Cafe Racer
Senior Member
We've just seen Panasonic launch their S9 camera, which is being marketed as a camera for Content Creation, although the design and new pancake lens suggests they may be attempting to appeal to street shooters too.
From the S9 press release:
Panasonic Launches New LUMIX S9 Compact Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera, Ushering In A New Era for Seamless Content Creation
Their previous camera that was marketed for Content Creation was the G100.
From the G100 press release:
Panasonic Launches the LUMIX G100, its Newest Mirrorless Camera for Vlogging and Creative Video Content
It's interesting that Panasonic has backed off of using the word 'vlogging' when describing the S9. It appears to have been a marketing faux par as far as the G100 is concerned, which saw it get readily trashed by, wait for it, Content Creators! But that makes me wonder what Panasonic are thinking because the S9 has two key features, which makes it qualify as a good camera for vlogging; IBIS and Active I.S. Active I.S. is apparently designed to iron out additional wobbles caused by walking. IBIS combined with Active I.S. turns in a respectable performance from what I've seen, which anyone doing walk and talk content is going to appreciate. Perhaps not quite in the same league as the DJI Pocket 3 but it doesn't have to be; it just has to be good enough, which it appears to be unlike the G100.
The S9 like the G100 comes in a small and light package (in full frame terms), which can be appealing to solo content creators and I assume Panasonic will also introduce some small AF prime lenses to match with it at some point. But then Panasonic have not included the OZO Audio system, which debuted on the G100, instead opting for a not so good on-board mic that picks up a ton of background noise. I don't see any reason not to include the OZO system if they're promoting it as compact and light, given that there's still the option for an external mic for those who don't mind the potential additional bulk of an extra accessory.
The S9 offers only 15 minutes of 4k footage, likely in order to prevent overheating, but an MFT version with a similar sized body should be able to offer longer 4k recording times, which could count as a differentiating advantage. Another potential advantage of an MFT version is that there's already compact AF prime lenses available.
If Panasonic would make an MFT camera targeting Content Creators with the important features of the S9, particularly IBIS, Active I.S. and PDAF, and include the OZO audio system for people that want to maintain a small foot print, I think they will have a good camera for content creation. Particularly for solo creators doing walk and talk footage.
The thing Panasonic needs to realise is that a camera they say is targeting Content Creators will be reviewed by Content Creators, so it's not wise to make dumb omissions if they want to minimise negative feedback.
So would MTF users here that also shoot video welcome some kind of MFT version of the S9?
From the S9 press release:
Panasonic Launches New LUMIX S9 Compact Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera, Ushering In A New Era for Seamless Content Creation
Their previous camera that was marketed for Content Creation was the G100.
From the G100 press release:
Panasonic Launches the LUMIX G100, its Newest Mirrorless Camera for Vlogging and Creative Video Content
It's interesting that Panasonic has backed off of using the word 'vlogging' when describing the S9. It appears to have been a marketing faux par as far as the G100 is concerned, which saw it get readily trashed by, wait for it, Content Creators! But that makes me wonder what Panasonic are thinking because the S9 has two key features, which makes it qualify as a good camera for vlogging; IBIS and Active I.S. Active I.S. is apparently designed to iron out additional wobbles caused by walking. IBIS combined with Active I.S. turns in a respectable performance from what I've seen, which anyone doing walk and talk content is going to appreciate. Perhaps not quite in the same league as the DJI Pocket 3 but it doesn't have to be; it just has to be good enough, which it appears to be unlike the G100.
The S9 like the G100 comes in a small and light package (in full frame terms), which can be appealing to solo content creators and I assume Panasonic will also introduce some small AF prime lenses to match with it at some point. But then Panasonic have not included the OZO Audio system, which debuted on the G100, instead opting for a not so good on-board mic that picks up a ton of background noise. I don't see any reason not to include the OZO system if they're promoting it as compact and light, given that there's still the option for an external mic for those who don't mind the potential additional bulk of an extra accessory.
The S9 offers only 15 minutes of 4k footage, likely in order to prevent overheating, but an MFT version with a similar sized body should be able to offer longer 4k recording times, which could count as a differentiating advantage. Another potential advantage of an MFT version is that there's already compact AF prime lenses available.
If Panasonic would make an MFT camera targeting Content Creators with the important features of the S9, particularly IBIS, Active I.S. and PDAF, and include the OZO audio system for people that want to maintain a small foot print, I think they will have a good camera for content creation. Particularly for solo creators doing walk and talk footage.
The thing Panasonic needs to realise is that a camera they say is targeting Content Creators will be reviewed by Content Creators, so it's not wise to make dumb omissions if they want to minimise negative feedback.
So would MTF users here that also shoot video welcome some kind of MFT version of the S9?
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