF is a joy to use, indeed just as I found it to be in the original G9.
Gone, or rather, moved? 4) The power up/down switch wrapped around the shutter release button; never a favourite with some users, including me, but a good enough position for those who either like or simply don’t mind one way or another where such a switch is located. For me, it’s great that we now power the G9 Mk2 up or down via a switch in a location I’m far more accustomed to seeing in most Panasonic models I own, including the FZ330, FZ2000, G100, G90, etc. And the added bonus? We now have an extra and very handy adjustment wheel wrapped around the shutter release button instead of something by which we can merely illuminate the top plate viewing panel associated with the G9 but which is no longer included in the newer model. As mentioned above, the G9 Mk 2 has no top plate viewing panel and I don’t miss it in the least.
Overall, beyond the fact that the G9 Mk2 is now housed in an outer shell almost identical to the S5 II full frame camera, all the points above probably equate to the most significant to consider when it comes down to the handling of both older and newer versions of this flagship M4/3 model.
On that note, I’d say the G9 Mk 2 is a camera that Panasonic simply had to make and it could have been on their agenda for at least two years I’d guess. Moreover, I feel the fact that it has now come to fruition puts to bed all those silly notions that the company had to any degree become less interested in serving its consumer base with cameras donning serious ‘stills’ capabilities.
If we consider all the hogwash that comes through rumour and ignorance and take it seriously, we’d all have swallowed the idea long ago that not only was M4/3rd a dying format/medium, but that Panasonic had all but ditched it and was concentrating solely on its full frame L-mount system. For me, the release of the G9 Mk2 kyboshes that nonsense completely. It also bolsters my suspicion that the main and possibly only reason Panasonic had apparently slowed development of M4/3rd gear over recent years was because they were genuinely playing catch-up to the Covid 19 situation which decimated the parts supply chain and threw most of the camera manufacturing industry into disarray, for YEARS.
Moreover still, it didn’t seem to matter in what number of articles/ interviews during these tricky times that Panasonic spokespeople stated how the pandemic had affected them, but that despite this, their intent and commitment to keep producing M4/3 gear alongside full-frame L-mount was as strong as ever. It wouldn’t have mattered what Panasonic management said to reassure us of their plans. The critics and vultures thought they knew better and they simply had to cast their aspersions that the death of the smaller sensor system was only a matter of time; that Panasonic was now purely video oriented and that stills photographers and once loyal consumers of M4/3 gear were being left behind. To me, this was always a ridiculous suggestion for various reasons, and one in particular... DFD autofocus and the critique it generated amongst some high praise. Talk about a love it or hate it system and DFD springs straight to my mind immediately. :-(
We all knew about the pulsing problems DFD brought with video. But many of us also acknowledged how reliable the tech has been for years with single autofocus re static subjects in stills photography. In the latter scenario, we’ve been blessed for years with perhaps the fastest and most reliable form of contrast detect AF of any available and including all manufacturers. Hence, if Panasonic had prioritised video over stills to the extent that the critics would like us to believe and accept, why refuse to change from annoyingly pulsing DFD video AF to phase detection for so long? It just doesn’t add up or make sense at all, does it?
Hopefully you’ll see my point here, but when all’s said and done: As a stills shooter who prefers to use AF-S mode for 90% of my stills photography, Panasonic has catered for pretty much all I’d ever ask of a stills camera manufacturer when it comes to Autofocus. Hence, in all the years I’ve been using their gear and up until most recently, I’ve never felt they were abandoning me as primarily a stills photographer. Every camera of theirs that I’ve used since I went digital in 2004 has mostly been highly efficient for stills but in some cases not so good re the pulsing video, unless one locked focus before recording footage. That was how I eliminated the problem in my own movie sequences and it was an effective solution more often than not.
FOCUSSING ON THE DUAL OPTIONS
Of course, I get that those who primarily shoot stills action sequences where subject tracking and continuous AF function best have been frustrated with DFD tech for a while. But now the G9 Mk 2 is the first Panasonic M4/3rd model to incorporate Hybrid Phase Detection and DFD AF, it seems stills and video photographers alike now gain the best of both worlds. For video and C-AF stills shooting, we can switch to the phase detection modes most appropriate to tracking specific moving subjects, with animal and human options including body and eye alternatives at our disposal.
Or we can change to AF-S and its automatically most reliable/accurate DFD tech for any static scenarios we encounter in between. Not forgetting of course that a phase detection mode alone should also afford us a good hit rate during scenarios incorporating both action and static subjects, and where we don’t have time to change from one AF mode to another. Such scenarios often occur when photographing birds/animals, for example.
All in all, although I’ve no real interest in shooting birds in flight, I have tried animal eye and body detection/tracking to good effect where small birds have been jostling to feed during the odd occasion of my initial G9 Mk 2 testing. For as quick as AF-S DFD tech is (taking no more than a split second to lock on to a stationary subject), Phase Detection is largely instant in comparison and particularly in relation to focus acquisition – albeit that no one system is ever going to be 100% accurate/reliable all of the time. I’ll admit that I need to conduct far more testing of the new PDAF options, which after only 12 days of owning the G9 Mk 2 is to be expected. But first impressions are very positive up to the time of my writing/posting this review.
At the end of the day, I primarily bought the G9 Mk2 for its 5mp increased pixel count over the older sensors and more so for the 100mp HHHR option, as either will afford more resolution/fine detail in many instances where they’re effectively employed for prints of A1 poster size and occasionally even larger. Some may argue otherwise and that’s up to them, but I already see a negligible increase in crop-ability between the 25mp as opposed to the 20mp variety. Although the pixels donated to the main subject are smaller over the specific surface area of, say, a small bird than applies with 20mp sensors, the 5 mp overall increase with no obvious trade-off in additional noise does allow for larger crops. It may only equate to around 12% more crop-ability in real terms, but with smaller subjects every little arguably helps. And on the subject of any potential noise increase, it’s simply not evident in the Jpegs I get from the G9 Mk2 compared to my G9, G90 or G100 20mp counterparts.
Dynamic Range, High ISO Performance and Jpeg Image Quality/Adjustment
In fact and on the contrary, I’m blown away with the quality, clarity and vibrancy of the G9 Mk 2 OOC Jpegs I’ve set up to my taste; they’re easily the best I’ve seen from any Panasonic camera I’ve owned. It’s also great to see a natural base ISO 100 rather than the 200 setting that applied to 4/3 sensors of old. Some may claim there’s not much difference between ISO 100 and 200 in terms of exposure/results but for me every little helps when we’re talking about the capacity for displaying the least amount of noise for maximum amounts of detail in any particular photograph. Marginal though it may be, even in good light, ISO 100 can be noticeably less noisy than ISO 200 when results are measured in side-by-side comparison re many cameras. Although I’ve yet to subject G9 Mk 2 examples to close scrutiny, this rule of thumb re more detail retention in good light with low ISO should apply with the new camera. For me, however, the fact the new G9 2’s sensor can be extended to ISO 50 is neither here nor there. It’s the native ISO 100 setting that I appreciate the most.
As for presence of noise in general, depending on light and to some extent our chosen level of NR, to me it’s virtually unnoticeable up to ISO 3200 in most cases. Even ISO 6400 looks good compared to the same setting on any 20mp G9, G90 and G100 counterparts. To my eyes, noise enters the equation at ISO 1600 in 20mp cameras donning older processing engines. Whatever Panasonic has done with the G9 Mk2’s 25mp output I can only describe as impressive. Whilst ISO 3200 would have been my absolute limit for 20mp models, I’d now probably be okay with doubling that to ISO 6400 with this new 25mp alternative.
Whether it’s down to just the sensor or both that and the new image processor combined, I’ve no real clue. But for whatever reasons these improvements are evident, Panasonic have upped the ante like never before in terms of instantly available image quality. Simply put, G9 Mk2 fine quality standard profile Jpegs pop to a degree I’ve never seen in previous models. To me, this is the icing on the cake of what so far is leaning towards being the best purchase decision I’ve made in over 50 years as a photographer, the last 19 of which have been spent using digital technology and over 20 different Panasonic models with a Fujifilm S1 Bridge and a couple of Canon compacts thrown in for some variety. I’ll elaborate on my findings re G9 mk2 OOC results and settings a few paragraphs further on.
For now, being purely a Jpeg shooter, I’ll state that I’ve no interest in RAW files at all. Hence the uncompressed format seldom gets much of a mention in any of my user reviews. So, if it’s info on Raw that you’re after here, you may wish to stop reading and move to another section within the review or exit completely. Should you choose to exit, I thank you for staying with me up to this point.
Some readers here will be wondering how effective the new sensor is re dynamic range. Having not conducted specific tests in this area because I’ve never been disappointed with the level of detail attainable in shadow areas of images shot with my 20mp G9, G90, G100 or even my 1” sensor FZ2000, I can’t give any indications beyond stating that Panasonic have added an array of adjustment options for those who wish to tweak settings well beyond any degree than I’d personally deem necessary.
I’ve never really been a fan of so-called intelligent resolution, and I can’t say I’m disappointed in the least that ‘I-Res’ seems to be no longer available in the new camera. YMMV but for me, I-resolution is (was) a fine detail destroyer/over sharpener and a pretty useless gimmick in general for anyone seriously intent on achieving the best results possible straight out of camera.
Conversely, fans of I-Dynamic and shadow boost options will be pleased to note that these have not only been retained but, at first glance, they also appear to have been expanded upon compared to the older G9. Moving back to compressed output in general, I also appreciate and regard it has a nice and sensible touch that Panasonic have afforded wider adjustment parameters to the Mk 2’s in-camera Jpeg engine. As well as granting options for us to tweak the degree of hue and shadow detail separately, they’ve also enabled us to fine tune the likes of sharpening and noise reduction in stages of half of one increment up to +5 or down to -5 from the 0 default settings that ship from the factory.
And speaking of factory default Jpeg settings especially when it comes to my favourite ‘standard’ picture profile: To reiterate and expand on my point above, I’ve never seen things look better with all adjustment parameters set to nought than before CCD sensors were replaced with (C) MOS varieties. That said, whilst I suspect many G9 Mk 2 buyers will be entirely happy with Jpegs straight out of the box, I’m a natural born ‘tweaker’ who simply can’t resist at least attempting to alter things to my individual taste. Unless I’m preparing specific photos for enlarged prints of A1 poster size or bigger, I regard post processing as an unnecessary, eye-strain and headache-inducing chore.
Hence I really do appreciate it when my photos pop straight from the camera pretty much as detailed, colourful and vibrant as I could possibly want them to be in an instant. That’s one reason I prefer to shoot Jpegs over unprocessed RAW files. It’s also why I appreciate that Panasonic has always offered the option for buyers to personalise in-camera settings like noise reduction, sharpening, saturation, etc, to individual taste in many of their camera models. The G9 Mk 2 has truly raised the bar of potential adjustment to a refreshing and impressive new level.
Yes, it may take me a few hours or days of experimentation to settle on a specific set of combined tweaks. But once it’s done, it’s done and can be left for the life of the product. With the G9 Mk 2, I’m currently shooting with the settings shown in the relevant example image. These may or may not change in the future, but for now I’m very happy and impressed with the results I’m getting. As stated above, it’s a nice touch that Panasonic has afforded more increments by which we can fine-tune things to individual taste. Even if I never feel the need to change the likes of hue or make any shadow adjustments, I really appreciate that the options are now there all under the same set of parameters/image profiles we may prefer. Great stuff, overall, and very well done to Panasonic.
HANDLING AND ERGONOMICS
After its release, the original G9 quickly gained a reputation for its superb handing. I doubt that will be any different when it comes to the Mk 2. I actually prefer the way if feels compared to the G9 but I appreciate we all have different ideals, wants and needs as well as unique hand/finger sizes.
The Mk 2’s grip just happens to fit my right hand like the proverbial glove, and the fact that the old on-off button (which I found inconveniently positioned) has been moved enhances the overall experience for me. Don’t get me wrong, like the older G9, the Mk 2 can still be regarded as a big and heavy body for its comparatively small mount and 4/3 sized sensor. After all, the format was originally designed to be more compact than full frame counterparts and it bugs some would-be purchasers that the small form factor is being forsaken for larger and weightier variations. But somehow and even with a chunky lens like the PL 12 – 60mm F2.8 – F4 attached, the new camera feels entirely right and balanced, possibly due primarily to the ‘fits-my-hand-like-a-glove’ grip I’ve already highlighted. All in all, whilst the set-up weighs heavier than I’d prefer on the kitchen scales, the excellent handling experience generally makes everything feel lighter in use.
GENERAL BUTTON AND OVERALL CONTROL LAYOUT
Aside from the playback button which remains on the left like with the G9 – and which I’d have preferred to be on the right as it is with so many other Panasonic models – everything is just so conveniently positioned. Some of the more pernickety critics as well as those who simply like to bash Panasonic gear for the sake of it claim it’s a mistake for them to have placed a M4/3rd camera in a full frame body. Well, despite the fact I’ve owned my Mk 2 for a mere 12 or so days, I already couldn’t disagree more.
In my experience, so much about this new model feels just right if not absolutely bang on, shaping my own opinion that Panasonic has conducted a master class move by using the S5 II chassis in which to house all this new processing tech and sensor. I don’t really care exactly why they’ve made that move but I’m really pleased they have. So again, well done Panasonic; credit where it’s due.
For me, it shows you know your stuff far better and more in-depth than your critics do, most of whom I’d venture to say won’t even have held your new camera, let alone shot any photos with a copy. By and large, they’ll criticise absent of any worthy foundation whatsoever, which I guess is largely a Bain associated with trolling and the internet in general. Not forgetting of course that some unfounded criticism will be coming from users of cameras made by other manufacturers who would relish seeing others fail. As I say, for what it’s worth, I believe you got the G9 Mk 2 pretty much bang on as it is. Now, with all decisions made and the camera in circulation, you can sit back and watch other buyers adopt the same collective positive opinions re the design, layout and handling of your new release.
Furthermore, as time passes on, I’d be very surprised if this camera fails to sell up to twice the number of copies overall as the original G9 and which I’m led to believe remains in the current line-up of M4/3 camera options – at least for the time being. Another good move, because at £1699 not everyone will be able to afford or may even care to buy the Mk 2 – even though in my opinion you got the introductory price bang on, save for the fact you’re apparently too tight to have included the separate battery charger. :-( As time passes on though, you still have a chance to correct that one – especially as there are numerous compartments in the box that currently remain unused but which I suspect were originally created to house a charger amongst other accessories.
I may be wrong and don’t really care if I am, but I reckon the most frugal thinking executive on your board of management possibly decided at the last minute to make the battery charger an additional cost accessory. If so, I can therefore only hope that public demand and mass complaints from buyers like me eventually ring through. The sooner you pop the charger and a nice, thick hard copy manual in the box, the more folks are likely to appreciate the gesture and feel more comfortable paying your £1699 asking price.
I know I’ve already griped about these things above, but I’ll reiterate that I still feel quite peeved by their absence. As it is, I’m expected to charge my battery in-camera, the repeated process of which will only serve to increase the amount of wear on the door/flap covering the connection for the charge lead. Both ends of the connector will also wear in time, too. So, come on Panasonic, give at least your most loyal customers some extra incentive to carry on buying your generally excellent photographic equipment. It really would be appreciated I’m sure.
IN CLOSING
As I begin to wrap things up, it’s worth mentioning that the camera is exceptionally fast to power up but only after the first switch-on of the day. On initial start up, the G9 Mk 2 takes approximately 3.5 seconds to ready itself for the first shot; not particularly quick by anyone’s standards, but akin to the full frame S5 II apparently. It’s like it needs a kick start, after which the G9 Mk 2 springs into action almost instantly after every subsequent power down, power up cycle beyond the initial one of the day. If you want to maximise its speed from the off, it will pay to remember this quirk between your daily shooting sessions.
Just repeat the process every time you’re about to head out and you’re good to go all over again. FYI, I came across the thread linked below when querying the G9 Mk 2’s laboured 3.5 second initial start up time, potential reasons for which are possibly inherited from the S5 II. If nothing else, it’s kind of interesting to read the theories discussed here:All in all, I hope to construct an extension of this review in a few months time after familiarising myself considerably more with the G9 Mk2’s features and huge photo/video potential. In the grand scheme of things, this is still early days in terms of my owning and using the new camera, but thus far I’m over the moon and thoroughly impressed with it.
Of course, YMMV and that’s fine. After all, reviews complied by anyone are merely a matter of opinion and I’m more than happy to have shared most of my initial findings with anyone considering buying a G9 Mk 2 at its introductory price, and which I doubt will be reduced anytime during the next year or more. Save for the annoying absence of that separate charger, I view it as worth every penny I paid for the camera. Ultimately, my guess is that the G9 mk2 will become a much appreciated and sought after classic that many adopters/buyers will be proud to own, regardless of how much we end up paying for a copy. This is one excellent camera.
So, thank you for reading my contributions. If only a little, I hope this one helps. If you do go on to purchase the new Panasonic flagship M4/3 model, my guess is that you’ll be equally as impressed with the G9 Mk 2 and its latest technological advances as I am.
And on that final positive note, good luck, happy shooting and kind regards to all DPR readers and staff members.
NOTE images below.
100% crops, which I’ve marked individually, are sections cut from images shot at full resolution. They afford the means for results to be examined closely absent of any real need for the whole image to be posted, which is useful considering how large full size files are these days. They’re certainly too large and time-consuming for me to upload. So hopefully the examples, which I’ve cropped in my old Photoshop 7, will suffice for the pixel peepers amongst you all.
Note also that except for copping and/or resizing for faster uploading purposes, examples are from Jpegs as they otherwise appeared straight from my G9 Mk 2. Any captions I’ve added should be pretty much self-explanatory.
Please also note that I’ve posted a relevant image album to my not-for-profit website, where I’ll be displaying more reduced resolution G9 Mk2 examples as and when I can. To view what I’ve uploaded to date, here’s a direct link:
https://steviesphotos.com/gallery/lumix-g9-mk2-camera-review-photos-added-20-11-2023/
Except for small bird images, all other examples below were shot with the PL 12 - 60mm F2.8 - F4 Lens
Lens used PL 12 - 60 F2.8 - F4. A little short for wildlife in general but useful on occasion with a crop.
100% Crop from frame shown above.
HHHR compared to standard 25mp Example. 100% Crop.
Lens used for all bird examples: PZ 45 - 175 mm. See my review link below for full lens details.
All bird shots slightly cropped and resized for faster uploading.
My Current Jpeg Settings
PS: For anyone interested: Since joining DPR in 2009, I’ve compiled various user-reviews intended to help readers by giving them some insight into my favourite Panasonic products, links for which are supplied below. Please note that I use my time freely and completely absent of remuneration or freebie goods from anyone or any company. If a product impresses me enough, I enjoy spreading the word. I speak as I find and I just happen to like Panasonic cameras and lenses more than any other makes. That’s why I buy and recommend them – nothing more, nothing less.
LX100 II Camera: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67207832
Panasonic G9 Camera: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66941383
LUMIX GX 45 – 175mm PZ Lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66935382
Lumix G100 Camera: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65550733
Panasonic 25mm F1.7 lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66591863
Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4665967
Panasonic 14-140mm ii lens: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65695092
FZ2000 Review Part 1: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/64288303
FZ2000 Review Part 2: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66360652
FZ300 Review Part 1: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63244070
FZ300 Review Part 2: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65012028
All the best and cheers for now...
