GX9 dies, where to go from here?

Wow, thanks for the reply Sam, a lot of good sensible info there, actually your ideas match closely how I feel, I really do love M43, what other brand can I have three camera bodies, each with a different prime, in a small side bag, still with enough to squeeze one more prime just in case. I just took this photo last night at a BBQ







, ya, I'm the one with the prosthetics, if you notice my hands you can see I've also loss half my finger tips which is why I used a grip on my GX9 (it's a long story) but my 7's & 8 I'm fine with out, so with a OM-3 I'd need it for sure, thanks again Sam

Ron from Pickering

a100ps said:

I have two GX7's & a GX8 that are still purring along, so I don't want to sound like a Panasonic basher, but I think my GX9 was just one of those exceptions. First time I thought I had dirt on the senser, but closer inspection showed it was under the glass and looked as though the senser had a breakage, so had the senser replaced, second time my camera had a small tumble, fell from my lap, onto the side of my camera bag and then on the floor, a very small fall, not a mark on the camera or lens, but just wouldn't even turn on, I can't recall what was replaced. Now I guessing the right block (view from behind the camera) has failed... doesn't matter the mode dial location, it's stuck in "P" mode except one location shows "SCN" mode (which doesn't line up with SCN), adjusting exposure comp will turn off camera, when turned back on I'm asked to set the date, the shutter is super sensitive, just slightly touching it fires off a photo, eventually the camera (after a minute or two of use) will shut down like a dead battery, when replaced with a fresh one am asked to reset the clock again, when the old battery is put in my GX7, it still shows a full charge. So basically that side of the camera has gone nuts. I like all my GX cameras, my GX9 was my fav.

Ron from Pickering

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Well, sorry to hear about the ills. Sounds like fall damage of some sort. Perhaps the initial fall cracked something which got weaker and ultimately broke completely.

I've owned a lot of Panasonic cameras over the years: LX7, TS3, TS5, FZ300, GX85, G95, G100, G9 (2).

Personally, I've found the Panasonic bodies to be very robust. My GX85 (with a lens mounted, and one other lens in the bag) survived a 2 meter / 6 oot fall (inside a thinly padded camera bag) onto tile floor with no complaint. The same camera and mounted 14-140mm lens survived a second fall out of what I thought was a zipped shut camera bag down a 45 degree rock scramble at Yosemite national park. It must have tumbled 6 meters / 20 feet before it came to a sickening stop. I was sure I'd killed the LCD screen if not destroyed the camera altogether, possibly fractured the mount. But remarkably, there were just a few cosmetic scratches on the camera bottom and lens hood. Everything worked and kept on working fine for years afterwards. My LX7 also survived a fall from table height onto the floor after being knocked off a table by a family member. Again I was sure the camera would be dead or, at a minimum, the LCD would be cracked. Neither was the case, the camera worked perfectly and no cracked screen either.

I'm sure luck played a huge role but so did build quality. I'm a fan of Panasonic built quality. Everything except the dials on the non-weather sealed cameras seem very nicely built. I had three rear dial failures in 3 years with my GX85, and my G100 rear control wheel failed in less than 3 months. Maybe it's just bad luck.

--
"Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight." - Titanic musician before their final song

a100ps said:

Wow, thanks for the reply Sam, a lot of good sensible info there, actually your ideas match closely how I feel, I really do love M43, what other brand can I have three camera bodies, each with a different prime, in a small side bag, still with enough to squeeze one more prime just in case. I just took this photo last night at a BBQ

, ya, I'm the one with the prosthetics, if you notice my hands you can see I've also loss half my finger tips which is why I used a grip on my GX9 (it's a long story) but my 7's & 8 I'm fine with out, so with a OM-3 I'd need it for sure, thanks again Sam

Ron from Pickering

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this photo of you Ron you are an inspiration

️



--
Photography after all is interplay of light alongside perspective.

If you decide on the OM-3, there is another grip available made by Leofoto. I use it for tripod photography and it seems very well made.

Thanks Tom, you're sort of right about IBIS, lets face it, when outside between sunrise and sunset it's not really needed, and at night you still need a fast enough shutter to not blur moving objects (unless intentional) where it kind of helps in handheld in doors sometimes. Now... this off camera flash using a trigger on the G100/d I'm going to have to investigate more closely, can it trigger at 1/250 without penalty? But, price wise, at the end of the day, is there much difference between this and a used GX9? I do use the Godox flash system. I don't think it's that likely I would go A7C, with the S9 missing a viewfinder puts it out of the race for me, I sure hope Panasonic doesn't repurpose that body for M43

Ron from Pickering

Great question! I suspect that you have plenty of company among those attached to older cameras that pose replacement challenges.

When I switched to mirrorless cameras in 2014, I wanted a camera system that featured small and light cameras and lenses. At the time small and light was relative to Canon's large and bulky equipment. Despite my love for Nikon F series SLRs from my film days, I was partial to rangefinder style cameras and purchased two Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras in 2014 (a6000 & a5100). The a6000 is long gone, and I acquired a number of other Sony cameras. However, I hung on to the a5100 since it is so amazingly small and light! No EVF, no hot shoe, a minimum of manual controls and yet I have not wanted to part with it since it is so small and light.

As much as I like the AF/focus track of my array of Sony cameras, the bulk of my photography use over the years has been with MFT cameras starting with the Olympus Pen E-P5. Not long after purchasing the a6000 & a5100, I found myself intrigued with the Olympus 5-axis IBIS and enviable lens catalog. I purchased all five Pen Primes (12mm f/2, 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.8, 45mm f/1.8 & 75mm f/1.8) to pair with my E-P5.

Due to the move in MFT away from small & light cameras, my current MFT most used cameras are the E-M5 Mk3 & E-M10 Mk4. No rangefinder style but I am happy overall with these cameras.

Jim

Maybe you should bubble wrap your cameras:-D, Ok just poking fun, I would buy another Lumix in a heart beat if I can decide on the right one, I think my GX9 was just one of those duds, perhaps made on a Friday.

Ron from Pickering

Thankyou very much for that, appreciated!

a100ps said:

Thanks Tom, you're sort of right about IBIS, lets face it, when outside between sunrise and sunset it's not really needed, and at night you still need a fast enough shutter to not blur moving objects (unless intentional) where it kind of helps in handheld in doors sometimes. Now... this off camera flash using a trigger on the G100/d I'm going to have to investigate more closely, can it trigger at 1/250 without penalty? But, price wise, at the end of the day, is there much difference between this and a used GX9? I do use the Godox flash system. I don't think it's that likely I would go A7C, with the S9 missing a viewfinder puts it out of the race for me, I sure hope Panasonic doesn't repurpose that body for M43

Ron from Pickering

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There's dragging the shutter (dawn, dusk, shade, indoors, blurred motion, fireworks, etc.) and there's taming the finder view--the longer the lens the more impactful.

My no-IBIS camera gets stowed too often for those causes. Frustrating when it happens and I'll never buy another.

I have quite a few nice lenses, but the only camera I have is my GX9, which I had to buy used in the first place. I like using it and it meets my needs but badly needs to be updated; I would buy a GX10 immediately if Panasonic ever made one.

I guess if my GX9 goes bad I might see if I can find another good used one, but really there is no other m4/3 camera I would want; Panasonic has nothing, and even though I used Olympus my first several years in m4/3, I don't like the OM-5 or the OM-3.

fcna72 said:

Pardon me for asking (you're not the first one making a big deal out of it so I'm sure there are good reasons for this)...why would you care so much about double slot?

SD cards are so large, fast and reliable now so why do you see this as so critical?

Sam Bennett said:

fcna72 said:

TBH, if the OM-3 had two card slots I'd be tempted to get another one to replace my OM-1, using the Haoge on my "main" body (which typically is mated to the 40-150/2.8

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I never cared about a second card slot until four or five months ago when the SD card in my OM-1's Slot #1 wouldn't display any photos. Fortunately I'd put a card in Slot #2 to record duplicates of the images in Slot #1. It was the card, not the camera, that failed to record the photos as subsequent tests with other cards demonstrated. Most 99 and 44/100 % of all SD cards may be perfectly reliable, but there's always that one ...

Maybe check out the G95 or G97. The are only just a little bigger than the G100. They have IBIS but only one SD card slot though.

My GX9 is very much alive but has sadly been displaced by a Sony A6700, the APSC equivalent of the mythical GX10. If only Panasonic would put PDAF in a compact body. For that matter an m43 edition of the excellent lightweight Sony 70-350mm, approximately 50-250 in m43 terms would be very welcome.

a100ps said:

Maybe you should bubble wrap your cameras:-D, Ok just poking fun, I would buy another Lumix in a heart beat if I can decide on the right one, I think my GX9 was just one of those duds, perhaps made on a Friday.

Ron from Pickering

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I recently acquired a second rarely used GX9, swapped it for a film Nikon camera and lens that I wasn't using. Unlike some I am not desperate for a GX10.

I shoot aperture preferred and manual focus with my thumb and finger, cradle it in my left hand and tap the screen to shoot ( I am right handed). Works a treat, for auto focus and shoot in one tap.

Previous digital camera was the GX7

happy hunting

a100ps said:

My GX9 has failed for the third time; I won’t pay to get it repaired again, but what to pick next? I’d love a new GX range finder but one doesn’t exist and I really doubt they’ll be another, I want small, so that rules out the G9II, I also do a fair amount (although it usually comes in bunches) of off camera flash, so that rules out the G100 with the low flash sync speed, plus I would miss the IBIS a bit. The OM-3 with the advanced focusing modes I would love! I do a lot of live music in the clubs, and focusing right on the eyes while wide open (the aperture that is) would definitely improve my hit rate, but I would need a small grip (I use one with my GX9) to add, and then there is the cost of the camera right now, wow! So, maybe the OM-5II? It would tick a lot of my boxes but I would miss those focusing modes and have to learn a new menu system, but the menu is doable. But here is another thought… I’ve been using my camera more and more with a few primes that fit in a small camera bag (I never leave home without my camera, it’s with me all the time!) there has also been a lot of musing about the future of micro4/3s, I was already stung with the Sony “A” mount which lead me to this system, I wanted small. So… do I abandon m4/3s and pick up an a7C II (I know, the initial cost) and a few primes that would cover about 60% of my photography, or a used GX9, or a new OM-5 II (just not that ugly tan colour)

Ron from Pickering

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If you want recent and small, then OM-5ii is the only solution. Or get yourself an E-M5iii, which will work with that fantastic FL-LM3 flash. But won't have the user friendly menus.

Personally, I would go with the OM-5ii. But I'm keeping my E-M5iii because of all the things it does that the OM-5ii doesn't do. Which is a big disappointment for me. OM System, I'm not your fan.

Could you be specific about what is missing on the OM-5 Ii? I just purchased the OM-5 II and have my EM-5 III up for sale. What am I missing? I haven't yet, noticed anything that I miss. So far, I'm loving the OM. The new menus and the improved grip has been enough to justify the cost for me.

dr jim said:

Could you be specific about what is missing on the OM-5 Ii? I just purchased the OM-5 II and have my EM-5 III up for sale. What am I missing? I haven't yet, noticed anything that I miss. So far, I'm loving the OM. The new menus and the improved grip has been enough to justify the cost for me.

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They took away starlight scene mode, they took away support for the FL-LM3. They don't support the RM-WR1 (neither did the E-M5iii but the OM-5 and OM-1's do and I had to upgrade to the RM-WR2).

I absolutely love my G100 and my G100D even more. I've been very happy with Panasonic since the autumn of 2009, my first GF1. But I do a lot of flash photograpy of kids running around which requires a little too much of the G100's PDAF-system and also the minimalist mechanical shutter severely limits my flash options (BTW, the electronic shutter too has its limitations, as its travel time is 1/10 sec).

The only solution I found that gave me seriously better AF and better shutter for flash in a small package, is the OM-3. It does everything you want and more, at the same size and weight as the GX9. At least, it perfectly fits in the small bag that used to house my GX9, and it just sits a tiny bit less cramped than the GX9 did. So to me it definitely seems to be not really larger. And it sure is a great camera, I'm glad I made this choice.

Like you I've been thinking for quite a long time about an A7Cii, but I love the small size of µ43 and the quality of my 15mm and 20mm. With an A7Cii I needed to get new and bigger lenses and a new flash, making both cost and size go up in a way that I didn't feel comfortable with. The OM-3 solved it all. The G100D remains my EDC, the OM-3 is for serious things. Best of both worlds.

Good luck on your choice!

Jeanette

Thanks. I guess that's why I wasn't aware, since I never use any of those features. I assume that RM-WR1. is a remote? I will concede that removing those features was kind of a dlck move. Certainly didn't save them any money.

Jeanadriane said:

I absolutely love my G100 and my G100D even more. I've been very happy with Panasonic since the autumn of 2009, my first GF1. But I do a lot of flash photograpy of kids running around which requires a little too much of the G100's PDAF-system and also the minimalist mechanical shutter severely limits my flash options (BTW, the electronic shutter too has its limitations, as its travel time is 1/10 sec).

The only solution I found that gave me seriously better AF and better shutter for flash in a small package, is the OM-3. It does everything you want and more, at the same size and weight as the GX9. At least, it perfectly fits in the small bag that used to house my GX9, and it just sits a tiny bit less cramped than the GX9 did. So to me it definitely seems to be not really larger. And it sure is a great camera, I'm glad I made this choice.

Like you I've been thinking for quite a long time about an A7Cii, but I love the small size of µ43 and the quality of my 15mm and 20mm. With an A7Cii I needed to get new and bigger lenses and a new flash, making both cost and size go up in a way that I didn't feel comfortable with. The OM-3 solved it all. The G100D remains my EDC, the OM-3 is for serious things. Best of both worlds.

Good luck on your choice!

Jeanette

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Besides preferring to use Panasonic cameras, the OM-3 is a bad replacement for the GX series IMO. My main objection is that it has a lot of features that do not interest me at all in a m4/3 camera. The most expensive is probably the stacked sensor, which adds quite a lot to the cost of the camera; I feel that a GX10 with the features I want would be no more than $1500 (tariff tax in the US aside). Also, while I have used cameras with 2.36 MP EVFs and they were OK (the one in my GX9 is right crap), this seems ridiculous in a $2000 camera. And on the topic of viewfinders, I prefer the rangefinder format. To me, that is part of the charm of the GX series. Finally, I have no interest in a soap-bar camera to which I have to add a grip.

OTOH, wrt features, the G100 is pretty much exactly what I don't want in a camera. It's pretty much the opposite of the OM-3, lol. I think the only other option would be the OM-5, which doesn't really float my boat, either. If nothing else, the AF-ON button looks like an awfully far reach, though of course I would have to hold one to know for sure.

So I guess I am just destined to be dissatisfied, because there will never be a GX10.